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05 Nov 2024

Q & A With Mark Mathias, Multi-Unit Franchise Owner at Lightbridge Academy

Lightbridge Academy Booth: 812
Q & A With Mark Mathias, Multi-Unit Franchise Owner at Lightbridge Academy
Headshot of Mark Mathias
  • When did you buy your franchise?
    • My wife Vivian and I purchased our first Lightbridge Academy franchise in Scarsdale, NY, in 2017 with the center opening in January 2023.
  • What was your working background?
    • Having received my master’s degree in Sports Business Management, my dream was to be in the front office for an NBA team. However, when I was finishing my degree my wife and I were planning our family and I decided to pivot my career goals so I could prioritize raising my family in Westchester, NY. Once that decision was made, my wife and I began looking into local business opportunities. Before Lightbridge Academy, my wife and I owned an interactive gym franchise that was formatted for children.
  • How did you find out about the franchise and why did you choose that franchise?
    • Both of my children went to a separate Lightbridge Academy center in Elmsford, NY for several years and were part of the center’s first graduating class. As my wife and I continued our business with the children’s gym franchise we recognized the synergy 
      between our current franchise and the early educational child care space. Having become familiar with Lightbridge Academy’s Circle of Care Philosophy and seeing how much my children enjoyed the Seedlings curriculum, we knew it was the natural next step for our family. 
  • What was the process like once you signed the franchise agreement?
    • As far as training, site selection, fit-out, etc. When I purchased my first location, I was still learning about all the different aspects that play into opening a child care franchise. The first couple of years were slow as we tried to find the best location for a center of this magnitude in Westchester. We weren’t able to find a preexisting location, so we decided to pivot and purchase real estate to develop the center ourselves. I quickly turned into a child care operator and real estate developer through this process. And, the level of support from the home office spoke volumes. From the first day of meeting the executive team at Discovery Day until now, the Lightbridge Academy team has been actively involved in the success of our franchise.
  • What made you sign on for two additional locations before your first center opened?
    • Having been born and raised in Westchester myself, it has always been a place where families in the greater New York area come to raise their children who prioritize education. One of the first things that people look for when coming here is what the school systems are rated, but very few people actually consider what their children will be doing from zero to five years old rather than considering five to 18. I saw the need to fill that gap and provide high-quality early educational child care for these families that prioritize education and recognized that scaling it as quickly as possible was the best business practice.
  • What has the community response been to the opening of your franchise?
    • Since opening our Scarsdale location in 2023, we’ve received an extremely warm welcome from the community. It’s vital for me to have a personal connection to the communities we care for, so I serve as the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Youth and on the Board of Directors of the Child Care Council of Westchester, along with coaching Little League baseball and basketball teams. It makes me proud to be able to provide an educational opportunity for the young children and families that my family and I interact with daily in our community. With our second location opening in Valhalla, NY, later this year the community has been extremely excited for us to open. We have families already signing up who are expecting their first child in late 2025.
    • Families also appreciate our extended pickup and drop off hours of 6:30 am to 6:30 pm which allows dual-income families to have peace of mind that their children are being taken care of until their workday is over. Our Scarsdale center was also recently recognized with the Building Owners & Managers Association of Westchester Best Capital Improvement Award.
  • If someone was interested in joining your franchise system, what would you say to them?
    • There are a few pieces of advice that I share with prospective franchisees. First, don’t think that this will be a partial investment of your time. The best success for a franchisee is someone willing to commit themselves fully to the endeavor. I treat Lightbridge Academy as my full-time occupation, and I believe I’m seeing the best results this way.
    • Secondly, get involved in a location that you understand. Knowing the area and knowing the needs of its residents are vital for success. Born and raised in Westchester, I understand the distinct nuances from town to town which helps me to better serve the families in my care.
    • The third is to understand your role as a franchisee is based on your experience. For example, I did not come from an educational background. So, I found an incredible and experienced Center Director for our Scarsdale location who will now be moving up to a Regional Director role as our Valhalla location opens. She has made all the difference in our day-to-day operations that serve the families in our care so well.
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