Rushab is the co-founder of an AI powered online tutoring hub, TutorHive, which is driven by the values of collaboration, confidence, and contentment. He is the winner of SME’s CEO of the Year Award (2023). As well as connecting curious learners with the most inspiring tutors for them, the platform is breaking down educational barriers. Naturally adventurous and outgoing himself, Rushab sought to create an enterprise that would meet not only a gap in the tutoring market, but also the way that we habitually learn as a society. “You remember the teachers you got on with,” he shared with us, “and it’s highly likely you did better in class!” TutorHive, then, was created to centre emotional connection as the primary vehicle through which to boost academic performance. Hobbies and passions are used to match personalities. “This is why the Finnish do so well,” Rushab commented: “they personalise the learning.”
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Additionally, Rushab believes in tech playing a pivotal role in equalising education where he champions the reformatory idea that teaching should be exciting, productive, and accessible. Here, he shared a very sobering statistic on the matter: “The Department for Education has found that 24% of children who are currently receiving free schools meals will be on our-of-work benefits by their late twenties because they are from low-income households which hugely affects employment. The truth is that students who come from higher earning families are likely to have those motivational conversations around ambitions and receive the practical advice on progression around CVs and career etc. Children whose parents are struggling to support them financially are likely busy in exhausting jobs where the kids then lose the benefit of valuable personal guidance. In short, the system is broken.” As a result, TutorHive was created as a socially conscious business that utilises an interpersonal algorithm which meaningfully pairs the favourable tutor to any deserving learner, offering quality tailored learning at a truly affordable price. There is also a focus on recruiting tutors who are recent graduates by way of a deeply constructive model of private teaching where many young people do struggle initially and turn to tutoring to earn an extra income. This all comes together in TutorHive Black – the world’s first AI powered education concierge – empowering parents to take control of their child’s education. Giving parents back countless hours by supporting them along the journey with instant access to experts on demand and visibility of their child’s progress.
Rushab first became interested in effective mentorship during his time studying at Warwick University. Working with the national charity, Phab, he created a youth club through which students could volunteer to help those with disabilities: “I found that it was a challenge to get students to commit to volunteering where those with the disability would respond by also finding it hard to relate, especially young ones with autism. However, the potential for a slightly older support worker to positively impact those who needed it and in turn expose uni-goers to other parts of life was great. It seemed that the way to realise this was to have a genuine personal connection that kept both parties mutually motivated. If two people like each other, they are naturally invested in the shared project in the long run.” Rushab’s degree in Mechanical Engineering has also contributed to the shaping of TutorHive which offers group learning to enhance fruitful social engagement:
“My higher learning taught me that teamwork is necessary in problem-solving: you are exchanging thoughts with other engineers and different types people in terms of complex physics to collectively arrive at an answer. You are focussing on details and working together towards a wider aim. Doing well communally means you do better overall. This is also an important aspect of business. Rarely do we do anything alone in life – even when you are an academic, you are being supported by professors and your institution.” Indeed, embracing this inherent fact, Rushab has integrated the help of AI with the platform of TutorHive where they are piloting innovations such as automatically providing summaries of the sessions between tutors and as well as the option to keep track of their academic progress and extra-curricular achievements. “Tech can hugely facilitate levelling up, if presented in a comprehensible way”. Finally, not only does Rushab successfully democratise additional education, but further reveals the secret to strong contemporary business: “it is fine to have a profitable product but best to have one that leaves the world a markedly better place.” Ultimately, Integrity and prosperity do go hand in hand.
Do you think online franchises and apps generally have a responsibility towards society?
It is tricky because on the one hand you cannot limit freedom to do what one wants too much and the right to free speech but on the other you do have an obligation to answer for what is happening on your platform – take the recent fiasco around X (formerly Twitter) and certain opinions returning to the mainstream for example. There has been a loss of trust in tech and media recently and it is smarter to work towards regaining it and being a force for the good. Ultimately, if you are remaining people-centric morally, you are likely making the right commercial move.
It seems you have created an idea that can be expanded, and not simply limited to private tuition, in its overall initiative?
Yes. We are currently working with Brent council to introduce a tech hub for the youth in the area to engage with an educational six-week course that will help them learn new digital skills. They will have the opportunity to learn about topics such as AI, VR, coding, cyber security, and data analytics. We are also partnering with companies who have an outreach programme already such as SKY and Microsoft with the aim of setting up a mentoring scheme to widen opportunities. We want to give kids who have the passion access to companies that are notable in a way that they may not have had before. It evens the playing field in terms of networking.
Do you have any plans for future projects that you’d like to share?
I am working with a charity to organise a rickshaw trip from Rameshwaram to Bhuj – “Shishukunj Tuk Tuk” is not only a once in a lifetime journey for 108 individuals, but a sewa trip unlike any other. As we travel 3,300 in one of the most unsuitable vehicles out there, we will be supporting local communities along the way. Watch this space for more announcements soon!
I am always open to collaborating, discussing and partnering and would love for anyone to reach out and connect via LinkedIn to explore this further. Otherwise, find out more about TutorHive, TutorHive Black and our journey through our socials.
W: https://tutorhive.co.uk/how-it-works
W: https://tutorhive.co.uk/black
Insta: https://instagram.com/tutor.hive
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/tutorhive.learn
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/tutorhive/
LinkedIn (Personal): linkedin.com/in/rushabmshah/
