Building Confident Learners

Joanna Pang

Director

Joanna is passionate about bringing children and families a fun and loving hub. Joanna was inspired by the teachers at one of the Gymboree Play & Music Centers in China, the classes supported her son, Winston’s early development. She decided to bring Gymboree to families in the Lower Mainland, envisioning that the professionally designed programs could benefit families and children.

Joanna holds two Master's Degrees from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia. She oversees the center's operations, marketing, programming and training. When she is not at work, she enjoys hiking with her family, snowboarding on the mountain, and travelling.

Chang Qian

Advisory & Director

Chang is a senior management and IT consultant; he always brings a different perspective on how to run the business efficiently. With his extensive consulting experience with many large enterprises, such as Lululemon, and BC Hydro, Chang designs Gymboree Vancouver's operations, marketing, and human resources plans.

Chang holds three degrees in Finance, Mathematics, and Computer science from the University of British Columbia. He oversees the center's finance and strategic planning. Chang enjoys reading, snowboarding, and spending quality time with his family.

Ani Tanwar

Teacher

Ani teaches Preschool Prep, Music, Babies, Play & Learn and our other drop-off programs. Outside of the classroom, she also leads email marketing campaigns and contributes to event execution.

She is pursuing a Psychology degree at the University of British Columbia. She has a passion for child development and in her free time, she enjoys film, music & spending time with the trees!

Paola Moreno

Teacher

Paola teaches Preschool Prep, Explorers and Play & Learn, along with seasonal drop-off programs.

She holds a Psychology degree, with a minor in Special Education from the University of British Columbia. She has a passion for neuroscience and in her free time, she enjoys hiking, skiing and spending time with friends and family.

Jenny Chen

Teacher

Jenny teaches LEGO Education and Play & Learn to various age groups.

She is pursuing a Psychology and interpersonal Development degree at the University of British Columbia. She is passionate about helping the little ones learn and have fun. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and playing badminton.

Rebeca Ponce

Teacher

Rebeca teaches Preschool Prep and Play and Learn to a variety of age groups.

She is pursuing a degree in International Relations with a minor in Law and Society at the University of British Columbia. She has a passion for global development and welfare for future generations. During her free time, she practices yoga, loves spending time with her friends, and enjoys exploring new hangout spots in Vancouver.

Eshana Mishra

Teacher

Eshana teaches Music, Babies & Play & Learn to a variety of age groups.

She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, where she developed a keen interest in early childhood education, mainly focusing on social and emotional development. In her free time, Eshana enjoys reading fantasy novels, curating Spotify playlists, and spending time with friends.

Shani Saraf

Teacher

Shani teaches Explorers, Art, and Play & Learn to various age groups.

She is working towards her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is especially interested in the intersection of biological and psychological functions and hopes to continue her studies in a graduate program. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, biking, and meal-prepping with friends.

Kristofer Siy

Teacher

Kris teaches Play & Learns to a variety of different age groups.

He graduated from UBC with a Bachelor's in Music Performance, specializing in Percussion. Kris has been a musician for over 10 years and still loves it to this day. During his free time, Kris loves to create and help run events as both an event planner and an audio engineer. When not working on that, he loves to relax at home with his family, friends, and dog.