The  Mathnasium franchise offers a powerful example of how teaching skills can translate into successful business ownership for former educators who don’t want to leave their passion for education behind. For  Derek Pipkorn , the journey from classroom teacher to multi-unit franchise owner wasn’t about stepping away from education. It was about expanding his impact. “I have a degree to teach between first and eighth grade, with an emphasis on math,” Pipkorn said. “I did that in public schools for around eight years, mostly doing middle school math. I was a middle school math specialist, a math coach for teachers and got to work with the district on curriculum.” While he was building a career in education, even pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership, Pipkorn found himself considering a different path. “Even though I was a teacher for many years, I was always thinking about opening my own business,” he said. A Natural Fit Between Education and Entrepreneurship Pipkorn didn’t stumble into franchising and  Mathnasium by chance. His interest in business had been building for years.  “In college, my friend and I started a Christmas lighting service, for example,” he said. “For me, I looked into Mathnasium probably around four years before actually joining. I didn’t think I was quite ready yet.” That changed in 2017, when a simple moment sparked a bigger decision. “I was getting my haircut and looking around at the business and thinking about how great it would be to open a business of my own here in the community,” he said. “So I started going on a journey to explore and do my research with the [Mathnasium] brand. I loved that the business model was 100% dedicated to math. I did not look at any other franchises — it was all about Mathnasium. It was the perfect fit of my two passions — a blend of entrepreneurship and math education.” Building a Business and a Community Pipkorn opened his first center in late 2017, choosing a location that was deeply personal. “Our first location, we opened just half a block from my house — it was right in my own community,” he said. “It was really a win-win overall. I was able to lean on my connections as an educator to make connections with families. I had already started building some referrals. We officially opened in late 2017. We started very strong. A year later, I started looking into opening up center number two, which I didn’t even think would ever happen.” By 2019, he had expanded, and even amid uncertainty, opportunity followed. “COVID hit a few months after that and we had an opportunity to buy an existing center, which became our third center,” he said. “That was a turning point because that is when I started hiring center directors to run the day-to-day of the centers.” Since then, Pipkorn has continued to grow, opening additional locations in 2023 and 2024 and transitioning into a true multi-unit operator. The Power of Real Impact While growth has been a major part of Pipkorn’s journey, his motivation remains rooted in the same reason he entered education in the first place: helping students succeed. “One of the big reasons I got into this business was because I had a personal experience with an eighth-grade student I was teaching,” he said. “He was probably doing math at a third-grade level, and catching him up to get ready for high school and algebra felt impossible.” That experience changed when he  saw what was possible with Mathnasium’s approach . “I saw it was possible with Mathnasium and the strength of the education behind the concept,” he said. “What I love most is that impact we’ve had for thousands of kids. What we do is so unique that it’s almost impossible to replicate anywhere else.” Why Teachers Have a Competitive Advantage Pipkorn believes  his teaching background has been a major advantage , especially when it comes to building trust within the community. “One thing that is good to build this business is getting in with schools, which can be tough,” he said. “But if you are a former educator, you can really talk the talk and they will see that you are genuine and are really there to help. I would absolutely recommend this business for teachers. They already have a leg up because they already have that credibility and reputation built.” However, he emphasizes that success requires more than educational experience alone. “For teachers to be successful in the business, they need to put their business hat on,” he said. “It’s more than education — it’s building a community within your center and outside your center.” Today, Pipkorn’s focus is on further scaling his impact. “The long-term goal is to grow what we have and make an even bigger impact in the community,” he said. “There are always new families moving into the area that we can be impacting. At the end of the day, it’s all about increasing our impact.” To find out more information about owning a Mathnasium franchise, visit:  https://1851franchise.com/mathnasium/info .