For many children, math can feel overwhelming, but sisters Candace and Melinda Shaw are proving it doesn’t have to be.

The Brooklyn natives have launched Why Hate Math?, a tutoring center designed to help students feel confident with numbers.

The Shaws grew up in a home where education was a form of play.

Candace, who later became a finance expert and tutor, recalls spending hours solving math problems as a child.

“We had a whiteboard in our home, and I’d do long division just for fun,” Candace Shaw said. “Our parents’ friends would come over, and I’d tell them to add a number. I could do that all day.”

Melinda Shaw pursued a career in medical science, but the sisters always knew they wanted to share their love of learning with others.

About 10 years ago, they had an idea - to make math more approachable for kids who struggle with the subject.

Candace returned to school to earn her MBA, using her coursework to shape a business plan. In 2023, the sisters launched Why Hate Math? in Bedford-Stuyvesant, aiming to provide students with emotional support, individualized teaching, and a welcoming learning environment.

“We really try to get on their level,” Melinda Shaw said. “Sometimes, the way a student thinks about math isn’t wrong—it’s just how their brain processes it.”

One of their students, second grader Denver, once hated math. But after just one month of tutoring, she ranks in the 78th percentile of her class and is setting her sights on a math-focused future.

That transformation is exactly why the Shaws chose to bring their business back to Brooklyn.

The sisters believe math is more than numbers—it’s a way to build critical thinking skills for life.

“We use it every day, in every career,” Candace Shaw said. “Math teaches you how to think analytically, logically, and critically.”

Since their opening, the Shaws have tutored about 200 students. The admissions are rolling. They offer tutoring, summer camp, and other community events.

Learn more here.