Meet The Team

Management

Ali - CEO & Founder

During the day he leads & lectures for the undergraduate Computer Games Design ๐ŸŽฎ course. He has more than 15 years of experience and has worked on many different projects with many different companies such as Siemens, London Underground and Royal Air Force (RAF). In the eyes of his 12 year old nephew, he’s the coolest uncle in the world ๐Ÿ˜Ž, because he makes games! One day his nephew (who was 9 years old at the time) asked to learn games design. He was surprised ๐Ÿ˜ฎ to see how quickly his nephew learnt the same tools his adult students use. “You’re a lot more capable than I thought!” he said. He then taught the same techniques to his 8 years old niece who also learnt just as quick. This gave him the idea ๐Ÿ’ก to set up Software Academy, so kids as young as 6 can start learning how to code ๐Ÿ’ป and make 3D games.

Saeed - Operations Manager

Saeed was a lecturer ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿซ on the games design course at West Herts College ๐Ÿซ Now he is our Operations manager, the go to guy for any problem parents and tutors may face! He is our own version of Superman always ready for action!๐ŸŽฎ Saeed enjoys sports ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿป & music ๐ŸŽต. He’s described as a dedicated manager by all of our staff!

Ana - Head of QA

She has a Bachelorโ€™s degree in Computer Games Design and a ๐ŸŽ“ Masterโ€™s degree in Digital Media Design from the University of Edinburgh (๐Ÿ‘€ number 16 in world’s university ranking!๐ŸŒŽ) . She enjoys working with kids and has been described as a โ€œcaring tutorโ€ by our students. Ana is also a true artist ๐ŸŽจ with a creative mind. Besides being an experienced user of contemporary designing technologies, she is also a fantastic artist with traditional methods of drawings and illustrations๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸŽจ.

Sam - Head of Finance & SENCO

However, her passion for education โค๐Ÿ“š led her to pursue a teaching career. She also holds a PGCE in Education for secondary schools and colleges. With over 10 years of experience teaching Chemistry ๐Ÿงช and Maths โž— in various schools, including outstanding ones, Samane is highly skilled in supporting SEND children and high-ability students ๐ŸŒŸ. She has always been loved by her students ๐Ÿ’™ for her dedication and teaching style. Currently, she is part of Software Academy as our Head of Finance ๐Ÿ’ฐ and SENCO ๐Ÿซ, continuing her mission to make a difference in education! ๐Ÿš€โœจ

Customer Experience

Marjan - Qualification
Management

She specialised in Unreal Engine and 3ds Max. Marjan has always worked with young children through her teaching in Primary schools and Private tuition๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸŽ“. She loves Persian music ๐ŸŽต skiing in Switzerland๐ŸŽฟ and world foods!๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿฅ˜

Jane - Lead Admin

She has taught English, Maths, Science, P.E, STEAM classes and even Judo ๐Ÿฅ‹. In her free time, she enjoys character design, environments and illustration, as well as running. ๐Ÿƒ

Marley - Admin

She has a background with freelancing in graphics design, illustration and 3D modelling ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ. She loves self-learning and has learnt web development and is currently enjoying learning how to code โŒจ๏ธ for games whilst creating her own passion project game in her spare time. She loves playing games as well as making art for them and aside from her time spent on the computer she loves reading and hiking with her dog ๐Ÿถ! 

Ciara - Admin

She is a published children’s book illustrator ๐ŸŽจ with a proficient understanding of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and creating Animated GIFS. Ever since a young age, Ciara has used digital platforms as a means to create artwork and bring to life colourful worlds and characters. ๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ When she is not working, you can find her volunteering in Gaming Communities to host safe spaces for tournaments, exploring the United Kingdom, playing cosy video games or brainstorming her own passion game projects! ๐ŸŒฑ

Matt - Admin

As a qualified Maths teacher with certifications in quantitative finance and cybersecurity, Matt has a range of technical knowledge ๐Ÿ“Š๐Ÿ”. He excels in administrative tasks and loves to streamline things, ensuring smooth operations behind the scenes โš™๏ธ. Outside of work, Matt enjoys baking sourdoughs ๐Ÿž, playing speed chess โ™Ÿ๏ธ, traveling โœˆ๏ธ, surfing ๐Ÿ„โ€โ™‚๏ธ, wild camping ๐Ÿ•๏ธ, and discovering new music ๐ŸŽง.

