About

Potencia began as a class project to empower immigrants and refugees in the community. Although a language is a key to survival and employment, we were struck by how many people lived without a basic means of communication. 

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Since launching the pilot class in 2019 with three tutors and four learners, Potencia has been broadening its community impact.

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The Problem

According to the Boston Foundation, only 5% of the 236,900 immigrants with limited English skills in the Boston area are served by the State's largest funded programs. The current services provided by all organizations, schools, and businesses can only serve a fraction of the unmet need for English classes.

These classes' waitlists can be as long as two years, while learners may not sign up for the services due to conflicts with their working schedules or physical location constraints. Also, there was a lack of higher-level English classes and self-learning methods in the services available.

Meet the Team

Bailey Hu

Research Assistant​

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Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Lana Luo

Technical Program Manager

Amazon Robotics

Catherine Popper
(chair)

Angel Investor

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Launchpad Venture Group

Nonprofits & Governments

Businesses