An education software company powered by passionate people who are committed to helping every student become future ready.
Hello! We’re Xello.
We help students become future ready
We were inspired by our own experiences after graduating and wondering, “What’s next?” We weren’t alone. The inability to answer this single, seemingly easy question was also problematic for our friends and peers. Few of them had concrete ideas about what they wanted to do with their lives. Their understanding of their options was usually very limited, and more determined by superficial and inaccurate stereotypes than the realities of the working world. Those who did have a vision for their future struggled to bring those ideas to life.
We help students become future ready
Since uncovering this problem over 20 years ago, we’ve dedicated ourselves to building solutions to help students become future ready. Our engaging, fun-to-use software bridges the gap between young people and the working world. It shows every student their future possibilities and equips them with the knowledge, skills, and insights to make informed decisions and build actionable plans. It helps every student take control of who they’ll be and what they’ll become, giving them the confidence to take that next step towards their successful future.
How we got here
1995 
Career Cruising is founded by Matt McQuillen, Jeff Harris, and Angus McMurtry.
1997 
We release the first version of Career Cruising with 150 career profiles on CD-ROM with sound and video.
1999 
We move out of the basement and into our first real office.
2000 
We take Career Cruising to the World Wide Web.
2002 
Online student portfolios are added to the program.
2003 
Reports and dashboards for educators are released.
2005 
Hola! Bonjour! Spanish and French languages are introduced.
2007 
We outgrow our office and move to new digs.
2008 
High school course planning is introduced.
2014 
Research and development on a next generation product begins.
2016 
We welcome our 100th employee. Woot!
2017 
Hello Xello! We introduce a brand-new program and, at the same time, rebrand the company from Career Cruising to Xello.
2018 
Interactive and fully integrated lessons are released.
2018 
We launch a mobile version of Xello.
Want to help us write the next chapter in our story?
Learn MoreThe passionate people behind Xello
We’re a dynamic and diverse group of people united by our mission to help every student become future ready. We believe the best way to achieve success is through creativity, authenticity, and collaboration — plus having a lot of fun along the way!
Matt McQuillen
CEO & Founder When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I wanted to be a forest ranger. Probably because I read a lot of books and magazines about animals. I loved Ranger Rick!
Jeff Harris
President & Founder When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Cowboy, hockey player, gardener, landscape architect.
Michael Lane
Director Subscription Services When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Surveyor
Anthony Abbott
VPInformation Systems
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
The biggest paper route in GTA
Meredith Beyer-Alldridge
VPCustomer Experience
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Film director, political strategist, or paleontologist
Jarrod Hann
VPSales
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Psychologist
Katie Lutes
VPCulture
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
An archaeologist. I was always digging up my parents backyard to see what I could unearth from history.
Te Thebeau
VPProduct Experience
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I wanted to become an underwater explorer like Jacques Cousteau. I used to pull my pajamas over my head (my drysuit), jump off the edge of the couch, and explore the tunnels I had made from blankets and various pieces of furniture. I never did become an oceanographer, but I did take up scuba diving and underwater exploration.
Craig Bell
DirectorContent
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Architect
Marcio Bomfim
DirectorDesign
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Sailor
Heather Bugden
DirectorOnboarding Management
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Veterinarian
Tammy Jones
Director Sales When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Paleontologist
Delfina Manocchio
Senior Director Success When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Fashion designer
Ben Pierce
DirectorData Services
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Construction worker
Sofia Rokerya
DirectorClient Solutions
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A lawyer
Konstantin Stepantcov
DirectorIT
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Astronaut
Andrey Tabachnik
VP Engineering When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Science fiction writer
Cathy Abbott
Administrative Assistant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Architect
Fae Abdulla
Client Solutions Specialist When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A scientist.
Leo Abramoff
Success ManagerKey Accounts
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Professional soccer player
Maggie Amos
Success Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Prima ballerina – a la Karen Kain
Tyler Brown
Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I wanted to be the starting Quarterback for the New England Patriots. Dream big!
Garrett Concannon
Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Rockstar
Adrienne Dunn
Client Solutions Specialist When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Palaeontologist
Lisa Dunn
Subscription Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Veterinarian
Mona Hendesi
Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Flight attendant – (even as a kid I loved to travel)
Michael Lane
Director Subscription Services When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Surveyor
Trang Le
Senior Success Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Making people look pretty
Shawn Long
Success Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
F-16 Fighter Pilot
Kirsten Mahaffy
Senior Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Veterinarian
Jerome Martin
Senior Success Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A pilot. I was obsessed with airplanes and would build planes out of wood, paper, whatever materials I could find!
Hailey McCaig
Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Costume designer
Chris Olford
Success Manager Key Accounts When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Professional soccer player or environmental engineer
Mony Pal
Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
An Architect. I loved seeing the high rise buildings and was curious about how they were built.
Polina Samson-Doel
Onboarding Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Diplomat
Heather Bugden
DirectorOnboarding Management
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Veterinarian
Delfina Manocchio
Senior Director Success When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Fashion designer
Sofia Rokerya
DirectorClient Solutions
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A lawyer
Noelle Zletni
Training Specialist When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
An astronaut, because I have always been (and still am) intrigued by outer space and the Universe.
