Meet your team

Danilo Umali

Founder | Principal

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 Chattahoochee Hills, GA with Karen, his wife of over 28 years.

Karen Umali

Co-Founder | Co-Principal

Karen, born in Oakland California, grew up in Peachtree City, GA where she attended McIntosh High School. Karen's organizational 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 can also catch her exploring the trails of the Serenbe Community located within Chattahoochee Hills, GA.

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.

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

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 | CEO

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.

Joseph Tauzin

Founder

A former graduate of our college panning process, Jospeh is a Cornell Economics graduate with 3 years of professional tutoring experience and 2 years of volunteer tutoring experience. Tutor Space is our in-house test prep solution, an educational platform designed to bring the most effective private tutoring strategies directly to everyday learners at an affordable price. By leveraging proven learning methodologies developed by our expert tutoring team, Tutor Space has democratized access to high-quality educational resources and continues to evolve with a dedicated and knowledgeable team, ensuring that users stay at the forefront of educational advancements.

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