About Avatar
About Avatar Learning Center:
Our Founders and Teaching Team
Avatar Learning Center teaches math from Kindergarten to Pre-Calculus, plus coding, in live online classes. Four women scientists with PhDs founded it so that students see math and coding as stepping stones to success, not as hurdles.
Our Mission
Nurture Potential, Inspire Curiosity
Our purpose is to nurture potential and inspire lifelong curiosity about math through live online classes.
We founded Avatar Learning Center in 2020 to bring joy, curiosity and deeper meaning to math learning. As highlighted in Washington Parent, “AvatarMath: Where Every Problem Has a Solution”, our approach helps students see math not as memorization, but as logic, discovery and confidence-building.
We want every learner to feel included and able to thrive in our classes.
Why We Started
What We Saw in Math Education
The four of us have worked and studied all over the world and benefited from the very best in international math education. At the same time, we came to recognize the shortcomings of the American education system.
Over the years we saw girls and students of color passed over for opportunities. We saw global rankings, year after year, place the United States behind in nearly every benchmark of math and science learning.
It is no accident that many children say they “hate math” and find “science boring.” Nor is it surprising that our country's fastest-growing companies struggle to find local talent to fill lucrative science, engineering and coding jobs.
We Knew There Was a Better Way
Too often, math is taught in a dull and disconnected way, with little link to real-world applications, so students struggle to see why it matters. Yet any parent who has tried to answer why the sky is blue knows that children are naturally curious. They want to understand and explore the world around them, to experiment and to go beyond the textbook.
We created Avatar Learning Center to combine a scientist's expertise with a parent's understanding of how children learn. Our mission is simple: deliver strong math education to all learners at an affordable price.
Our classes are taught by scientist-tutors and built around real-world problem solving. Our goal is to raise the next generation of thinkers, problem solvers and innovators.
Our Values
What We Stand For
Six values guide how we teach and who we hire.
Ignite
Curiosity
We encourage students to ask questions and explore in math, so they enjoy learning for its own sake.
Nurture
Potential
We look for each student's strengths and talents and build on them in math and coding.
Foster
Collaboration
Small classes let students work together and learn from each other in a supportive, inclusive setting.
Innovate
with Purpose
We adopt teaching methods and technology only when they help students learn math and prepare for the challenges ahead.
Promote
Diversity and Inclusion
Students from all backgrounds are welcome and valued in our classes. We hire tutors who serve as diverse role models for all students.
Strive
for Excellence
We hold our teaching and curriculum to a high standard and look at student results every week to check that it works.
The Avatar Team
Founders & Teaching Team
Avatar was founded by four mothers who are math educators with deep expertise in math and science. They were engineering classmates and became PhD scientists, and they built Avatar around a math-first approach that develops problem-solving skills, confidence and a lasting love of mathematics in every student.
Below are the four founders and the instructors who teach Avatar's classes.
Our Founders
Dr. Armine Arustamyan
Co-founder
Armine brings experience from the nonprofit and corporate sectors. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Physics, is passionate about math and fostering critical thinking, and loves classic rock, Krav Maga and family travels.
LinkedIn
Dr. Astrid Babayan
Co-founder
Astrid holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. She has worked in teaching, content development and Data Scientist roles, and is devoted to inspiring young learners in math. Based in Boston, she enjoys family travels and outdoor adventures.
LinkedIn
Dr. Margarit Khachatryan
Co-founder
Maga holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. She has led analytics projects for Fortune 500 companies, mentors in science, technology, engineering and math, and champions women in Operations Research (OR) and Data Science. She enjoys piano, travel and family time with her three children.
LinkedIn
Dr. Lana Yeganova
Co-founder
Lana is a scientist at the National Institutes of Health with a Ph.D. in Operations Research. She pioneers Data Science in biomedical applications. Living in Potomac, MD, she was driven to establish an online math school, inspired by her children's education during the pandemic.
LinkedInOur Instructors
Dr. Aram Vartanyan
Math instructor
Works as a physicist at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab, with a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. He specializes in radar, radiation, lasers and software. Outside work, he values family, philosophical discussions, nature and global travel.