Sami - Admin & Tutor

Sami has extensive knowledge of most recent games especially MMO Sami is your go to guy if you want to know what to play next ๐ŸŽฏ in his spare time Sami loves Swimming ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ and believes he is the fastest in the world ๐Ÿ†

Briony - Admin

She is known as friendly and supportive. In her spare time, she can be found walking her many dogs ๐Ÿ•, kayaking ๐Ÿšฃ, or wrangling sheep on her smallholding ๐Ÿ.

Tutors

Matin - tutor

Matin started working at Software Academy as a teacher assistant at the age of 17, and at the age of 18, he’s became one of our tutors and we’re proud to have him! At Software Academy, Matin is mainly famous for the fact that he has the same IQ score as Albert Einstein!

Jaymez - Tutor

He has a lot of experience with Unreal Engine’s blueprint system and C++ reflection system โš™, Other than Unreal Engine; Jaymez has a lot of experience with Native C++,  x86 Assembly, Java, C#, JavaScript, NodeJS and Python. Aside from programming, he also likes to create his own game music, whether it be playing the piano ๐ŸŽน or a guitar ๐ŸŽธ. Jaymez is always excited to share his knowledge with students!

William - Tutor

He studied Games Development at Norwich University of the Arts ๐ŸŽ“ where he focused on games development with Unreal Engine โš™๏ธ. After he left university he went on to create two games, first one for phones ๐Ÿ“ฑ and the second for consoles and computers ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ. He then went back into education at the University of East Anglia ๐ŸŽ“ where he earned his Masters degree in Advanced Computer Science ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป. Aside from making games in his spare time he also enjoys playing them ๐Ÿ•น๏ธ and tinkering with all sorts of tech! ๐Ÿ”ง

Isabella - Tutor

She has been studying digital 2D design since she was young and loves using digital programs to help her create new magical creatures and worlds , often inspired by nature ! She has directed and animated several short films that have been featured in festivals across the UK. When she isnโ€™t working on a new project, you can usually find her out in the wilderness trying to spot different animals , or playing video games!

Jakub - Tutor

Jakub has studied Computer Game Design ๐ŸŽฎ for the past 4 years, with his interest in Unreal engine going beyond that, he knows Unreal’s blueprint system like the back of his hand. With a background in Creative Digital media ๐ŸŽจ, Jakub can visualise any design be it in 3D, or 2D. With his passion for art going past work and becoming a deep part of his hobby! He also enjoys games ๐Ÿ•น๏ธ in his spare time, and loves the opportunity to combine his passion for design with the ability to share his knowledge .

Alastair - Tutor

He had dabbled with programming and game development growing up, but it was during the course that he fell in love with coding โ™ฅ, quickly finding he was spending every free moment to code in Lua, Python ๐Ÿ or C++. Patient and thorough, quality and creativity in the details is his goal. That, and making dragons a reality, but he is unsure how to do that just yet ๐Ÿฒ.

Goncalo - Tutor

Additionally, he enjoys working with established engines such as Unity, Godot, and Unreal. Beyond game development, Gonรงalo is enthusiastic about robotics and Arduinos ๐Ÿค–. Gonรงalo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Bath. In his spare time, he enjoys playing a variety of games with his friends, with recent favorites including League of Legends ๐Ÿ˜ถโ€๐ŸŒซ๏ธ.

