The Story
Built from the belief that no one should be left behind.
Omar Mentesh is an educator, founder, and systems-thinker who has spent over a decade working at the frontline of alternative education — with the young people, families, and organisations that conventional systems have too often failed.
Where it began
Omar's work is rooted in a simple but radical conviction: that education is a fundamental right, not a privilege — and that the system, as it stands, does not yet honour that for everyone.
That conviction didn't come from a textbook. It came from years of working directly with young people who had been excluded, overlooked, or simply never seen by the institutions meant to support them. Omar saw what happened when one trusted adult showed up consistently — and what was lost when they didn't.
That insight became the foundation of everything: connection before correction. Belonging before behaviour. Strengths before deficits.
"You cannot aspire to a world you have never seen. My job is to make sure more people get to see it."
Anabranch Plus
Building the alternative
Omar founded Anabranch Plus to put those principles into practice at scale. The organisation works with individuals who have often been outside of traditional education systems — supporting them to find alternative pathways through trauma-informed mentoring, neurodiversity-led practice, and real-world experiences that open doors they didn't know existed.
Anabranch works across schools, local authorities, NHS trusts, youth charities, and corporate partners — always with the same north star: you cannot aspire to a world you have never seen.
Visit Anabranch PlusPhilosophy
How Omar works
Connection before correction
Every meaningful intervention starts with a relationship. Before you can change behaviour, you have to build belonging — and that takes time, consistency, and genuine care.
Strengths-based, always
Omar's practice is built on surfacing and naming what people are already good at — not cataloguing what they lack. Confidence grows from competence, and competence grows from being seen.
Neurodiversity by design
Inclusive practice isn't a bolt-on. It's built into how sessions are structured, how rooms are set up, how language is used. Every person deserves an environment designed with them in mind.
Systems thinking
Individual change doesn't happen in a vacuum. Omar works at the level of organisations and systems — helping institutions build the conditions where people can actually thrive.
Areas of Expertise
Work with Omar
Whether you're an organisation looking for strategic support, an event seeking a keynote that genuinely moves people, or an individual at a crossroads — Omar would like to hear from you.
Get in Touch