Kanam instructor leading a live online lesson

Meet our instructors

Meet the people who teach the lesson.

Kanam Academy is built around live instruction first. Our instructors bring real industry experience — and the patience to make hard skills click for teens, families, and classroom partners.

Live sessions are led by industry professionals who are screened for work with minors. Kanam provides supplemental instruction — your host staff don’t need to be the coding expert, and we don’t replace certified classroom teachers of record.

President & CEO · Live Instructor

Tory Thompson

Senior developer and instruction leader — ships code, builds curriculum, coaches teachers

Atlanta, GA

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Tory is President & CEO of Kanam Academy, and he still gets in the classroom. He’s a senior software developer who also directs the software engineering and data analyst tracks at a national nonprofit — the rare mix of someone who can write the code, design the curriculum, and coach other instructors to teach it well.

He came up teaching CompTIA A+, IT Fundamentals, and Microsoft Office, then moved into full software engineering and data pathways. Those early credentials aren’t the ceiling — they’re how he learned to turn “industry standard” into something a real person can practice, mess up, and master.

Whether he’s shaping a Kanam path or mentoring an instructor, the goal is the same: senior-level rigor, clear feedback, and progress you can see.

What they bring

Full-stack software engineering — web apps, APIs, and systems built the way teams ship in the real world
Python for beginners through working programs — clear logic, practice, and projects that run
Data analyst pathways — SQL, analysis, and turning questions into clear answers
Senior developer practices: debugging, code review, architecture thinking, and building things that actually ship
Curriculum design that takes learners from first concepts to advanced, career-ready work

Background highlights

Directs software engineering and data analyst tracks at a national nonprofit
Senior developer who still ships — and teaches from that experience
Built CompTIA IT Fundamentals and Microsoft Office curricula still in use today
Years teaching A+, IT Fundamentals, software engineering, and data to adult learners
Mentors instructor teams — not just slides and scripts
ScrumMaster and Google Generative AI Leader

Live Instructor

Paul Chapman

Senior full-stack developer, data analyst, and high-energy tech educator

Atlanta, GA

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Paul is a senior software engineer who teaches the way he builds — with energy, precision, and zero fluff. He leads immersive software engineering for a national nonprofit and for General Assembly, helping learners push past foundations into real full-stack work.

His career spans shipping as a freelance engineer, senior data analysis at Delta Air Lines, and years of immersive tech instruction. Learners remember his mindset as much as his code: it may be difficult, but not impossible.

What they bring

Senior full-stack development — APIs, databases, front-end, and systems that hang together
Python that goes beyond tutorials — write it, run it, debug it, and build something real
Engineering depth beyond intro lessons: debugging, patterns, and production habits
Data analysis and SQL tied to questions that matter, not worksheet drills
High-energy cohort teaching that keeps people engaged when concepts get heavy
Capstone and portfolio projects that look like real work, not busywork
The mindset piece: stick with it — difficult isn’t the same as impossible

Background highlights

Senior full-stack engineer who still ships freelance and teaches from that experience
Leads software engineering instruction at a national nonprofit
Lead instructor for immersive coding cohorts at General Assembly
Senior data analyst experience at Delta Air Lines — SQL, metrics, and real business questions
Years working with youth and families before tech — patience is part of the craft

Live Instructor

Jasmin Smith

Software engineer and digital measure programmer with a designer’s eye for clarity

Macon, GA

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Jasmin brings industry software engineering and a designer’s communication style to live Kanam sessions — making technical ideas concrete without dumbing them down.

As a Digital Measure Programmer at NCQA and a Per Scholas software engineering graduate, she pairs real production experience with classroom empathy from years as a substitute teacher and creative director.

What they bring

Software engineering fundamentals explained in plain language
Digital literacy — tools, habits, and judgment for school and everyday tech
Visual teaching that makes abstract ideas click without watering them down
Healthcare tech and data quality thinking from real production work
Patient classroom energy — she knows what it feels like to learn something new

Background highlights

Writes production software for healthcare quality measures at NCQA
Trained in software engineering through Per Scholas
Graphic design degree from Pace — explains with visuals, not jargon
Real K–12 classroom time as a substitute teacher
Ran client creative work — campaigns, web, and video — for years alongside tech

Learn with us

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