About Malakite

Malakite provides a wide range of professional services to meet your needs. Providing every service with a smile, and to your highest level of satisfaction.

Hi! I'm Aparna Venkateswaran


I am an Education Consultant and Professional Coach based in San Jose, CA, and the founder of Malakite Coaching & Education Consulting LLC. I empower teens and young adults through personalized services tailored to their unique needs and aspirations. Guided by the mission to foster clarity, confidence, and success, I integrate expertise in Life Coaching, College Counseling, the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB), Academic Success Coaching, and Tiny Habits to create customized and adaptive strategies for growth and achievement.


My journey began as an engineer with a Master's Degree in Engineering. After spending nearly 14 years raising my daughter and volunteering in schools, I discovered a deep passion for mentoring teens and adults. That pivotal chapter led me to earn a college counseling certificate from UCLA Extension and a professional coaching certification from iPEC. As a former engineer, I bring analytical thinking and creative problem-solving to my coaching practice, helping students align their strengths with meaningful goals and navigate transitions with clarity and purpose.


At Malakite, I work with high school students, college students, and young adults, guiding them through college selection, application strategies, essay development, and navigating financial aid. I also support students through the Highlands Ability Battery to uncover their natural strengths and align them with academic and career paths. My Academic Success Coaching blends Tiny Habits, Executive Function Coaching, Life Coaching, and Behavior Design to help students build effective study routines, time management systems, and lasting resilience.


I’ve built a practice grounded in lifelong learning and personal connection. I actively invest in my professional growth through conferences, webinars, and continuous education. I also share insights weekly through my blog, offering strategies that blend structure, science, and heart. My goal is always to empower families and individuals to discover their strengths, take meaningful steps forward, and lead with intention. I welcome opportunities to collaborate, speak, or guide those seeking support through life’s key transitions.



From Parents & Students

“Aparna has been a great consultant, mentor, and guide to my son. Before meeting with Aparna, he was a typical high school senior who did not have a clear idea about what he wanted to do, what was possible, and how he could achieve it. Aparna was able to build trust with him so he could open up and share his thoughts and perspectives. She has guided him to organize his thoughts, interests and desires - setting up a plan to build his personal essay that truly showcased his true self. She went on to help him with selecting the appropriate colleges and majors to apply for. In addition to helping my son, Aparna helped to educate me as a parent for the first child applying to college. This in itself can be daunting, but she made the process very easy and smooth. I would highly recommend her to all my friends”

- Parent

“Going into the college application project I had no clue on how to make my essays feel personal. Aparna helped me find my voice within my essay and reminded me to keep my essays authentic throughout the process."

- Student