Founders, Leadership & Team

**Founders, Leadership & Team**

Our Story

Masterminds began as a profoundly personal journey. When our daughter Athena was born, we explored how the brain truly learns—seeking the best of neuroscience, global child development practices, and methods to spark a lifelong love of discovery.

What we found changed our daughter’s path—and our life's mission. Today, that same depth of research, care, and innovation is specifically curated for the Masterminds VIP Dubai experience, designed to propel students aged 6–14 toward global leadership, intellectual mastery, and the height of their unique potential.

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Leadership

Michael Platt

Chief Neuroscientist & Strategic Research Partner

Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and world-renowned expert in the biological mechanisms of decision-making.

Dr. Michael Platt is a neuroscientist known for asking some of the most challenging questions in 21st-century science. As a Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania, his work explores how the brain makes decisions and navigates social environments. At Masterminds VIP Dubai, Dr. Platt oversees the integration of cutting-edge research into our ATHENA+ framework, specifically focusing on how students aged 6–14 can develop the "Leader’s Brain." His insights into neuroplasticity and cognitive performance ensure our VIP students are equipped with the neural foundations for elite leadership, strategic thinking, and emotional resilience.‍

Shamail Siddiqi

Co-Founder & CEO

Education innovator with 20+ years of global experience in strategy, operations, education and EdTech.

‍Shamail left a career in equity trading at Goldman Sachs and strategy consulting at Booz & Co to reinvent education from the ground up. His vision blends cutting-edge neuroscience, deep parental insight, and innovative systems thinking. Today, he leads the strategic direction and bespoke VIP vision in Dubai, ensuring that every student in our Primary and Middle School receives the elite, personalized coaching and high-performance environment they deserve.

Tania Siddiqi

Co-Founder & Education Director

Learning specialist with 18+ years of experience leading global curriculum innovation.

Tania is the heart of the ATHENA+ curriculum framework and the architect of the Masterminds pillars of intellectual, physical, and social excellence. A devoted mother of three and respected leader in advanced pedagogical frameworks, she brings a powerful mix of global training and real-world insights. Her leadership drives the quality and consistency of our specialized curriculum for ages 6–14, ensuring academic rigor is matched with deep emotional intelligence and the cultivation of unique genius.

Stephen Lane

Senior Advisor, Accreditation & Experiential Learning

Accreditation expert and expeditionary education leader with 40+ years of experience.

Stephen has served as Head of School at top institutions and has guided dozens of schools through successful curriculum development and global accreditation. He has led expeditionary learning experiences around the world, from the Alps to Mount Fuji. At Masterminds, he supports the Dubai VIP accreditation journey and the integration of high-impact, real-world experiential learning across all upper-year programs, ensuring our 6–14-year-old students learn through sophisticated, global expeditions.