1851

Kent Kolbow has made a name for himself within <a href="http://franchiseblog.sylvanlearning.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-spotlight-kent-kolbow-of-sylvan-learning-12093" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sylvan Learning&#39;s</a> franchise system. The dedication he has to his students is obvious and his office is peppered with notes,&nbsp;thank yous, and graduation pictures from his former students.&nbsp;

Since 1991, Kolbow has been a tutor with Sylvan. In 1998, he was officially a franchisee. And now, today, he&#39;s the owner and operator of 10 Indiana centers with the ambitious goal of owning every center in the state. Over the years, Kolbow has quickly become one of the most decorated franchisees in the entire system.

And despite all of his success as an entrepreneur, Kolbow won&#39;t ever stop doing what got him to this point in the first place: tutoring.&nbsp;

Can you tell me a little more about your background?&nbsp;

I was attending Purdue University and transferred to their Fort Wayne campus and that&#39;s where I first encountered Sylvan Learning. This was in 1991 when I first started tutoring. Previously, I had always had this dream of working for NASA and I had a friend ask if I coud sub as a tutor for him at Sylvan and it was then, immediately, that I knew this is what I wanted to do. I told my parents that I was going into the education field instead and two years later I was the director of the Fort Wayne location.&nbsp;

I&#39;ve been tutoring at and owning Sylvan centers for the past 25 years now. I first became an official franchisee in 1998 when I&nbsp;acquired the existing Mishiwaka&nbsp;and Elkhart locations when my boss offered to sell them to me. In 2014, I bought the two centers in Fort Wayne, including the one where it all began for me, and then in 2016 I acquired and revamped the centers in&nbsp;Merrillville, Valparaiso and Schererville. Now, my focus is on my most recent acquisitions, the three centers I am taking over in Indianapolis.&nbsp;

What was it about supplemental education that interested you in pursuing franchise ownership?&nbsp;

I love it. When I first began tutoring, I had some personal experiences of students of mine turning around their grades in math and science and that resonated with me. I thought I could apply my passion as an owner and franchisee. I knew what the needs were and how to get the most out of these programs. And I thought it could benefit the students in the area seeking help with their studies outside of school.&nbsp;

What&#39;s next for you and your centers?&nbsp;

It&#39;s my goal to own every location in Indiana. I&#39;m at 10 right now, but those are my plans. But I don&#39;t have any plans to ever stop tutoring, either.&nbsp;

Visit the <a href="http://Visit the International Franchise Association’s @OurFranchise website for more stories of passionate local franchise owners, employees and their communities. - See more at: https://1851franchise.com/details/12038/Franchisee-Spotlight-Scott-and-Marcia-Bauer-of-Papa-Murphy-s#sthash.Lax9kRE5.dpuf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Franchise Association&rsquo;s @OurFranchise website</a> for more stories of passionate local franchise owners, employees and their communities.

Franchisee Spotlight: Kent Kolbow of Sylvan Learning

1851 Franchise

Decorated Sylvan Learning franchisee Kent Kolbow is further expanding his Indiana reach. The tutor of 25 years carries the aspirations of becoming the franchise owner of nearly every Indiana center.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

franchisee-spotlight-kent-kolbow-of-sylvan-learning

BooXkeeping

image of booxkeeping franchise graduation present

Why a BooXkeeping Franchise Might Be the Smartest Graduation Gift You Can Give

booxkeeping-franchise-graduation-gift

KidStrong Franchising, LLC

image of kidstrong franchisees NFL player Shaun Wade and his former Team USA Heptathlete wife Jordan

Why This Athlete Couple Chose To Open a KidStrong Franchise

nfl-player-shaun-wade-kidstrong-franchise-georgia

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Team of home inspectors exiting branded HomeTeam Inspection Service vehicle

HomeTeam Inspection Service Offers Franchise Opportunity With No Experience Required

hometeam-franchise-training

Comfort Keepers

image of comfort keepers employees franchise

Comfort Keepers® Partners With PocketRN to Enhance Dementia Care Nationwide

comfort-keepers-pocketrn-dementia-care-partnership

Right at Home

Right at Home Franchise - Q3 2025 Momentum - 1851 Franchise

Right at Home Continues Momentum as It Closes Out the Third Quarter and Looks Ahead To Hit Its Annual Signings and Openings Goal by the End of the Year

right-at-home-franchise-q3-2025

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Photo of Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza franchisee Lily Wilford

Entrepreneur: This 18-Year-Old Saves Babysitting Money for College — Then Decided to Buy a Business Instead

18-year-old-franchise-owner-lily-wilford

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image  of Happinest franchise collection and all their brands that work together. 

The Happinest Advantage: A Marketing Partner Invested in Your Bottom Line

happinest-franchise-marketing-strategy

Coffee & analytics image with photo of Nick Powills

Athletes And Franchising: Why the Connection Runs Deep

athletes-in-franchising

The Shift From Founder to Franchisor: Building a Team, Culture and System That Scale

the-shift-from-founder-to-franchisor-building-a-team-culture-and-system-that-scale

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

image of michael panos and michel panos, owners of mellow mushroom in Atlanta

Franchisee Spotlight: Kent Kolbow of Sylvan Learning

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS