Why Lightbridge Academy® is One of Franchising’s Most Exciting Opportunities

Since its founding in 1997, the early education and child care franchise Lightbridge Academy*® has navigated several recessions, a pandemic — and the rise to national prominence. Throughout that journey, Lightbridge Academy has remained steadfast in its mission to be The Solution for Working Parents® in any climate. Today, that approach has made Lightbridge Academy one of the segment’s leading franchise opportunities, and as the COVID-19 pandemic makes high-quality early education and child care more essential than ever, the brand shows no signs of slowing down.

At the helm of Lightbridge Academy is Gigi Schweikert, a seasoned executive who has been with the brand for nearly a decade and just recently stepped into the CEO position this past year. 1851 Franchise spoke with Schweikert to learn more about her story, how she has been guiding the brand to growth and her plans for the future.

Big News From Last Year

While the past year has brought on several challenges across every industry, Schweikert says Lightbridge Academy’s biggest highlight has been helping everyone within its system make it through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The ability to recover successfully from these difficult times and emerge stronger than ever has been an immense source of pride for our brand,” she said. “All of our company centers and franchisees, as well as our home office, are doing very well, which is a big deal.” 

But the brand isn’t only surviving, Schweikert says — it is also thriving. For evidence of this, she points to Lightbridge Academy’s infusion of capital from investment partners Westerly Group (Westerly) & Elmsley Capital (Elmsley). 

“It has been a tremendous partnership, and they bring so many resources that will allow us to grow at a more rapid pace, while also improving the customer experience that is already world-class,” said Schweikert. “That is a very exciting thing.” 

Additionally, Schweikert notes that recent changes in leadership have made it a momentous year for both the Lightbridge Academy brand and for her professionally. 

“Earlier this year, our founder Guy Falzarano stepped into a Chairman position, and I had the amazing opportunity to take over the CEO role,” Schweikert said. “It has been so great to be surrounded by the best senior team and board as we all support the brand’s efforts for growth. When the announcement went out, I received so many emails from our directors, teachers and franchisees who told me how wonderful it was to work for a company that is led by a woman. We are a company of mostly women because we focus on child care, and I’m incredibly proud of that.”

Schweikert has a history of creating innovative strategies to ensure the delivery of high-quality early education and care programs. Early in her career, she was the director of the United Nations Child Care Centre and later developed and managed on-site, employer-sponsored child care programs for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Her advocacy work extends both nationally and internationally and includes serving as a board member for the Early Care & Education Consortium, an advisory board member for Marco Polo World School and Seton Hall University.

Now, after seven years as president of Lightbridge Academy, Schweikert says it has been a humbling experience to step into the CEO role. “The fact that so many people would put so much trust in me is an honor and a privilege,” she said. “In early education, we are in the business of trust — people trust us with their children, and there is no greater relationship, so having so many people support me in that effort has been great. Whether it was Guy bringing me on or people encouraging me when I was young to keep following my passion, this has been an amazing journey.” 

Looking ahead, Schweikert’s main goal is to keep an open mind and continue to learn so she can be an agent of change. “Most importantly, I’m excited to keep Lightbridge Academy’s core values and Circle of Care® philosophy in mind,” she said. “The Circle of Care recognizes the network that surrounds a child’s development by placing equal importance on the needs of children, their families, teachers, center owners and the community. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help others achieve their dreams — whether it be employees, franchisees, or even a family whose child we’re serving — so they can do what they want to do.”

Why The Early Education and Child Care Segment Is Poised for Growth

Over the past year, Lightbridge Academy has continued to sign new franchisees and grow with existing franchisees — the brand is on track to open 22 new units in the next 15 months. Schweikert says the well-positioned nature of the early education and child care segment is a big reason for that. 

