Brooks Imel, PhD

Brooks is the Founder and Principal of True North Educational Consulting. He has over a decade of experience in education, in a career that has included classroom teaching, research, and one-on-one counseling. He has taught middle and high school social studies, in addition to spending several years as a learning specialist working primarily with students with specific learning disabilities in math. In 2018, Brooks received a PhD in educational psychology, with a specialty in Cognition & Learning. During his doctoral studies, Brooks taught courses in developmental and educational psychology and conducted research on the cognitive processes involved in reading and learning using digital devices. He also spent time as a student reviewer for the Journal of Learning Disabilities. In addition to executive function coaching and career counseling, Brooks also works as a college admissions counselor, specializing in helping neurodiverse students navigate the college selection and admissions process.

B.A., English Literature, University of Pennsylvania
M.A., History, Georgetown University
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of California, Riverside

Summer Fellow, Columbia University - Klingenstein Institute
Chancellor's Distinguished Fellow, University of California, Riverside

Memberships:
American Psychological Association, Div. 15 (Educational Psychology)
Western Association of College Admissions Counselors
Learning Disabilities Association of America
CHADD - Children & Adults with ADHD


ACADEMIC & EXECUTIVE FUNCTION COACHING

COLLEGE GUIDANCE COUNSELING

GRAD SCHOOL/CAREER COUNSELING: MA,MS, PhD Programs, Career Exploration, Job Application Coaching


Drew Formentini, MSE, LPSC

Drew is a bilingual (Spanish) Career Counselor & Academic Coach. His practice is grounded in reality therapy, focused on action-oriented planning to achieve specific, mindfully-crafted goals. In addition to his background and expertise in counseling, Drew also has a background in business, having had a successful career that spanned both tech and professional sports (including stints at Lyft and Major League Baseball). Drew is also an adjunct professor of Sport Management in the School of Health and Sport Science at the University of Dayton and has worked since 2012 as mentor to undergraduate sport management students. His primary goal is to ensure his students clearly understand and are properly preparing themselves for what awaits them beyond graduation–both professionally and personally.

B.S., Sport Management & Spanish, University of Dayton

MSE, School Counseling, University of Dayton

Licensed Professional School Counselor
Member of the American School Counseling Association 
Certified Mental Performance Coach 


CAREER COUNSELING:  Career Exploration, Job Application Coaching, Career Counseling for business careers


Terence Kennedy

Terence is an MBA Admissions Advisor and Career Counselor, specializing in business careers related to finance, media, sales, and banking. Terence began his career in banking, then switched to the media industry, where he spent a decade focusing on dealmaking. He worked for PepsiCo, Viacom, and ended his corporate career working for Google, where he helped build their commercial partnerships. In 2020, he left Google to join KMA: The Financial Training Consortium, to pursue a career in business education. At KMA, Terence is responsible for expanding their online course program, and he also teaches seminars on select topics, including Financial Modeling. At True North, Terence advises college students interested in pursuing careers in business, and he also works with early-career MBA candidates as an Admissions Advisor. 

B.A., Economics & Cinema Studies, University of Pennsylvania

MBA (with Honors), The Wharton School of Business


GRAD SCHOOL/CAREER COUNSELING: Business school admissions (MBA), Career Counseling for business careers


David Back

In 2013, David co-founded Zoomcar, the first rental car company in India to focus on “Western-style" rentals with no chauffeur. The company started with 7 cars in Bangalore, and now has over 40,000 vehicles in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In 2020, David returned to his hometown, Denver, and raised money to purchase the much-beloved Tattered Cover chain of bookstores, for which he is now Chairman.

In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, David is also a dedicated educator. While at Harvard Law School, David was a teaching fellow for both Niall Ferguson and Larry Summers. He also taught the LSAT and worked as a law school admissions consultant during that time. 

David's passion for teaching led him to return to the field of education in 2023. At True North, David works with college students and recent graduates as a Law School Admissions Advisor. In addition to his work with True North, David is the founder of 180 LSAT Tutor, a test prep firm focused on LSAT instruction.

B.A., History, University of Pennsylvania

J.D., Harvard Law School


GRAD SCHOOL/CAREER COUNSELING: Law School Admissions, Career Counseling for legal careers and startups