What Happens When a CFO Follows Her Kid Into a First Grade Classroom?
Interview by Heather Anderson
After years in the venture-backed startup world, Beatrice Pang walked away from Silicon Valley finance and into the classroom—literally. What began as a personal pivot became a radical reimagining of math education. Now, as the founder of Descartes Learning Club, she’s building a new kind of enrichment program—one that blends joy, rigor, and advanced math for young kids.
We talked to Beatrice about what led to her surprising shift, why she believes every child deserves high-quality education, and how she’s making concepts like combinatorics and logic feel like magic in second grade.
Let’s go back to that moment in March 2023—you’re standing in line outside Silicon Valley Bank as it collapses. You’re the CFO of a venture-backed company. It’s chaos. And out of that, you start to reimagine your entire future. What did that moment crack open for you?
I realized life is short, and I needed my work to feel meaningful. As a CFO, I often pursued ambitious financial goals—but sometimes at the cost of team well-being and personal values. I’ve always loved working with children, and I believe deeply in the power of education. So I chose to pivot. Instead of chasing billion-dollar valuations, I now dedicate myself to delivering high-quality education. It brings me joy, purpose, and impact.
You told a colleague, maybe half-joking, “Maybe I should just retire.” When he asked what you’d do instead, you said: Teach. Had that always been quietly in the background?
Yes, absolutely. Teaching has always been a dream. I’ve volunteered in classrooms since college, and those experiences stayed with me. Helping children learn is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I truly believe education changes lives and communities.
I was struck by what your son Henri said to you that night: “Mommy, you work too much. It makes my head hurt.” Can we talk about what that moment did for you?
That hit hard. I realized my time should go toward something lasting, not just financial gain. I also needed better control of my schedule and mental health so I could be more present with my son. Now, he’s proud of what I do—and that means everything.
Once you gave yourself permission to try something different, what did those first steps look like?
I had studied early childhood education and used what I learned with my own son. But I wanted to see how it worked with a range of children. So I just started teaching. No business plan—just a commitment to test my ideas and create an exceptional learning experience.
“Instead of chasing billion-dollar valuations, I now dedicate myself to delivering high-quality education. It brings me joy, purpose, and impact.”
Why math? What wasn’t working about the options available?
My own parents made math come alive through puzzles and stories. I wanted that for my son, but couldn’t find it. Most programs had oversized classes that stretched each instructor too thin, moved at a slow pace, and felt dry and uninspiring. Instructors often lacked strong math or teaching backgrounds. So I set out to build something better—small class sizes, expert teachers, and a curriculum that is designed to foster mathematical abstract thinking and sparks curiosity.
You say your goal is to develop mathematical minds—not just better grades. What does that mean in practice?
It means we prioritize flexible thinking and deep understanding over rote procedures. Our curriculum introduces abstract math and logic in age-appropriate, engaging ways. We explore puzzles and advanced topics like combinatorics, set theory, number theory and logic. We weave in stories like the Tower of Hanoi and the Seven Bridges of Königsberg to make it memorable. We also emphasize understanding the 'why' behind the 'how' and teach multiple strategies for solving each problem.
In the beginning, you were teaching every class yourself. What surprised you most about what kids could do?
I was amazed. Even young kids can grasp abstract concepts and fall in love with math when it’s taught the right way.
You were introducing second graders to logic, combinatorics and modular arithmetic—and they were loving it. What did you learn about how kids learn?
Kids love puzzles that challenge them. When they figure out something that first felt impossible, they light up. It builds confidence and makes learning feel like play.
What happened when word started to spread and you couldn’t teach every class yourself?
I created a training manual and brought on a retired math teacher as our academic advisor who trains, advises and helps manage all of our instructors to ensure we can deliver consistently high-quality lessons as we grow. Together we built a teacher training program, and I personally hired and trained our first instructors. We reviewed their lesson plans, observed their classes, gave feedback, and replicated what worked.
What makes Descartes so engaging? It’s rigorous, but joyful. How do you design that experience?
It starts with small classes with no more than 6 students and individualized instruction as a result of our small class size and expertly trained instructors. Every student is challenged at the right level. Our teachers have deep math knowledge and are trained to adapt on the fly. And our curriculum is rich in puzzles, games, and stories—so kids stay curious and engaged.
Can you share a story that captures the kind of transformation you’ve seen?
One student came in apprehensive about math. He didn’t think he was good at it. But after a few months, he started to excel and enjoy it. Now he loves math and consistently gets top scores in his math classes. Seeing that shift—from fear to joy—is incredibly rewarding.
You’ve led finance and ops at fast-paced startups. What parts of that world are you bringing with you—and what are you leaving behind?
I bring a high standard of excellence, operational rigor, and my work ethic. What I’m leaving behind is the idea that growth and financial goals should come first, no matter the cost. Now the quality of our lessons comes first.
You’ve also chosen not to take outside funding—unusual for someone from the venture world. Why?
Staying independent lets me align decisions with my values. We can grow sustainably and never compromise on quality or our social mission.
You serve both private and public schools—and even offer financial aid. Why keep access and equity central?
Because every child deserves access to high-quality education. We offer financial aid, accept lower margins at public schools, and we’re piloting a low-cost homework club at a public school—something often only found in private schools but missing in many public schools. We want to bridge that gap.
Where is Descartes Learning Club currently offered, and where are you hoping to grow?
We’re in schools across San Francisco, Pacifica, Daly City, and Hayward—with expansion plans in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Portola Valley this fall. We’re also interested in partnering with schools in the East Bay and Marin next school year.
If a parent is thinking, "I want this at our school!" what should they do?
At public schools, talk to your PTA or a school contact who’s in charge of after-school programs. At private schools, reach out to the after-school program director. They can connect with us to get started. If you're interested in making an introduction, please email us at [email protected]. We’ll be happy to send you a brief program overview and a suggested email draft you can use. As a token of appreciation, we offer a 30% tuition discount for your children if a school partnership results from your introduction.
What’s one mini parenting win (or fail) from this week?
Win: On the way to school, I gave my son a mini econ lesson on government budgets and inflation. He was engaged, asked great questions, and even remembered things we’d talked about before.
Your favorite math concept to teach kids?
Combinatorics! It expands how kids think about math and is so fun to teach through hands-on play.
Okay wait—I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I don’t even know what combinatorics is. Can you explain it like you would to a kid?
Sure! It’s basically the math of counting and arranging things. For example, if you have five different flavors of ice cream and you want to make a cone with three scoops, how many different ways could you do that? You can also explore questions like: Does the order matter? Are repeats allowed? It’s very playful and helps kids see patterns and possibilities. We often use hands-on activities like arranging different colored blocks or drawing combinations to help them explore the math visually and intuitively.
A book that shaped your approach to teaching?
One of the early books that stayed with me is How I Wish I'd Taught Maths by Craig Barton. It’s full of lessons from research, real-world experience, and 12 years of teaching mistakes. I also still listen to his podcast.
Want to bring Descartes to your school?
Public school families: Start by talking to your PTA unless the school has a director of after-school programs.
Private school families: Reach out to your after-school program director.
Learn more or connect with Beatrice Pang at descarteslearningclub.com or schedule a quick chat by clicking here.
You can also find Beatrice on The M List, The Mamahood’s searchable database of mom-recommended resources, or connect and collaborate with Beatrice inside The Club membership for women Founders.