About
This is who we are.
Danny Umali - Co-Principal / Founder
Danny (raised in Orlando, Florida) has called Atlanta, Georgia his home for more than than 25 years. Danny built his experience in retail operations management for over 12 years for several “big box” retailers such as Gap, Inc., Bloomingdale’s, and Apple before he was recruited to the financial services and wealth management industry in 2009. During this time, Danny focused on special needs planning and served on several school district “transition councils” for families with special needs.
Due to Danny’s experience and connections with the local area high schools, he was enlisted to build a new Atlanta area college planning firm in 2010 where he served as the senior college planning specialist. In June 2014 Danny created Game Theory College Planners through several existing and new partnerships, Game Theory College Planners continually pioneers the integration of strategic enrollment management instead of the tired and dated admissions counseling concepts all too prevalent in the higher ed consulting industry.
Danny and his group of enrollment managers now help families all over the country and around the world by bringing the most comprehensive college planning approach to the industry. Danny spends his free time on his gravel bike taming the long winding roads of Chattahoochee Hills. You might also find him catching the latest flick at his favorite theater, slurping-up ramen noodles, or hanging out with his dogs. Danny currently resides in Sandy Springs, GA with Karen, his wife of over 27 years.
Karen Umali - Co-Principal / Founder
Karen, born in Oakland California, grew up in Peachtree City, GA where she attended McIntosh High School. Karen's strong administrative experience was obtained from working with several local small businesses and organizations including Fayette Medical Clinic, Georgia Power, and The Joseph Sams School. In 2011, Karen began her career in financial services and worked as the Director of New Business for 21st Century Financial before transitioning full-time to Game Theory College Planners in October 2016.
Let’s face it, Karen is the brains behind Game Theory College Planners. On a daily basis, Karen works with families on building financial plans and makes the key strategic business decisions that directly impact the client experience. When Karen is not running things, she spends her free time spoiling her niece and nephews. You may also catch her training with her Brazilian Jujitsu coach in Sandy Springs.
Kristin Bachman - Enrollment Manager
Kristin has lived in a lot of places in her life but grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia. Having lived in Atlanta for more than 32 years she considers herself a true Atlantan and more importantly, a Southern girl through and through. She even graduated from the University of Georgia and knows that it’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!
For over a decade Kristin worked as Director of Admissions at Creative Circus, assisting students and their families with the process of planning for and getting accepted into college. She enjoyed getting to know her students and helping them so much that she decided to start her own college planning business and broaden her horizons to offer students more than just one option.
Upon discovering that her old friend, Danny Umali, Founder of Game Theory College Planning, was successfully shaking things up in the college planning world, she decided to join forces with him to offer a more well-rounded approach to college planning and enrollment management. Kristin’s expertise in the college admissions world combined with Danny’s comprehensive enrollment management approach is sure to shake things up even more and has proven to be a dynamic partnership.
In her free time, Kristin can be found checking out live music, hanging out with family and friends, sipping coffee or a cocktail out and about, or traveling; meeting the people of the world. You might also find her quietly exploring nature, hiking, kayaking, taking photos, or painting. She has a love of art, nature, travel, and coffee but her greatest happiness is found with her husband Kevin, her daughter Maddie, and her dog Nacho.
Mark Williams, Jr. - Enrollment Manager
Mark was raised and currently resides in the great state of Texas, in particular the DFW area. He is also a proud Red Raider and graduate of Texas Tech University. Mark entered the higher education industry over 10 years ago and has worked side by side with Danny employing the same methodologies and unique insights with his own consulting practice. Having seen numerous college planning systems, Mark has been able to incorporate the best components of each with his approach. Mark loves the great outdoors and traveling and has been to 4 different continents, so only 3 more to go! Although he has a very diversified pallet and enjoys many different types of food, deep down he will always be a "meat and potatoes" type of guy.
Courtney Graves - Enrollment Manager
With a background in Communications and Multimedia Marketing from the University of North Georgia, Courtney shifted her focus to sales due to her extroverted personality and exceptional communication abilities. A passion for bettering society has driven her towards a meaningful sales career that makes an actual difference for families across the nation.
