Executive suite: Jessica Brondo, Glen Cove

For much of her life, Jessica Brondo has been helping others get ahead.

While a student at Glen Cove High School, she tutored students in academic subjects. Working on her bachelor's degree at the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, she did part-time SAT tutoring.

Brondo, 28, founded Glen Cove-based The Edge in College Prep in 2005, then opened a London office. She says she found "I really enjoyed working with international students." For many of them and their families, "this is their first foray into the world of U.S. college admissions," having "no assumptions."

She's since opened offices in Rio de Janeiro, Silicon Valley and South Florida, with a Beijing site coming soon.

What's your biggest challenge?
"To find top-quality tutors living in the countries where we have clients. When you're in [foreign] cities, it's extremely difficult to find people with top SAT scores who also have great teaching abilities . . . To solve this problem, we will look to bring people abroad from the States for six-month and yearlong fellowships and are launching our online video-based SAT course, so students can have 24/7 access to top-notch instructional videos." 

What's it like working with international students and families?
"It takes a lot more time . . . you have to explain everything, such as what is the SAT II and why do I need it . . . It's nice; they are more curious and have a million questions." Also, "they're so motivated."

What's your favorite productivity tool?
Google Documents, where she keeps and updates data such as "expansion goals of each of the offices and the timeline for different projects. Each one of my different office managers has a goal document, shared with me." She's also a fan of the iPad, which is "such a great teaching tool. I bring mine and work in the iPad. I can then email them the notes from the session."

What tip do you have for parents?
In the early years of high school, take your son or daughter to visit a college campus. "That gets [the student] thinking about college. It gets them excited and shows them what it is they're working for."

What's best about being the boss?
"Taking a midday yoga class. I'm a big workaholic. Some nights I work until three in the morning. But I definitely take advantage of being able to have a flexible schedule." 

Corporate snapshot

Name.: Jessica Brondo, founder and chief executive

Company. The Edge in College Prep, test preparation and college admissions counseling firm, Glen Cove

What it does. "We help mold students into the future leaders they'll become, and make college dreams come true along the way."

Staff. Six full-time, 16 part-time, in roles such as office manager, business development, SAT/ACT instructor, tutor, counselor

Revenue. Approximately $500,000 a year