Alan - Tutor

He was introduced to programming in high school, where he started learning Python ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป, and has been learning more by participating in online challenges. During his degree ๐Ÿ“š, his research project included making an iris recognition program ๐Ÿ‘ using Python. When he’s not programming and learning more about cyber security methodologies ๐Ÿ“‚, he plays sports such as badminton ๐Ÿธ, cricket ๐Ÿ and football โšฝ๏ธ.

Aisha - Tutor

Having previously worked in a primary school ๐Ÿซ, Aisha understands the exploration students have amongst design and wants to help her students explore their creativity . In her spare time she likes to balance her workload by participating in sports like badminton ๐Ÿธ, martial arts and also travelling ๐Ÿš†.

Joseph - Tutor

In the past he has created lots of 3D printed equipment for TV and drones ๐Ÿ›ธ. Joseph is knowledgeable about the linux operating system ๐Ÿง with lots of experience writing code in ๐Ÿ Python, C++ and bash / shell.

Lee - Tutor

He has 10 years experience in Unreal Engine and has published over a dozen projects. Lee has worked on building VR training simulators ๐Ÿฅฝ in Unreal for laboratories ๐Ÿงช and released two games.

Tarek - Tutor

With 6 years of tutoring experience, he has guided students from Year 1 to A-Level ๐Ÿ“š. A coding enthusiast, Tarek has been programming in Python since secondary school and gained expertise in Java during university ๐Ÿ’ป. Outside of academics, heโ€™s a gym regular ๐Ÿ‹๏ธ, a fan of video games ๐ŸŽฎ anime ๐ŸŽฅ, enjoys badminton ๐Ÿธ and swimming ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ. Passionate about sharing his knowledge, Tarek loves to offer tips and tricks to help others master programming languages efficiently from a young age ๐ŸŒŸ.

Wajiha - Tutor

๐ŸŽ† She has also been a tutor for 3 years teaching both online and in person. Away from her studies she loves to travel and explore new places and cultures โœˆ๏ธโ˜€๏ธ and loves trying new food and cuisine!๐Ÿฅ˜

Will - tutor

Specialising in Game Design and Programming, ๐ŸŽฎ he is skilled in a variety
of programming languages and game engines. Ever since learning Python ๐Ÿ in secondary school, Will
has had a passion for problem solving and realising game ideas – recently participating in game jams.
When he’s not making or playing video games, Will also plays and teaches Chess โ™Ÿ๏ธ, practices music
๐ŸŽธ and plays tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons ๐Ÿ‰.

Daniel - Tutor

Based in Wakefield, Daniel is a director of his own indie games company, currently deep in development of their first commercial title ๐ŸŽฎ! His bread and butter is game design, sound design, and programming in Unity. In his spare time he loves hosting Dungeons & Dragons๐Ÿ‰ , airsofting, mountain biking ๐Ÿšตโ€โ™‚๏ธ, and doing game jams.

Katie - Tutor

Sheโ€™s been studying for the past 2 years however her experience with the adobe suit and HTML goes beyond this. Along side her studies, Katie is a avid netball player๐Ÿ, loves playing games๐ŸŽฎand getting creative๐ŸŽจ

Oliver A - Tutor

He taught himself to code from a very young age and loves solving challenging problems and being creative ๐Ÿง . He has worked on lots of exciting projects in Python, C# and C++ from games to virtual assistants to mobile apps. When not working on his own projects Oliver enjoys exercise๐ŸŽพ, photography๐Ÿ“ท and reading๐Ÿ“š.

Mahfuzur - Tutor

He has 4 years of programming experience and has developed several applications, including a budget spending tracker and a music school management system ๐Ÿ’ป. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games ๐ŸŽฎ and hitting the gym as a powerlifter ๐Ÿ‹๏ธ.

Amelia - Tutor

Amelia has taught children how to code previously and she has assisted others in developing projects. She is passionate about giving back to the community and enjoys teaching. In her free time, Amelia likes to volunteer with local organisations and play badminton.๐Ÿธ

Fran - Tutor

They have always been fascinated by technology ๐Ÿ‘พ and, fuelled by this curiosity๐Ÿ’ฅ, enjoy learning and discovering more about cybersecurity โš›๏ธ, machine learning ๐Ÿค–, and all things computers ๐Ÿ’ป.

