The Great Franchisee: Kent Kolbow, Sylvan Learning, Florida

Kent Kolbow has worked with Sylvan Learning*, the 705-plus-unit K–12 supplemental education franchise, for three decades. In that time, Kolbow has built a small empire with the leading education brand, opening 11 locations throughout Indiana. Now, Kolbow is expanding his footprint into Florida, with two new Sylvan locations in the Clermont and Winter Park areas.

Kolbow began his career with Sylvan as a tutor, and he says that from the time he began working with his first students, he knew he had found a lifelong career. Today, even as a thriving multi-unit owner, Kolbow still finds time to teach, grounding his passion for the business in the day-to-day work of helping students find academic success.

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

Kent Kolbow: I grew up in Fremont, Indiana and attended Indiana Purdue University of Fort Wayne to complete my degrees in mathematics and physics as my goal was to work for NASA. In 1991, an event happened that altered my future. A friend asked me if I could sub as a tutor for him at Sylvan Learning in Fort Wayne. I remember helping a 4th grade student with fractions, and the next day he wrote me this letter saying how well he did on his test and it was the first time he understood math. It was then, immediately, that I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. 

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

Kolbow: I was a tutor during the rest of my time in college and fell in love with the brand and all the “ah-ha” moments that came from working with students. The thought of becoming an owner with Sylvan Learning entered my mind after I became the center director for the Fort Wayne location in 1993. 

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

Kolbow: I became an official franchisee in 1998 when I acquired the existing Mishawaka and Elkhart locations when my boss offered to sell them to me. The rest is history as I've been tutoring at and owning Sylvan Learning centers for the past 30 years now. 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 Merrillville, Valparaiso and Schererville. In 2017 and 2018, I took ownership in four Indianapolis locations. I currently am the owner of 11 Sylvan Learning centers in Indiana and now two in Florida with my recently acquired centers in Clermont and Casselberry. 

1851: How did you perform your research?

Kolbow: All my research came through taking advantage of the tutoring opportunity my friend gave me. Ever since that moment, I’ve been hooked. 

1851: Why did you pick Sylvan Learning? What excited you most about the potential?

Kolbow: 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. To this day, I still teach 10-15 hours a week. The opportunity to grow with the brand was also appealing. 

We became new owners of the Clermont center on March 1st and will become the new owners of Casselberry’s on April 1st. Owning 13 Sylvan locations is not something I’ve done on my own as I have a very strong team that does a fantastic job of making sure our centers are running smoothly. That team includes Sarah Miller, who is a co-owner with me and has been an executive director for the last 10 years. She has won the franchisee award given out by Sylvan Learning for being one of the top franchisees in the nation. My sister is also a director at our locations, and she has been with the brand for two years. The person who hired me to be a director at the Fort Wayne location almost 30 years ago is still with our team today as she helps with the marketing and sales for our centers. 

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

Kolbow: Our goal for Florida is to run those centers as smoothly as we have run our Indiana centers. We are a team, so we all work together to make sure success can be achieved. We are always looking to spread our influence where it makes sense. Much of that is possible because of Sarah’s hard work and dedication to Sylvan. Her being so great at what she does made me feel comfortable about looking at ownership opportunities in Florida. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Kolbow: My wife and I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old so we spend a lot of time with our children. We are really great friends with Sarah’s family and enjoy our time together outside of Sylvan.

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING, LLC 

With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE—STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep —college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit www.SylvanLearning.com or SylvanLearning.com/blog.