About the Episode
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About the Episode:
Samyr Qureshi, Co-Founder and CEO of Knack, returns to the podcast to unpack how his team is reshaping peer tutoring into a powerful engine for student success and workforce readiness. With a tech-enabled, Uber-style platform, Knack empowers high-achieving students to tutor peers while building soft skills and resumes. Samyr and Dustin explore the evolution of tutoring in higher ed, the role of AI in academic support, and how innovative partnerships are driving equitable outcomes across the student lifecycle.
This episode includes a sponsored question in partnership with Brian LeDuc, founder of Learning, Designed — a consulting practice and newsletter focused on helping higher ed institutions design more student-centered systems and strategies.
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Key Takeaways
- Knack’s peer tutoring model democratizes academic support by using top-performing students as tutors, creating scalable, human-centered learning interactions.
- Student tutors gain invaluable career readiness skills—like communication, patience, and leadership—through high-impact, paid campus employment.
- AI is not replacing human tutors but enhancing the tutoring experience by enabling smarter, data-driven academic support.
- Institutions are leveraging Knack for more than academic support—it's becoming a strategic tool for workforce development and transfer student success.
- System-level partnerships, like those with EAB and ETS, are helping campuses integrate peer tutoring into holistic student success ecosystems.
- Knack is now enabling cross-institution tutoring, connecting community college students with peer tutors at four-year universities to improve transfer outcomes.
- Higher ed leaders must create a culture that rewards innovation to drive faster, student-first change across campus.
How is Knack transforming traditional peer tutoring?
Knack is revolutionizing campus tutoring by scaling human-to-human academic support in a cost-effective, tech-enabled way. Instead of outsourcing tutors or relying solely on overextended learning centers, institutions use Knack’s platform to onboard their own high-performing students as peer tutors. The result? A student-centered, socially engaging experience where learners get support from peers who’ve already walked in their shoes. This Uber-like model increases accessibility, boosts retention, and offers more relevant, flexible support options—especially in an age when students expect on-demand solutions.
Unlike traditional models, Knack’s platform blends in-person and virtual tutoring seamlessly, extending tutoring coverage beyond core subjects and business hours. Institutions that partner with Knack—including University of Florida, Hampton University, and University of New Hampshire—have already reported measurable gains in retention and student satisfaction. The key differentiator? Knack doesn’t just plug gaps—it reimagines peer tutoring as a core pillar of student success strategy.
How does Knack address equity in academic support?
Equity is baked into Knack’s DNA. Samyr and his team are focused on making academic support accessible for every student, not just those who can afford or find private tutoring. By enabling institutions to offer peer tutoring at scale, fully funded and institution-backed, Knack ensures every learner has an opportunity to thrive—regardless of background or circumstance.
Moreover, Samyr emphasizes that while AI has made content more accessible, it can’t replace the social accountability and shared lived experience of peer-to-peer learning. Knack’s model maintains the integrity of human interaction in education while leveraging AI around the edges to enhance—not replace—the learning journey. As a result, students receive support that’s both academically enriching and emotionally resonant.
What’s in it for the tutors?
Knack isn’t just about helping the students who need tutoring—it’s just as transformative for the students doing the tutoring. The model creates high-impact campus employment opportunities where tutors earn while reinforcing their own subject knowledge and building durable, transferable career skills. These student tutors develop leadership, communication, and critical thinking abilities, and thanks to Knack’s structured reflection pathways, they’re learning to articulate those skills in job interviews and professional contexts.
This experience is being recognized by employers. In fact, Samyr shared that companies are calling Knack to verify tutor experience as part of job reference checks—a strong testament to the platform’s role in workforce development. The team is also working with ETS to develop experiential assessments for tutors, elevating tutoring from a side hustle to a strategic, résumé-worthy career development experience.
How is Knack integrating AI and expanding its impact?
While Knack stays grounded in human interaction, it’s actively integrating AI to enhance both the tutor and learner experience. AI is being used to help tutors identify where students struggle (e.g., through GPT-generated summaries) and to coach tutors on how to improve their delivery through methods like the Socratic approach. This kind of intelligent augmentation helps tutors be more effective and learners more empowered.
Knack is also expanding its data integration capabilities, enabling tighter alignment with systems like EAB. This lets institutions track the full student journey—who they interacted with, what support they accessed, and how those engagements influenced outcomes. By unifying these insights, campuses can develop smarter strategies for supporting students at every level.
Beyond this, Knack is pioneering cross-campus tutoring models that connect students across institutions—like community college students with peer tutors at articulated four-year universities. This supports smoother transitions, builds confidence among transfer students, and aligns directly with enrollment and transfer success strategies.
What advice does Samyr offer to higher ed leaders?
In a passionate close to the episode, Samyr challenges higher ed leaders to create cultures that reward innovation and move faster in implementing student-first change. He acknowledges the industry’s traditionally cautious, consensus-driven approach—but emphasizes that delays often cost students the support they need in real time.
The key? Don’t just launch strategic plans—create safe spaces for experimentation, allow room for failure, and reward bold ideas. As Samyr points out, the higher ed community proved during COVID that it can adapt rapidly under pressure. That same urgency and courage must now be harnessed to support long-term transformation—particularly in how institutions approach student support, equity, and career readiness.
About the Show: The Higher Ed Geek Podcast explores the impact of edtech on the student experience by speaking with diverse leaders from institutions, companies, and nonprofit organizations. Each week we aim to provide an engaging, fun, and relevant dose of professional development that honors the wide range of work happening all across the higher ed ecosystem. Come geek out with us! The Higher Ed Geek Podcast is hosted by Dustin Ramsdell and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.
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