Cristina Goncalves
Talent Acquisition Specialist When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I wanted a career where I could travel and meet people near and far. So… I wanted to be a flight attendant because I loved the uniforms (especially the ones which included a hat and a silk scarf) and the opportunity to travel the world.
Katie Lutes
VPCulture
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
An archaeologist. I was always digging up my parents backyard to see what I could unearth from history.
Veronica Zielinska
Office Manager & Recruiting Assistant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A singer
Meredith Beyer-Alldridge
VPCustomer Experience
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Film director, political strategist, or paleontologist
Lynda Byrne
Engagement Marketing Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Tornado chaser
Jeff Gluck
Senior Acquisition Specialist When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Firefighter
Joana Petersen
Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Doctor
Rachel Wilmshurst
Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Veterinarian
Rick Fleischmann
Senior Database Developer & Analyst When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Psychiatrist
Dana Gulas
Accounting Analyst When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Teacher
Jean-Paul Leger
Operations Analyst When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Locomotive engineer
Carl Pinto
Salesforce Project Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Military
Anthony Abbott
VPInformation Systems
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
The biggest paper route in GTA
Wendy Ubaldo
Accounting Assistant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A doctor
Tyler Almond
Senior Product Owner When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A rockstar, pro snowboarder, or skateboarder. Knowing these were not very realistic careers I thought a design related career would be a good fallback.
James Barty
System Administrator When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Striker for Liverpool FC
Alexandra Boldyreva
UI Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A teacher or a doctor
Kiril Bredikhin
Senior Full Stack Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Nuclear scientist, comic book writer, videogame developer, Indiana Jones. Preferably all at the same time.
Rizielle Corpin
Front-End Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Astronaut
Gerard D’Mello
Software Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Electronic engineer
Fahad Daryaee
Engineering Q.A. When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I always wanted a career in Engineering, but wasn’t sure which specialization. I ended up with Software and I am loving it!
Jonatas DeMello
Full Stack Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I always wanted to work with computers and electronic devices.
Jordan Fisher
Photography Coordinator When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Riverside Bar Owner / Psychologist
Amy Fox
Content Experience Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Treehouse designer
Wesley Francis
Front-End Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Pilot (I used to dream that I could fly. Sometimes still do)
Catherine Gerow
Content Experience Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Teacher or marine biologist
Trishan Gunness
Solutions Architect When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Graphic designer
Jina Hwang
Product Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Artist
Shruti Jamadagni
Junior Content Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Author
Stefan Jovanovic
User Experience Researcher When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A track and field star – especially in long jump.
Humayan Khan
Product OwnerInspire
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Marine biologist
Valeria Khokhlova
Product OwnerApplication Planner
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Musician
Katie Lawson
Junior Content Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Actor
Natalya Lohnes
Technical Writer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
It varied all the time and was usually dependent on which book I was reading. So anything from a wizard, to a horse trainer, to a novelist.
Ketan Mali
Engineering Q.A. When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Cricketer or Actor
Ardavan Mirhosseini
Senior Product Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Inventor
Deirdre Morgan
Junior Content Manager When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Air Hostess
Graham Pegg
Front-End Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Making computers do cool things
Andre Rajfura
Engineering Q.A. When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Fighter pilot
Eric Roy
Software Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Astronaut
Catherine Smith
Senior Product Designer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Mountain climber
Jose Travassos
UI Engineer When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Stuntman
Kim Turnbull
Product OwnerSpark
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Wonder Woman. Teacher. Cartoonist. Writer. Maybe a cat if I really applied myself.
Te Thebeau
VPProduct Experience
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
I wanted to become an underwater explorer like Jacques Cousteau. I used to pull my pajamas over my head (my drysuit), jump off the edge of the couch, and explore the tunnels I had made from blankets and various pieces of furniture. I never did become an oceanographer, but I did take up scuba diving and underwater exploration.
Craig Bell
DirectorContent
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Architect
Marcio Bomfim
DirectorDesign
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Sailor
Ben Pierce
DirectorData Services
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Construction worker
Konstantin Stepantcov
DirectorIT
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Astronaut
Andrey Tabachnik
VP Engineering When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Science fiction writer
Jeanne D’Arc Uwatowenimana
Senior Software Engineer & ScrumMaster When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Engineer
Jessica Chow
Educational Sales Associate When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Actress
Idan Firestein
Educational Sales Associate When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Fighter pilot
Rhonda Sharp
Educational Sales Consultant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Fashion designer
Jackelyn Skudra
Educational Sales Consultant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Math teacher
Jarrod Hann
VPSales
When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Psychologist
Tammy Jones
Director Sales When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Paleontologist
Ginny Weitner
Educational Sales Consultant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
Detective or a lawyer
Erin Marie Zakrzewska
Educational Sales Consultant When you were a kid, what career did you want to have?
A stay at home mom and then a private investigator when the kids where in school.