Our Mission
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Connecting Potential to Opportunity
Low-income talent is not flourishing in America. Whether it’s in public schools, community colleges, or prison classrooms, extraordinary ability often goes undeveloped.
The Transcending Through Education Foundation (TTEF) is changing that. We design content, programming, and products that teach metacompetence: the ability to understand how we observe, interpret, and engage with the world around us. Our carefully structured modules help students build the mental patterns that drive achievement, unlocking potential at scale. We prepare students for transformative success by:
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Our Founders
TTEF was founded by three men who turned their experiences with incarceration into a chance at transformation for others.
Together, they built TTEF to ensure that the potential that they discovered in themselves doesn’t go unseen in others. Since 2012, TTEF has helped over 100 formerly-incarcerated students pursue higher education.
Now, TTEF is scaling a curriculum focused on metacompetence. Why? Success begins from within. The ability to observe, interpret, and engage with the world creates a foundation for future achievement.
From prison classrooms to underserved high schools, TTEF helps students build the cognitive tools that nurture potential.
- Andres Idarraga began his journey in a Rhode Island prison and went on to earn advanced degrees from Brown, Yale Law, and Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.
- Bruce Reilly, a jailhouse lawyer during his 12-year sentence, became a national advocate and voting rights leader.
- Noah Kilroy, once a high school dropout in foster care, earned his law degree after his release and now runs a successful law practice.
Together, they built TTEF to ensure that the potential that they discovered in themselves doesn’t go unseen in others. Since 2012, TTEF has helped over 100 formerly-incarcerated students pursue higher education.
Now, TTEF is scaling a curriculum focused on metacompetence. Why? Success begins from within. The ability to observe, interpret, and engage with the world creates a foundation for future achievement.
From prison classrooms to underserved high schools, TTEF helps students build the cognitive tools that nurture potential.
Our Leadership Team
Andres Idarraga – Co-Founder and President
Yale Law School and Kellogg School of Management graduate, attorney, and entrepreneur.
Bruce Reilly – Co-Founder and Board Member
Tulane Law School graduate and Deputy Director of VOTE.
Noah Kilroy – Co-Founder and Board Member
JD, Roger Williams University School of Law graduate and attorney at the Kilroy Law Firm.
Steven Parkhurst – Program Coordinator and Board Member
First-ever TTEF Scholar who earned his BA and MBA while incarcerated. Program Coordinator at Freedom Reads.
Charles Doar – Board Member
MA, Columbia University. Associate Director of College Counseling and English Teacher at Belmont Hill.
Jason de Jesus – Board Member
MPA, Columbia University. Sustainability and Impact at UBS.
Anita Doar – Board Member
MA, Middlebury. Senior Private Counselor at TopTier Admissions.
Our VISION
We’re harnessing talent already present in our most overlooked places.
TTEF is positioning itself to become the nation’s leading provider of metacompetence education, starting in correctional facilities and scaling across educational delivery methods. By equipping students with self-awareness, cognitive agility, and decision-making frameworks, we help them chart a path to sustainable success.
Let’s build a future where success is no longer left to chance.
TTEF is positioning itself to become the nation’s leading provider of metacompetence education, starting in correctional facilities and scaling across educational delivery methods. By equipping students with self-awareness, cognitive agility, and decision-making frameworks, we help them chart a path to sustainable success.
Let’s build a future where success is no longer left to chance.