Ibrahim Firat

Ibrahim Firat is Chief Educational Consultant at Firat Education, which he founded in April 2008 with his wife, Josephine, to provide one-on-one customized tutoring, test preparation, school placement and college counseling to families in the Houston area. With 17 years of educational consulting experience and hundreds of college and school visits, he guides families through choosing the right fit school while developing strategies to meet college and career goals. He founded Firat Educational Solutions, built the FES brand, created the business and marketing plan, hired and trained consultants and tutors, provided one-on-one and group academic counseling of junior high and high school students in academic subjects and college entrance examinations, and coordinated all communication between FES, parents, students and tutors. He holds an MBA in Marketing, which allows him to build relationships and find the true needs of students, parents and schools. He has authored five editions of The Firat Guide since 2014, a book that helps parents in the Houston area find the best-fit schools for their children.

Ibrahim served as President of the Independent Educational Consultants Association Board of Directors from May 2022 to May 2024, having been elected to serve on the board since May 2019 and re-elected for a second term through 2025. He previously served as Treasurer from May 2020 to May 2022, tasked with the financial well-being and growth of the organization. Since May 2024, he has served as Past President, ensuring continuity of the board and its strategic initiatives created in the past two to three years. He is also Treasurer of the Board of Directors at Barrier Breakers Inc since May 2025, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to and success in higher education for first-generation and marginalized students through high-touch, holistic advising, mentorship and wellness support, where he oversees financial strategy, supports organizational growth and advocates for equitable access to education. Since July 2023, he has served as a Licensed FIFA Football Agent for RR11, working with aspiring and experienced soccer players and clubs in the USA, South America and Europe. From July 2022 to May 2024, he was President of the Board of Directors at Nexus Futbol Academy, developing and executing a three-year strategic plan to grow Nexus into a destination 4th through 12th grade school by adding an NCAA-approved high school academic curriculum with a robust college admissions program geared toward student soccer athletes, having previously served as Head of School and co-founder from June 2021 to July 2022.

Since August 2008, Ibrahim has been a Professor of Business Administration at Houston Community College System, teaching courses including Introduction to Business, Human Resources, Small Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Principles of Management, Marketing and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. He served as Co-Lead Faculty for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative from February 2011 to May 2016, as Deputy Executive Director from November 2012 to September 2013, and as Lead Faculty at Babson College from September 2014 to September 2019, coordinating course development, faculty training and community building to help small businesses achieve growth potential. He served as Chief Growth Officer at Firat Group LLC from January 2016 to July 2023, working as a management growth consultant for small to mid-size businesses nationally and globally, and as VP of the Board of Directors at iWrite Literacy Organization from November 2013 to May 2017. He began his educational consulting career at Marshall Shumsky & Associates from June 2003 to January 2007, providing one-on-one educational consulting to high school students on college applications, resumes and essays, as well as tutoring for SAT, ACT and SAT II subject tests.

Services Offered

• Comprehensive college counseling and admissions consulting
• School placement for primary and secondary students
• Test preparation for SAT, ACT and SAT II subject tests
• Academic tutoring for junior high and high school students
• College list development and fit assessment
• Essay coaching for college applications
• Resume development for college admissions
• Strategic planning for college and career goals
• Support for student athletes navigating college recruitment
• Private one-on-one consulting
• Group counseling and workshops
• Curriculum development for schools
• Educational leadership training
• Support for first-generation and marginalized students through Barrier Breakers