Our Team & Partners
Craig Pearson
Founder & Owner
Craig has been helping kids and young adults his entire life. His professional resume includes having worked as a special education teacher in New Hampshire, starting his own businesses that focused around serving youth and creating alternative education and experiential teaching programs for at-risk youth. One of the programs Craig developed (Internet cafe) was featured on the PBS kids show Zoom. He was also featured on PBS for another experiential educational learning program that included business education through running a functioning bike shop.
In 2013, Craig co-founded Surf House Puerto Rico, and in 2016, began a partnership with Pacia Life, adding resources and services to the overall ability to serve young adults. Craig then expanded into Boston, co-owning and operating that location, which led to him venturing out fully on his own with Reset Boston.
Having professionally counseled and supported young adults since the early 90's. Craig is a strength-based leader with a Master's Degree in Emotional and Behaviors Disorders. His work with students and their families has helped hundreds of students achieve their goals of independence and improved relationships.
In addition to regularly reading, Craig’s hobbies include mountain biking, soccer, the New England Patriots, surfing, and spending time with family. And puns. Lots of puns!
Alan Houghtaling
Managing Partner
Alan brings two decades of varied experience with children and adolescents to Reset Boston, as well as a business acumen from running his own successful tutoring and coaching company.
Along the way Alan has:
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Facilitated individual and group counseling with at-risk youth in Boston.
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Led Outward Bound modeled adventure trips for teens where rock climbing, backpacking, and ropes courses were utilized to coach kids to challenge their limits.
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Created various after-school groups in the Boston area that began to incorporate his therapeutic and experiential-based knowledge with an academic tutoring component.
Ultimately, Alan founded Evolve Tutoring and College Admissions Coaching, a Best of Boston award-winning company, and has tutored and coached hundreds of young people, with each of these experiences helping shape Evolve’s philosophy.
Alan and Craig met in 2018 and realized that their philosophies on how to work with young adults were very much in line and that their skillsets complemented one another. This led to Alan coming on board to support Craig and his vision for Reset Boston.
In his personal life, Alan thoroughly enjoys reading, writing, mountain biking, following the local arts and sports scenes, and being with good friends and family. Mostly though, you can find him spending time with his wife, who is a Yoga instructor, and their ever changing eitght-year-old son, who keeps them both on their toes!
Zach Pearson
Director of Coaching
Zach brings nearly a decade of experience working with a range of students in the public school system, as well as young adult programs in Puerto Rico, Portugal, and Boston.
Zach started his life coaching journey as a mentor for Surfhouse Puerto Rico. As Surf House merged with Pacia Life, Zach's coaching role evolved into a position as the program's Academic Director. In this role, he developed curriculum that brought together coaching and academics while addressing the needs of neuro-diverse clientele.
Throughout his career Zach has taken on many leadership roles, developing and implementing programming, training other staff, and helping to start new programs such as Pacia Life Portugal.
While Zach has spent time in various leadership roles, and his position at Reset involves leadership, his passion is for working directly with students. Zach is a life coach, first and foremost, with a strong knack for creating meaningful connections with students, helping them develop their life goals, and creating a plan for how to achieve them.
In his role as Director of Coaching at Reset Boston, Zach is able to bring all of these strengths and passions together; working directly with every student, while also working with the leadership team to oversee the big picture of each student's process from start to finish.
In his personal life, you can find Zach surfing, rock climbing, running, writing, and taking amazing photos. He believes that the key to life is to keep yourself moving, to always push forward, mentally and physically, and to never give up on what you love. These are just some of the values that he hopes to impart to the students that he works with here at Reset Boston!
Carlos Pastor
Life Coach
Carlos brings years of experience, along with a B.A. in Educational Studies, to his work with children and young adults in a multitude of childcare environments. He is committed to continuing to bring his vigor for education and growth to the students he works with at Reset Boston.
Carlos started as an after-school tutor at his alma mater middle school at just 16 years old. He has since climbed the ranks to become the Youth Program Director at his local YMCA. His work in the field has included tutoring, counseling, coaching, mentoring, and program development. This varied background is what brought him over to Reset as he felt this was the next step for him in his career.
In his role as a Life Coach, Carlos works closely with the students, supporting them in their personal and academic life. Whether it's helping students move in an exercise class, or leading nutrition and financial coaching, Carlos is always striving to push students to reach their goals in a direct and supportive fashion.
In his personal life, Carlos enjoys quality family time and watching all the New England sports teams. He is always open to new adventures and challenges that can bring him valuable perspective. He likes to cook, write, exercise, and play fetch with his family dog. Most of all, he is looking forward to the moments and memories working at Reset Boston will bring.
Sierra Sullivan
Academic Skills Consultant
Sierra has dedicated her life to working with students of all ages, from elementary students to middle school, and young adults. Sierra has a bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a Master’s degree in Education, focusing on Curriculum and Instruction, from Boston University.
Sierra worked for Surf House Puerto Rico as an Independent Living Life Coach, helping open the doors of the program and welcome the first students. From there, She has volunteered for the AmeriCorps program, dedicating thousands of hours of service in a Boston Public School classroom, supporting students in class, and helping facilitate an after-school program for middle and high school students. After years of working with middle school students and young adults, Sierra then attained a Masters's degree and further taught at Teach For America, in Lawrence, MA. Sierra is an asset to Reset Boston students, especially those with academic needs.
When she’s not teaching, Sierra loves to spend time with her husband and their dog, Mijo, who was rescued from Puerto Rico. She also enjoys traveling (Porto, Portugal is a recent favorite trip!), baking and decorating sugar cookies for every holiday, and photography.
Brooke Howard
Occupational Therapist
We partner with Brooke and the Ivy Street School to work with some of our neuro-diverse young adults.
Brooke has a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Sargent College at Boston University and an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Oberlin College. Brooke has been working as a licensed Occupational Therapist since 2005 and at Ivy Street School since 2009. Before coming to Ivy Street, she worked in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and supervised the outpatient program at Franciscan Hospital for Children.
Brooke also worked as an adjunct faculty in the Occupational Therapy department at Sargent College from 2010-2014. Brooke was a founding member of the transition program at Ivy Street and has continued to grow, develop and support the program since. Most recently Brooke was a founding partner of Ivy Street’s community-based program, Skills For Life where she works in the community with young adults who seek to gain more independence.