PAUL LIU (Co-Founder/Alchemist)

Paul holds a Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the Wharton School, a Masters of Arts (M.A.) in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College.

He has successfully advised applicants to admission at top-ranked graduate and undergraduate institutions. Focusing carefully on essay and personal statement development as well as school-specific branding, Paul's clients have, on average, achieved acceptance rates nearly five times the averages of the schools to which each client applied. 

In addition to founding Alchemy, Paul serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Essay Match, the first established marketplace for admitted-student content. Paul has also held management positions in technology, finance, and healthcare industries for global Fortune 500 companies.

Areas of specialty: business school, international applicants, undergraduate.

KRIS KAISER, ESQ. (Co-Founder/Alchemist)

Kris is a seasoned admissions consultant focusing primarily on law school and undergraduate admissions. He has substantial experience consulting law students seeking admission to top law schools (including via transfer) and has continued to work with each of his clients as he or she applied and interviewed for summer and permanent employment.

Prior to founding Alchemy, Kris worked as a corporate attorney at a global top-25 law firm. Kris’ practice focused on mergers & acquisitions, emerging companies, technology transactions and providing general corporate governance advice to a wide array of clients including The Gap, Inc., Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. and PricewaterhouseCoopers (US) LLP.

Kris received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of California-Davis School of Law (King Hall).  He remains a devoted alumnus of San Francisco’s Lowell High School, one of the country’s premier public secondary institutions.

Areas of specialty:  law school, transfer, undergraduate, job placement.

BRENT SONNEK-SCHMELZ, ESQ. (Co-Founder/Alchemist)

After receiving his B.A. from Middlebury College, Brent earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. 

Brent is an experienced leader, investor, educator and entrepreneur.  As an alumnus of three leading institutions, Brent has unique insight into the application process for undergraduate, business school and law school.  He has tutored numerous students for the GMAT and admission to business school, and is an alumni admissions interviewer for Middlebury College and the Wharton School. 

In law school, Brent worked with underprivileged Philadelphia high school students to teach them about their legal rights as people and how to live with dignity.  Brent is also one of the founders of a revolutionary program at Middlebury College, MiddCORE: Creativity; Opportunity; Risk; and Entrepreneurship, where he helps liberal arts students translate their varied skills into real world success. 

A serial entrepreneur, Brent has co-founded companies in the media, business services and consumer goods industries.  Most recently he was President of The Focus Room, a leading New York-based market research company. 

Areas of specialty: business school, law school, transfer, undergraduate, job placement.

PROFILED ALCHEMISTS

JEAN-BAPTISTE JOUVE 

Jean-Baptiste (JB) earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School and a Masters of Science (M.S.) in Electrical Engineering from ENSIEG after attending “Classes Preparatoires” at Lycee Sainte-Genevieve in France. 

Before becoming a consultant with Alchemy, JB worked with two major investment banks in New York City focusing on equity research and derivative transactions in the energy and financial services industries.  Prior to business school, JB held positions in Spain and France as a research and development engineer with a large European energy company. 

Areas of specialty: business school, international applicants, undergraduate.

SVETLANA MININA

Svetlana earned her M.B.A. from the Wharton School and went on to become a fixed income quantitative analyst at Morgan Stanley in London.  Prior to her corporate career, Svetlana completed a B.S in Computer Science and a B.A. in German from Johns Hopkins University, minoring in Mathematics and Entrepreneurship & Management.

Svetlana, an accomplished salsa dance instructor, is also a founder of and instructor for Novus Learning, a company focused on CFA, PMP and GMAT exam preparation. 

Areas of specialty: business school, international applicants, undergraduate.

KRISTEN TORIELLO

Kristen earned her Masters in Educational Leadership and her Masters in Biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she conducted clinical research on Type 1 diabetes and studied higher education in South Africa. She also graduated magna cum laude from James Madison University with a B.S. in Biology and Secondary Education.

Prior to joining Alchemy, Kristen taught high school biology at Westfield High School in Westfield, NJ for six years. While at Westfield High School she was appointed to rewrite the biology curriculum and designed a new course called "Science & Society." She also chaired the Governance & Leadership Committee for the Middle States Review.

Areas of specialty: undergraduate, graduate, transfer.

JASON MADDEN

Jason earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He also studied abroad at Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz as a Fulbright Scholar.  Before joining Alchemy, Jason worked as an investment banker, advising Real Estate Investment Trusts and healthcare companies on mergers & acquisitions, capital markets and principal transactions.  Jason has recently worked with Essay Match, advising applicants to top graduate school programs. 

Areas of specialty: business school, undergraduate, job placement.

MING MING LIU

Ming Ming earned her M.S. in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Ming Ming is a seasoned real estate professional and an independent real estate broker focusing on residential, investment and commercial properties.  She is currently the Events Chairperson for the Penn Club of Northern California and has served as both the founding president of the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Club of Singapore and the Chairperson for the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Secondary Education Committee, Singapore.

Areas of specialty: undergraduate, graduate, transfer.

CHANEL SHIH 

Chanel graduated magna cum laude from Tunghai University in Taiwan and went on to earn a M.S. in Public Relations from Boston University. Chanel also studied in Southern California as a Foreign Affairs scholar.  She is currently a business analyst at a global Texas-based financial clearing firm.

Having grown up in Taipei, Taiwan, Chanel is fluent in Mandarin and reads and writes Chinese.

Areas of specialty: undergraduate, graduate, international.