“As we come out of the pandemic, there has been so much isolation, and children need interaction more than ever,” said Schweikert. “We’ve always known that, even before COVID-19, that the socialization of young children in addition to their academic opportunities are crucial to their success later in life. That ability to interact with other children lays that foundation so they can be a part of a team later on. The majority of people that are promoted in work and find success in their career are usually people who are more empathetic and are promoted for getting along with others, as opposed to just their skill set. We’ve always focused on a research-based curriculum that emphasizes play, and we have an NPS score of 80, which is the gold standard, and we are very proud of it.”

No matter what the economic situation is or where parents work, they need child care to focus on their day, Schweikert says. As a result, Lightbridge Academy has proven to be an essential resource for parents needing to balance the demands of caring for their family with at-home learning, remote work and the demands of their jobs. Looking ahead, the need for quality child care has never been greater, and as a result, a business like Lightbridge Academy offers a prime investment opportunity.

Why Franchisees Are Getting On Board with Lightbridge Academy

Not only is the early education and child care segment well-positioned for the future, but Schweikert says Lightbridge Academy’s franchise opportunity in particular stands out from the competition for several reasons.

“We were so transparent during the pandemic and offered so much support, and our community came together during a time when we were shut down for three months,” said Schweikert. “As a result, we’ve developed an incredible community, and prospective franchisees are increasingly recognizing that we will do everything we can to support them. In the same way we provide individualized care for the children we serve, we know franchisee support is not a one-size-fit-all model.”

Another differentiator, Schweikert says, is Lightbridge Academy’s commitment to innovation. For example, parents and authorized users can login to an online video monitoring system called ParentView® to stay connected to their children. The brand’s Lightbridge Journey app also allows teachers to send parents daily reports, photos and videos of their children throughout the day.

“We have a lot of innovative platforms in place, the most recent being facial recognition added for our sign in process so parents don't have to touch anything to log in, which is great if you are carrying a baby,” said Schweikert. “We also have big smartboards in the classrooms and cameras in every classroom so parents can watch what's happening from a distance.”

Last but certainly not least, Schweikert notes a big reason franchisees are joining the brand right now is because of the brand’s pandemic-resistant success over the past year. “Our centers are opening well and ramping up more quickly than they ever have before,” she said. “We have created a brand where we have increasingly strong awareness, and as people start to recognize it and talk to other franchisees, we’ve been able to grow from that word-of-mouth up and down the East Coast.”

The Investment 

The total investment necessary to begin the operation of a Lightbridge Academy center ranges from $581,233 to $784,150 for a leased center and $2,571,900 to $5,048,750 for a purchased center. This includes everything from initial training costs to promotional materials to equipment costs. It also includes the $102,400 to $143,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate for the standard franchise fee, technology fee, center development fee, training fee, etc.

Over the years, Schweikert says Lightbridge Academy has continuously refined the business model and investment to provide franchisees with the optimized benefit of its proven system.

“We have various investment options, and we offer the most diverse opportunity to garner that business,” Schweikert said. “Whether it be through ownership, leasing, partnering with someone else — if a prospect has a passion for education or child care and wants to give back to the community, we will work with them to break down barriers and help them realize their dream.” 

For example, Lightbridge Academy provides the support franchisees need to identify the financing option that is right for them. These options may include sourcing for loans or leveraging their retirement savings. Lightbridge connects franchisees with lenders who understand the Lightbridge Academy business model and believe in their processes.

Why the Leadership Team is Excited for the Future

Now, Schweikert says she is looking forward to helping Lightbridge Academy continue to grow and make a difference in the lives of more children and families.

“Our franchise growth is strategic, and we’re really focused on providing the best early education and child care for families throughout the country,” said Schweikert. “Whether it be creating job opportunities for people, opportunities for children to grow and learn, opportunities for parents to receive quality care, opportunities for franchises to start a business or opportunities for communities to have an empathetic neighbor — we will continue to provide life-changing opportunities for everybody in our Circle of Care.” 

Overall, Schweikert notes that the past year has taught her that life is precious and no one should ever take anything for granted. “The importance of gratitude has been Lightbridge Academy’s biggest takeaway in 2021,” she said. “We will continue to show gratitude for the families we meet, the work that we do and the communities we serve.” 

For more information, visit: https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/