Who We Are

We have translated our corporate leadership and learning expertise into a program that empowers middle and high school students to become independent self-leaders

About Beyond the Classroom

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We are experts in productivity & executive function, passionate about preparing young adults to live independently and confidently

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We enable students to become effective self-leaders, equipped with the skills they need to work smarter (not harder!) to live better

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We empower students and families to set goals, take control, and achieve the art of the possible today and for the future

Our Values

  • Impact

    We create real, positive, lasting change for students and their families

  • Growth

    We believe everyone has the power to become an independent self-leader

  • Balance

    We advocate for students to work smarter to live better, more balanced lives

  • Authenticity

    We honor and respect every individual for who they uniquely are

  • Integrity

    We do what we promise, aligned with our values

  • Partnership

    We believe that when we work together, anything is possible

Meet our Founder, Jen Zacharias

IT WASN’T LIKE I ACTUALLY WANTED TO LEARN EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AS A 12-YEAR-OLD.

My mother enrolled me in a study skills program in 6th grade and, eyes rolling, I descended into the basement of an extremely disciplined tutor who overlooked my resistance. During our weekly sessions, she taught me skills ranging from how to take notes and organize my files, to how to study for exams, to how to represent myself through the quality of my work…all skills whose future value I could not have known at the time.

High school came soon enough, and I realized the gift of my mom’s foresight. College followed fast, and by then it was clear: Mastering the art of HOW to learn was just as critical as the content I was learning. I landed a job at a top-tier global consulting firm, and I knew that I owed much of my early success to the lessons learned in that tutor’s basement.

My study in applying executive function grew throughout my career as I worked in the high-intensity worlds of management consulting and brand management. Most recently, I served as the Head of North America Consultant Onboarding at the Boston Consulting Group where I oversaw the new hire curriculum that taught the skills, approach, and mindset needed for success in the demanding consultant role.

My purpose is simple: To take the skills I have learned in my 20+ year career to enable young adults to become independent self-leaders in the classroom and beyond, preparing them for the practicalities and demands of adulthood.

I reside in Illinois with my husband, two sons, and a loveable Havanese pup.  I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame and earned my MBA at INSEAD in France and Singapore. I am also a certified executive coach through the Hudson Institute of Coaching in Santa Barbara, California.