Dr. Marianna Khachaturyan
Math instructor
Holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics. She tailors math and stats guidance to diverse learning styles and focuses on student-centered learning. Apart from teaching, she values family, reading and language learning.
Ms. Nune Grigorian
Math instructor
A Fresno high school teacher with an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and 14+ years of teaching, including Stanford's Hollyhock Fellowship. She lives in Fresno with her family and enjoys classical music, historical movies and exploring.
Ms. Natalia Shmeleva
Math instructor
Holds Master's degrees in Physics from MEPhI and Biology from Georgia Tech. With expertise in ACT/SAT prep, she teaches math fundamentals and efficient shortcuts and builds confidence by learning from mistakes. Outside teaching, she explores art philosophy, opera and French history.
Dr. Eva Darian
Math instructor
Physics Professor at Northern Virginia Community College, specializing in General Physics and Computational Chemistry, with degrees in Statistical Physics and Computational Drug Design. She enjoys coaching, traveling, supporting sports, baking and home improvements.
Dr. Jeff Pobst
Math instructor
Senior Data Scientist at Bayer, where he builds a range of machine learning models. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics, and his thesis explored visual processing in reptilian brains. Based in Chesterfield, MO, he enjoys hiking, photography, tennis, woodworking, games and travel with his fiancée.
Ms. Manik Adjemian
Math instructor
A Fresno High School teacher with an M.S. in Physics with minors in Mathematics and Education, who complements her teaching with a Stanford Data Science program. She sees students' academic struggles as a chance to help them understand and succeed. Residing in Clovis, CA, she enjoys family time, travel, baking, and fruit and vegetable carving.
Ms. Chetna Aggarwal
Math instructor
Holds a Master's in Computer Engineering and works as a Programmer. Passionate about science, technology, engineering and math, she engages children in tech-related activities. As a mother, she values what her daughters gain from Avatar. Outside work, she enjoys workouts, swimming, hiking and unwinding with board games.
The Avatar Difference
What Makes Avatar Different?
Math-Focused Curriculum
Avatar teaches math from Kindergarten to Pre-Calculus, with coding courses alongside.
Instructors with Advanced Degrees
All four founders hold PhDs, and most of our instructors hold a PhD or a master's degree in a STEM field.
Placement at the Right Level
A free placement assessment sets each child's level, and teachers adjust the pace from the weekly results.
Homework Checked at Once
Students do homework in the student portal, which checks each answer the moment it is submitted and lets them try again.
Small Live Online Classes
Classes are live online, interactive and engaging, with 5 to 6 students, never more than 8, so the teacher knows every child and every child takes part.
Real-World Problems and Projects
Math problems are tied to real-world uses, and coding students work on real-world projects.
Empowering Young Minds
Avatar works to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math, and its four women founders are role models for students.
Parental Involvement
Every parent has a parent portal that shows attendance, each week's homework and quiz scores, time spent and progress in real time.
After-School Classes
Classes meet after school, in the evenings and on weekends, to supplement what children learn at school.
Our Own Curriculum
Avatar teaches its own curriculum. It is generally aligned with what schools cover in each grade and goes further.
Testimonials
Why Students and Their Parents Love Avatar
Successful Placement!
“Avatar Math has provided me with great success, one of them being the school's placement testing NWEA. Without Avatar I wouldn't have gotten the score I got.”
Aidan8th Grade StudentOutstanding Results!
“AvatarMath has provided my daughter with devoted instructors. She has overcome her fear for math and developed a strong foundation, improved her grades, and continues achieving outstanding results.”
Nancye TumanoffParentBest Decision!
“The decision to join the Avatar Learning Center was the best thing ever! I also get good grades in my math tests at school. What I like the most is the feeling that I am developing a problem-solving mindset.”
Tansim5th Grade StudentFind the Right Level for Your Child
Take the free placement assessment. We recommend a course and one of three levels, and a child can move up during the year.