From India to Austin: This FinTech Executive’s Global Journey to Empower Children through Education with Lightbridge Academy

Despite numerous relocations and career shifts, one passion has always been a constant throughout Sirisha Madduri’s life: early childhood education. Now, the accomplished FinTech executive is channeling her entrepreneurial spirit and devotion to child care into franchising with Lightbridge Academy*, the rapidly expanding early childhood education and child care franchise, in her Austin, Texas community.

Originally from India, Madduri first moved to the U.S. in 2014 after marrying her husband. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering and has experience working in various industries, most recently in the FinTech space as a Senior Product Manager. She and her husband have always been passionate about supporting children, as evidenced by their involvement with Asha, a non-profit organization focused on providing education to underprivileged children in India. As a mother of three children herself, Madduri has faced the challenges of finding suitable child care while moving between different cities.

After researching various child care center franchises, the couple chose Lightbridge Academy because they felt connected to its mission and were impressed by the leadership team's patience, confidence and support during the decision-making process. 

Looking ahead, Madduri hopes to eventually take over the Austin market and become a multi-unit owner in the area. Madduri is deeply connected with children's education and wants to support children in preparing for their future. As someone who has lived in multiple countries and experienced various cultures, she values the ability to adapt quickly and believes that exposing children to diverse cultures in a high-quality child care environment will help them grow and learn. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Madduri: I am from India and I moved to the U.S. in 2014 after marrying my husband, who was located here already. I had a bachelor’s in engineering, and I started working for a tech company in Chicago, where I also got my master’s degree. Since then, I’ve worked in various different industries and eventually ended up with a well-known FinTech company.

We’ve always wanted to open our own business and child education has always been close to our hearts. We’ve both worked for the non-profit organization called Asha, which aims to provide education to underprivileged children in India by building schools, providing basic amenities and employing teachers, especially in rural areas where access to education is difficult.

We have three children — two girls and a baby boy. Since we’ve moved to many different counties over the years, switched cities, switched jobs — child care has always been a big concern for us. The ability to find a child care center that you like is hard, and as a mother, it has always been my number one priority. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Madduri: The more we looked into it, the more we realized that building something from the ground up would be harder than we originally thought. You are taught some of it in business school, but it is not always rosy when you find yourself in the weeds. Franchising has its own challenges, but there is a lot of support that comes by partnering with someone who has done this a thousand times already. As long as you do it by the book, you can kick start the process of starting the business. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Madduri: We felt connected with the mission of Lightbridge Academy. We spoke with the leadership team and felt good about it. We looked at other child care centers, but the big differentiating factor was the leadership team. They gave us the confidence and time to answer questions and solve issues. You don't want to make decisions in the rush, especially in regard to something as delicate as business ownership and child care. We took six or seven months to make our final decision and there was no pressure from Lightbridge Academy during that time. The other concepts we looked at felt like more of a sales pitch. Lightbridge Academy made sure we were completely onboard, and they had a lot of patience. That is the reason we ultimately went with them. 

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Madduri: We don’t have any hands-on experience running the business by ourselves, so we want to find a good grasp on the first franchise before signing on for more. We want to prove we can be successful and understand the intricacies of operations. We are deeply connected with children's education, so our long-term mission is to take over the Austin market and be the sole owners of Lightbridge Academy in the area. The other part of the mission is really just to support the development of children in our community, as early childhood education is so important in readying them for the future.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Madduri: Throughout my life, I’ve lived in four different countries — Saudi Arabia, India, Canada and the U.S. It has really taught me the ability to change and adapt quickly. It has also provided me with an opportunity to meet people from different cultures, which helps you grow and learn as a human being. With child care, it is the same thing. When a child is in the care of someone else, they are being exposed to other cultures, and that gives them this foundation to adapt to things moving forward. My experience will help me provide that high-class environment for children in the area. 

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Madduri: A lot of people jump into a decision without doing their homework. My advice is to connect with people who have done this in the past. Also, more than success stories, it is always good to know why someone failed. Will that reason be a problem for you in the future, as well? Understanding the potential issues can add another dimension when doing your research. 

About Lightbridge Academy: 

Established in 1997, the company was founded as a family business 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. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Lightbridge Academy provides quality early education and child care programs to children aged six weeks through kindergarten. The company currently has over 140 child care centers either open or in development throughout Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. In response to COVID-19, Lightbridge Academy launched The Lightbridge Promise as the Gold Standard for health & safety in the child care industry. In 2020, the company was featured on the Inc. 5000 ranking, Franchise Times Top 200+ awards, and on Newsweek’s 2021 list of America’s Best Customer Service. For the 2nd year in a row, Lightbridge Academy was on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies. In 2023, Lightbridge Academy was featured for the 9th year on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500.