As a person, She is a Christian wife and mother who values spending time with her family. Outside of work, she enjoys training her dogs, exploring new places, going on cruises, and watching movies with her husband. Additionally, she volunteers her time to invest in the church community two nights per week, and enjoys pursuing her faith with like-minded individuals.
Carolyn Jean Cunningham - Enrollment Manager
Carolyn is an arts and education professional based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Growing up, Carolyn knew that a college education would be a key component of her future—a mindset re-enforced both at home and in her school district in Bow, New Hampshire. Carolyn played musical instruments from a young age, and when the time came, Carolyn made the natural choice to pursue viola performance as her degree path. She navigated the specialized admissions track of early action applications, audition repertoire selections, prescreening recordings, and frequent travel for in-person auditions with studio professors. After receiving admission offers and scholarship awards from every music program on her list, Carolyn learned a well-kept secret of college admissions: schools were competing for her enrollment.
Upon earning her undergraduate degree, Carolyn started her career as a faculty member at King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan where she taught instrumental music for four years. Carolyn became an integral member of the local music scene when she auditioned for the Etihad Chamber Orchestra—a pan-Arab regional orchestra based in Amman, Jordan—and was appointed principal violist for her debut project with the ensemble. In November of 2019, Carolyn performed with Coldplay for the launch of their eighth studio album Everyday Life at the Citadel in Amman.
Carolyn moved back to the US and joined The Ethel Walker School as database manager for the admission office. Working and living in the secondary college-preparatory environment of Walker’s, Carolyn saw first-hand how all-consuming the college landscape is for students and how that shapes their experience even as early as 6th grade.
When Carolyn first heard of Game Theory College Planners, she felt energized learning about the impact Danny and his team have for families—an impact that goes well beyond the planning phase of the college process. Drawing on her own experience as a student as well as her experience working with today’s high schoolers, Carolyn is determined to bridge the information gap when it comes to families’ understanding of the college process and empower students with the tools and resources they need to feel self-assured on their path to a college education.
Adam & Brian Toohey - Enrollment Management Partners
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, The Adam and Brian Toohey brothers have been lucky to share their time between the mountains in Washington and the Oregon coast. Graduating from Seaside High School, they both attended University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)
Adam- Economics & International Development
Brian - Classical Vocal Performance / AMDA (New York,NY) - Performance Degree
Finding careers in hospitality and resort management, working and living abroad, they found a second home in San Jose Del Cabo, MX In 2017, Adam and Brian co-founded N.W. College Solutions, serving the greater Seattle area, taking the evolving and complex world of college selection, making it simple and easy to navigate
James W. McKinney - Enrollment Management Partner
Jim operates Capital College Planning out of Austin, TX and is a College Planning Consultant with over 18 years of experience in the industry. He has helped students and parents identify which colleges fit best based on the same core concepts (and with the same people) that Game Theory College has developed over the years. Jim is a strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor's degree focused in Finance and Management from The University of Texas at Austin. His approach is based on years of unbiased and painstaking research. He also discovered that there was a problem with rising higher education costs before it became mainstream and a political soundbite. Jim has helped us develop our unique, compelling and proven solution that has been working for over two decades. Jim is also a founding member of the National College Advocacy Group (NCAG).
Nathan Tanner - Enrollment Management Partner
Nathan Tanner, a Native Oregonian, partnered with the College Funding Academy, and College Funding Service Center in 2015 to open up and run College Pros LLC, servicing families in the Portland, Oregon area for all of their college selection, admissions and planning needs. Having four children of his own, Nathan experienced firsthand the overwhelming process of navigating a sea of misinformation and biased college marketing. So, after 17 years in hospitality, Nathan identified a huge need in his community and switched gears to work with families to provide the guidance and tools required to custom build the right college list for each student, based on academic fit, social fit, and financial fit.
Nathan has been hosting College planning workshops in his community through local libraries and high schools to teach families how to navigate affectively through this overwhelming and very expensive endeavor. Nathan has worked with Danny and Karen Umali for many years in a training and research capacity, and was honored to be invited to team up with Game Theory College Planners, as an Enrollment Management Partner.
