Syeda Ahmed, who grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, had a strong emphasis on the importance of education instilled in her by her mother. Her mother, who did not receive a formal education due to family beliefs about the role of girls in society, made sure Syeda and her older sister Darakshan went to school and even arranged for them to be taught by peer tutors at home. This early exposure to the value of learning sparked a passion in Syeda for making education accessible to all.
In 2020, Syeda and Darakhshan founded Tutorsloop, a platform for affordable private tutoring that matches high school students with college students. The idea was inspired by the peer-tutoring model they grew up with in Pakistan, where private support for learning was readily available. However, after immigrating to the Chicago area as teenagers, Syeda noticed a lack of affordable tutoring options in her community, prompting the creation of Tutorsloop.
Despite their initial optimism, the sisters soon realized that they needed more financial support to keep their business running. As inexperienced entrepreneurs, they had underestimated the costs involved and quickly depleted their savings. Syeda acknowledges that they were lacking in knowledge about the various aspects of running a business, including financing, and learned some tough lessons along the way. However, their determination to make education accessible to all drove them forward and helped them find success despite these challenges.
