An Ongoing Circle of Care: Why the Parkash Family Continues to Invest in Lightbridge Academy

In 1995, husband and wife Raj and Veenu Parkash moved from California to New Jersey to open a garment company that would serve New York City’s fashion industry. Before commuting into the Big Apple, the Parkashes would drop off their daughter, Sanya, at the Lightbridge Academy in Iselin, New Jersey.

On September 11, 2001, the Parkashes found themselves stuck in New York City following the day’s terrorist attacks and were unable to get back to Iselin to pick up Sanya. When they did arrive at their local Lightbridge Academy, they discovered their daughter safe and sound, having been exceptionally well cared for even amidst the day’s turmoil. The Parkashes immediately realized firsthand the value of the premier early education and child care franchise’s “Circle of Care” philosophy, which focuses on a child’s wellness across the interrelated points of family, community, and Lightbridge Academy’s staff and franchise owners.

Deeply affected by the extent to which Lightbridge Academy had supported them and their daughter, the Parkashes decided to sign on as franchisees with the family-focused brand. The couple opened their first location in North Brunswick, New Jersey in 2004, then a second center in 2012. On October 12, 2019, the Parkashes opened their third location: Lightbridge Academy of Edison, New Jersey.

Over the last 15 years, “the team at the corporate office has been incredibly helpful in the success of our business; whether it’s marketing or education, they’re always there with full support and are easily accessible for any challenge you face,” Veenu previously shared with 1851 Franchise.

The opportunity has certainly proved successful for the thriving multi-unit franchisees, who have come to embody the brand’s motto, “The Solution for Working Parents®,” in more ways than one. 

"We are the only business that sees its customers twice a day, five times a week," Raj previously told Entrepreneur. "When parents leave their children—their most prized possessions—with you, they have to trust you. That bond is so important, and a lot of our families stay with us for eight to 10 years as their children age. When you're there for your customers through thick and thin, they tell their family and friends."

As it turns out, it’s not only loyal community members who have found a fulfilling experience through the Parkashes Lightbridge Academy business. Their daughter Sanya—now a recent college grad—recently decided to sign on with the family business as the new Assistant Director of the Edison, New Jersey Lightbridge Academy.

“I graduated from Rutgers with a degree in economics and business administration in 2018,” Sanya said. “I was between job offers and decided to help out as an office administrator at the Edison Lightbridge Academy while waiting to hear back on several opportunities.”

Much like she had been as a child, Sanya was impacted by the warmth, support and care that characterized her parents’ third location.

“Being there made me realize how special it was,” Sanya said. “I decided to decline other offers and committed to working with my parents and the people at Lightbridge Academy—who, truly, have become like family to me as well.”

Sanya said that she anticipates that the Edison community will warmly receive the early education and child care brand given that Lightbridge Academy enjoys an outstanding reputation and leverages innovative technology, such as a coded entry system and classroom monitoring, to prioritize children’s safety.

“There’s really nothing like Lightbridge Academy in Edison,” said Sanya. 

Not only is Sanya excited about working with her parents to bring exceptional services to the area, but she’s also excited about participating in extending the very same Circle of Care that was there for her as a small child.

“I want to positively impact families in the community through Lightbridge Academy, just like my parents and I were positively affected when we most needed Lightbridge Academy’s care,” said Sanya. 

Asked to elaborate on just how much Lightbridge Academy has made an impact on her life, Sanya was emphatic.

“The teachers at Lightbridge Academy were really influential and impacted my life from a young age—I still keep in contact with several of them,” Sanya said. “I even work with some of them now that I’ve become involved with the franchise! In fact, my kindergarten teacher is still with the company; she now works at home office. It’s an incredible feeling to work as an adult with someone who is so passionate about the brand that she taught me when I was 6 years old.”

For all the Parkashes, helping families is just in their DNA. It’s no wonder, then, that Sanya plans to continue her parents’ legacy in the future. 

“I definitely plan on opening other Lightbridge Academy locations one day,” she said. “I want to carry on that Circle of Care for the next generation.”

The initial start-up investment for Lightbridge Academy ranges between $549,228 to $767,635 with a franchise fee of $40,000. To learn more about opportunities to partner with Lightbridge, visit https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/.