Luke - Tutor

He’s been using Unreal Engine for 5 years and programming for 8 years, starting at 14 where he found his passion. In his free time, Luke enjoys playing Crown Green Bowls, Walking๐Ÿšถ, and playing computer games ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ

Khadija - Tutor

With a keen interest in 2D, 3D modelling, and design rendering, as well as specialised in softwares like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and InDesign, Khadija is passionate about helping students bring their creative visions to life. In her free time, Khadija enjoys creating digital drawings โœ๏ธ, swimming ๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธ, and visiting design exhibitions โœจ, always exploring new ways to enhance her creativity.

Agha - Tutor

He volunteered at Bletchley Park as a Learning Activities Assistant, helping young students discover the world of AI and robotics ๐Ÿค–. In his spare time, Imran enjoys hitting the gym ๐Ÿ‹๏ธ, hiking โ›ฐ๏ธ, painting ๐ŸŽจ, building custom PCs ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ. He’s a big fan of gaming ๐ŸŽฎ and socializing, heโ€™s always up for fun and meeting new people!

Ahmad - Tutor

Keen on actively trying to branch out and learn other creative and innovative programming languages ๐Ÿง . In his free time, Ahmad loves to play video games ๐ŸŽฎ and playing ๐Ÿ. With 3 plus years of experience in teaching Python ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ, Ahmad is looking forward to helping and spreading his passion for programming.

Xaq - Tutor

He then spent a couple of years learning Unreal and Unity to create games ๐ŸŽฎ. Xaq loves games! ๐Ÿ˜ Not just video games ๐ŸŽฎ, but board games ๐ŸŽฒ and card games ๐Ÿƒ too, like D&D ๐Ÿ‰ and Yu-Gi-Oh! โค If he’s not making or playing games, Xaq will be vibing in his room with a guitar ๐ŸŽธ or sleeping ๐Ÿ˜ด.

Dylan - Tutor

He is highly passionate about anything related to games, whether he is creating, teaching, or even playing ๐ŸŽฎ! He enjoys plenty of things outside of games too, such as going to the gym ๐Ÿ‹๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ, working on his car ๐Ÿ”ง, or jamming to music ๐ŸŽง. Dylan is also a part of a fostering family who have been fostering and caring for looked after young people for over a decade!

Rhys - Tutor

Rhysโ€™ 3D creations have allowed him to produce multiple official DLCs for a popular advanced bus simulator๐ŸšŒ. He enjoys working with children and loves sharing his continued knowledge in various software to many! Rhys also is a bus enthusiast, loves Pokรฉmon, and considers himself a very big gamer!๐ŸŽฎ

Seb - Tutor

He fell in love with 3D visualisations in his undergraduate course and decided he wanted to create 3D worlds for architecture and video games, using Blender and Unreal Engine. He enjoys surfing ๐Ÿ„, playing the guitar ๐ŸŽธand riding motorcycles ๐Ÿ๏ธ in his spare time, as well as modelling props and environments for games, animation and architecture.๐Ÿ 

Brandon - Tutor

She is a published children’s book illustrator ๐ŸŽจ with a proficient understanding of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and creating Animated GIFS. Ever since a young age, Ciara has used digital platforms as a means to create artwork and bring to life colourful worlds and characters. ๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ When she is not working, you can find her volunteering in Gaming Communities to host safe spaces for tournaments, exploring the United Kingdom, playing cosy video games or brainstorming her own passion game projects! ๐ŸŒฑ

Callum H - Tutor

With no courses available, he taught himself, building projects to master the engine ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ. After earning a spot at Norwich University of the Arts ๐Ÿซ, he mentored students, refining tools and blueprint skills ๐Ÿ’ก. Since then, heโ€™s worked in the industry, gaining insights into large game studios ๐Ÿคฏ. Callum specializes in Blueprint Logic and Level Design ๐ŸŽฎ but loves experimenting with Virtual Reality and Destruction Systems ๐Ÿ’ฅ.

Jak - Tutor

For the past 10 years, Jak has worked on large-scale enterprise Django/Angular applications ๐Ÿš€ and is excited to explore new development waters and get stuck into new projects ๐ŸŒŠ. In his spare time, he enjoys making (terrible) electronic music ๐ŸŽถ and traveling the world โœˆ๏ธ.

Kieran - Tutor

Heโ€™s passionate about sharing his knowledge, helping others discover their potential, and seeing what they can create. Known for his friendly demeanour and eye for detail, Kieran approaches every challenge with his personal mantra: “Itโ€™s not over till itโ€™s over, so keep trying!” Outside the creative world, they enjoy playing squash, watching films ๐ŸŽฅ, and playing video games๐ŸŽฎโ€”especially Pokรฉmon๐Ÿ‰. A highlight of his life was when they fundraised ยฃ5,000 to embark on a charity trip to Peru!

Nick - Tutor

Nick’s final year project/dissertation was recognized by TIGA (The Independent Game Developers Association), an industry body supporting game developers and their Level Design Fundamentals assignment is being showcased as a model example to current 1st year students. ๐ŸŒŸ They were also the founder and president of the Games Development Society at Bournemouth Uni, Nick organized industry events on campus with speakers like Larian Studios and led workshops to foster collaboration and learning. In addition to this, Nick does freelance level design, and outside of that loves D&D๐Ÿ‰, video games and expanding their music taste.

Asiyah - Tutor

For her A-level project, she created a 2D environment-themed ๐ŸŒณ platformer game featuring Stanley, a cute plant character!! In her free time, Asiyah enjoys baking sweet treats ๐Ÿง and playing Nintendo games. ๐Ÿ

Gregor - Tutor

He is passionate about anything Architecture ๐Ÿ›๏ธ and 3D Design ๐Ÿ“and has a BA in Design For Film and Television. Outside of work he loves watching films (of course!), painting ๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ and going for walks in the countryside ๐ŸŒณ.

Emily- Tutor

She loves learning new programming languages, and is currently discovering how to visualise equations and data in python ๐Ÿ“Š. In her free time she helps out at a shared allotment and plays games like Stardew Valley ๐ŸŒฟ.

Max - Tutor

Max focuses on delivering high-quality, polished assets that meet professional standards โœจ. Outside of his work, heโ€™s passionate about gaming, tech, and drawing inspiration from media ๐ŸŽฅ. Always eager to push his craft, Max continuously explores new techniques and challenges. while also enjoying a good swim ๐ŸŒŠ

Calum S - Tutor

He has also worked on multiple projects centred around increasing accessibility in games, specifically audio-based features for players with visual impairment. Since graduating, Calum has been working part time for two different studios to help create their games and build up his own skills, as well as working on his own game development projects when he can find the time โฐ.

Liam C - Tutor

Known for his ๐Ÿงฉ creative problem-solving skills, Liam is dedicated to using ๐Ÿ’ป technology to tackle real-world challenges and improve peopleโ€™s lives. In addition to his professional pursuits, he enjoys teaching others and working on innovative personal projects aimed at addressing global issues. In his free time, Liam ๐Ÿ’š loves spending quality time with his wife and children, balancing his passion for tech with his commitment to family.

Frey - Tutor

Blender is the playground where characters come to life, each with their own stories and flair. Always exploring new ways to capture the magic of anime art styles, Freyโ€™s mission is simple: to bring virtual characters from dreams to digital reality.๐Ÿš€

Liam M - Tutor

He loves to make 3D assets on indie development teams and has released two small games๐Ÿ‘พ. In his spare time, he loves playing open world ๐ŸŒ and story games ๐Ÿ“–, playing with his two cats ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆโ€โฌ› and tinkering with his racing go-kart, which he races in his downtime ๐ŸŽ๏ธ.