Local Mother Notices Lack of STEM Programs in Community; Opens IDEA Lab Kids to Fill Void

Tina Francis is no stranger to hard work and dedication. She is a mother of two and balances a full-time job in the banking and mortgage industry. Additionally, she owns two IDEA Lab Kids*, the Houston-based STEM + Arts education franchise that offers after-school classes, camps, birthday parties, and open labs to children from ages 4-14 years of age.

Francis was originally drawn to the brand because her son was very advanced at a young age, and she was told to look into STEM programs for him. She began doing her research and found that her community did not have anything that focused on more than one area of learning. When she stumbled across IDEA Lab Kids, she met with the area developers and was instantly sold.

• She has filled a void in the Pickering community with her first opening in 2021 and signed for another location to open this summer in Whitby. After seeing such high demand with waiting lists and families traveling from Whitby to Pickering, she knew opening in this area would be beneficial as well.

Francis still works full-time in the banking and mortgage industry. She has been doing that for over 20 years, with her last 10 years in business development. She was originally drawn to IDEA Lab Kids when her son started talking very early and knew all his animals, colors, etc. She was told to look into STEM programs for him because he was very advanced for his age. She couldn’t find anything in her area, but she came across IDEA Lab Kids, which seemed like the perfect thing for him.

• She has always been drawn to startups. She liked the idea of getting into IDEA Lab Kids early and being able to build it out and get the name recognized. In the past, she helped start a brokerage, and she has a portfolio of rental properties. Having multiple income streams is important to her, especially in today’s economy.

Francis loves the fact that her son enjoys IDEA Lab Kids so much. He loves science, coding, and culinary arts. To have the ability for her kids to enjoy and benefit from something she created is a great feeling. IDEA Lab Kids also has a wide variety of curriculums, while some concepts similar to this in her community focus on one area of learning.

Francis bought three licenses with the brand. Her plan is to get Whitby open and then build a third location within the next couple of years. She just doesn’t know exactly when or where that location will be yet. Her long-term goal is to become a household name in this region for being a STEM provider. She can see herself expanding throughout her region. She’s getting inquiries already from parents about Whitby because they have a lot of families from there who are coming to Pickering, but it's a bit of a drive.