About Planned Quest

Built for counselors. Designed for students. Focused on outcomes.

Planned Quest Background

Life's Greatest Quest

Finding one's place in the world—and championing a better future—is life's greatest quest.

Education is a powerful vehicle for that journey. But for many community college students, the path is filled with hidden detours and avoidable setbacks. Without a clear map or trusted guide, the destination can feel out of reach.

Meeting with a counselor is among the most significant predictors of student persistence in community college. By equipping these impactful guides with better tools, we amplify their ability to turn confusion into clarity and potential into progress.

We're here to help counselors light the way—so every student can move forward with purpose on a well planned quest.

Planned Quest

Our Mission

To dramatically improve student outcomes by giving counselors the modern tools they deserve to deliver fast, personalized, and effective guidance—starting with California Community Colleges.

Our platform equips counselors with innovative intake forms and analytics tools designed to make each counseling session more effective with better preparation and personalized insights.

By providing the right information at the right time, we help counselors identify student needs faster and guide them toward successful academic and career pathways.

For Student Services Teams

Free up valuable time by automating intake, surfacing student needs, and reducing repetitive documentation.

For Administrators

Track advising impact, surface trends, and make data-driven decisions.

FERPA-Compliant by Design

Encrypted, access-controlled, and built to meet institutional privacy standards.

Actionable Data, Built for Decision-Making

Get clear, pre-researched insights before each session—no more last-minute Googling or second-guessing.

Key Features

Smart Intake Surveys

Streamline sessions with dynamic pre-meeting forms that uncover goals, concerns, and risks—cutting prep time and surfacing what matters most.

Student Snapshot Dashboard

See everything you need—academic history, transfer plans, and career interests—organized and pre-filled before the student even walks in.

Integrated Resource Recommendations

Automatically surface majors, programs, and support services tailored to student goals—so counselors don't waste time searching or second-guessing.

Follow-Up & Routing Tools

Book referrals, schedule next steps, and connect students to services—all without leaving the platform.

Collaboration & Handoff Notes

Save time and boost continuity with shared notes and progress flags across general, transfer, and career counseling.

Built-In Templates for Guided Counseling

Use expert-designed flows for intake, transfer, and career planning—so even complex advising starts with a clear path forward.

Accessibility First

Ensure every student can engage with ease—optimized for assistive tech, mobile devices, and in-person kiosk use.

Secure & FERPA-Compliant

Student data is safe, encrypted, and access-controlled—privacy and compliance are built into every layer.

Our Journey

The evolution of Planned Quest from concept to present

March 2018

Problem Identification

The founder, Joshua, began regularly supporting former students through community colleges, CSUs, UCs, and private universities.

March 2024

YACE Solutions

Joshua decided to dedicate his life full-time to improving the higher education-to-career pipeline at scale. Your Advantage Career and Education Solutions (YACE) was formed.

February 2025

Manually Solved

After working with over 40 students and professionals and achieving consistently transformative results, YACE shifted focus to building a scalable B2B solution for counselors—Planned Quest.

June 2025

Pilotable Smart Intake Software

Developed the first pilot-ready version of our smart intake system, enabling counselors to streamline appointments and make faster, more personalized decisions using student-driven insights.

January 2026

Pilotable Career Platform Software

Launched the pilot version of our career exploration tools, allowing counselors to connect students to real-world pathways, mapped clearly to their goals, majors, and local opportunities.

TBD

Enterprise Solution

Released our first major update with enhanced analytics and expanded features based on institutional feedback—moving toward a full enterprise-ready platform for advising teams.

Meet Our Team

Passionate experts dedicated to transforming educational and career planning

JG

Joshua Gagnier

Founder

Joshua brings over a decade of educational leadership and direct student support experience. He is a former NASA Educational Ambassador and Caltech Lab Mentor. He is also a former Title-1 Computer Science and Physics teacher, county STEM & Career Technical Education leader, curriculum writer, and presenter.

MG

Myrna Gagnier

Senior Advisor (QA & Engineering)

Myrna contributes extensive expertise from leadership roles at Northrop Grumman, Mercury Insurance, and GoFundMe, specializing in quality assurance, software engineering management, and agile processes. Her Fortune 100 experience ensures high-quality software development and technical team management.

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Bruce Gagnier

Senior Advisor (IT & Enterprise Architecture)

Bruce provides strategic technology guidance with decades of experience as Managing Director of Enterprise Architecture at United Airlines. His understanding of enterprise software systems, compliance frameworks, and infrastructure scalability supports the technological foundation and strategic growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about Planned Quest

What types of surveys can I create with Planned Quest?

How does Planned Quest handle data security and privacy?

Can I collaborate with colleagues on surveys?

How are smart intake forms delivered to students?

What kind of analytics and reporting features are available?

Is Planned Quest accessible for students with disabilities?

What support options are available?

Stay Updated on Our Progress

Be the first to know when our innovative platform is ready to help transform educational and career counseling.