The Great Franchisee: Alok Rai, Lightbridge Academy, Brooklyn, NY

Alok Rai worked in finance technology for over fifteen years with brands like Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, but when he and his wife decided it was time to own a business for themselves, Rai looked to his parents’ success as owners of a private school in India. Now Rai and his wife are two of the newest franchisees with Lightbridge Academy*, the early education and child care franchise with more than 100 centers open or in development across the U.S.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Alok Rai: I have spent the majority of my career working in financial technology with brands such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America. I’ve led transformation programs and steered application development programs for marquee Fortune 100 companies. In my career, I have a track record of propelling program agility, quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness while directing remote, geographically distributed teams of 300-plus members. As my career has continued, I have become a collaborative partner to senior management, excelling at formulating and executing strategies across organizations. In addition to my career in the banking industry, I am passionate about real estate investing. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising, and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Rai: My wife and I started looking at franchise opportunities in 2015–16. As we had two young children at the time. She was interested in starting a daycare center on her own, and I suggested looking into franchising since there is an established model that comes with an experienced corporate team who can provide guidance and support. My parents owned a private school in India that was kindergarten through high school. I have always admired their passion and how being around kids has kept them young and positive. That is exactly what my wife and I were looking for in a franchise opportunity. 

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Rai: For us, we wanted to do something not just to make money, but to make us happy together. Franchise ownership was that path for us. Once we saw how many options there were for child care franchises, we knew we had to find the right brand for us, one that has strong core values. 

1851: How did you perform your research?

Rai: We looked at many different franchises throughout our search process, which was conducted online and by attending discovery days. The first brand we looked at was Lightbridge Academy, as we live close to the company’s headquarters in New Jersey. After visiting with other franchise brands, nothing was able to compete with what we saw at Lightbridge Academy. 

1851: Why did you pick Lightbridge Academy? What excited you most about the brand’s potential?

Rai: After attending the discovery day with Lightbridge Academy, it just made sense. There is a feeling you get when you enter the center. As parents of two young children, we knew this is how we would want anyone else to feel when dropping their child off for the day. The interior of the centers are very bright, organized and well-decorated, and there’s a center director who oversees the whole area where the kids play. It makes you feel secure as a parent knowing your child is in a state-of-the-art center with quality adult supervision and care. 

The corporate team is very friendly, and they welcomed us right away. It truly does not feel like a business — it feels more like a community — which I liked a lot. They also practice what they preach, which I believe is very important as a franchisor. What gets my wife and I the most excited is how the curriculum is customized to each child. After all, all children learn differently, and education should not be one-size-fits-all. Lightbridge provides an individualized approach, which is what made them stand out from some of the other brands we looked at. 

Lastly, the location of this center in Brooklyn is in a neighborhood called Greenpoint that is right across the East River from Manhattan. The area has gone through a big transformation, and one of the key aspects that is missing now is a quality child care center. There are no other national brands in the area, so we will be the first, which is crucial for us. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Rai: We do plan to grow in the area but our main priority is focused on opening the first location in Brooklyn. As for other areas of real estate, we plan to look in other parts of Brooklyn and Queens. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Rai: I am very passionate about real estate. I also have two young kids, an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old, so they keep my wife and me pretty busy. 

About Lightbridge Academy

Established in 1997, Guy and Julia Falzarano founded the company based on core values and a Circle of Care philosophy that places equal importance on the needs of children, their families, teachers, center owners and the community. Lightbridge Academy provides early education and child care to children ages six-weeks through kindergarten, as well as special programming for children up to 10 years old for summer camp and a new school-age remote learning program. The company franchised in 2011 to expand its distinctive concept throughout the Mid-Atlantic region; it currently has over 119 child care centers either open, under construction or in development throughout Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia. In response to COVID-19, Lightbridge Academy rolled out The Lightbridge Promise as the gold standard in child care health protocols prioritizing the safety of everyone in the company's Circle of Care. In 2020, the company was featured on the Inc. 5000 ranking, Franchise Times Top 200+ awards, and Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500. Lightbridge Academy was also recognized on Newsweek’s 2021 list of America’s Best Customer Service.