When he is not busy helping students find their perfect college, he is very passionate about travel, and believes that one of the best ways you can expand your mind is to get out of your ZIP Code.
Michael Marchi - Enrollment Management Partner
Michael Marchi, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, is a dedicated family man, successful wealth manager, and passionate advocate for effective college planning. A proud alumnus of Vianney High School, Michael's roots run deep in his hometown, where he continues to reside with his loving wife and four cherished children.
With over a decade of experience in the wealth management industry, Michael established the esteemed Marchi Wealth Management Group in 2009. His unwavering commitment to providing personalized financial planning services has earned him a reputation for excellence and trust within the St. Louis community.
In 2013, Michael recognized the growing importance of college planning in today's ever-changing economic landscape. Having navigated the college planning journey himself, with all four of his children pursuing higher education simultaneously, he intimately understands the complexities and concerns families face during this pivotal time. Drawing from his own experiences, Michael has made it his mission to alleviate the stress associated with college planning by assisting families in identifying schools that not only align academically with their students' aspirations but also fit seamlessly into their financial realities.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Michael finds joy in spending quality time with his family, whether it's embarking on exciting travel adventures or enjoying tranquil moments by the lake. An avid golfer, he relishes any opportunity to hit the links.
Benjamin Buso - Enrollment Management Partner
Frustrated after working in education for 15 years, Benjamin went out on his own and established NX College Consulting with one goal in mind; to make sure that every student he worked with paid as little as possible to attend the college of their choice. Benjamin discovered his passion for helping students and families navigate the confusing college admission and funding process during the pandemic. When he realized, his unique talents could put to work helping his students attend college at a deeply discounted rate, Benjamin knew he found his true calling.
Benjamin has climbed mountains and jumped out of perfectly good airplanes but there is no bigger rush -for him- than finding out one of his students earn a full scholarship to a great college. When he’s not busy reverse engineering a winning scholarship or admission essay, Benjamin enjoys attending comic conventions with his wife and son.
Sarah Perkins - Service Specialist
Sarah has been with the College Funding Service Center for over 10 years and has helped thousands of families navigate the college planning timeline. She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of the college admissions process including the filing of financial aid forms such as the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Sarah has helped many families obtain additional college funding through her understanding of the financial aid process and award appeals. Being a supreme multi-tasker, Sarah successfully serves many families in the challenging arena of college deadlines, due dates, and forms filing. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Connecticut and resides in Colchester, CT with her son.
Jeff Sonnergren - Student Positioning Specialist
Jeffrey “Jeff” Sonnergren is a critical team member of Game Theory College Planners and the College Funding Service Center. His contributions via Student Positioning perfectly complement proven college planning techniques and ideology. Jeff has coached and advised almost 1,500 students for nearly a decade. By helping students how to understand their strengths and motivations, he positions them for a great college fit and success (without overpaying) as they prepare for their career. As the founder and President of Successful Education Solutions, Jeff interacts via virtual meetings using powerful on-line tools to coach students across the country from his office in New York state.
Al Hoffman - Founder - College Funding Service Center
For over 20 Years, Al has directed the College Funding Service Center out of Waterford, CT. His experience with over 20,000 students is unique in the area of educational consulting. The Better Business Bureau has given this organization an A+ rating. Al pioneered the use of an award wining and proven student positioning system that emphasizes college selection based on three key criteria: academic, social, and financial fit. Al's further emphasis on affordability has made college attendance a reality for the families and students he served. The College Funding Service Center provides support to a select group of teams across the country, including Game Theory College Planners. Al is also co-founder and active Board Member of the National College Advocacy Group (NCAG).
Alan Katzman - Founder and CEO of Social Assurity
In 2014, Alan Katzman and Danny Umali joined forces to offer the most comprehensive social media and digital literacy curriculum and guidance for college bound students. With an extensive background in law, compliance, and technology, Alan has given countless lectures on the evolving topic of social media within the context of college admissions and the job search. Alan is from New York, New York and spends his time staying ahead of social media trends and managing Social Assurity’s educational footprint.
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