Lightbridge Academy Parents Come Full Circle and Become Lightbridge Academy Franchise Owners

Early education and child care franchise Lightbridge Academy was founded in 1997 with a Circle of Care philosophy that placed equal importance on the needs of children, families, teachers, staff members and the community. Today, Lightbridge Academy has a footprint of more than 100 centers either open, under construction or in development in markets across the U.S.

As The Solution for Working Parents®, Lightbridge Academy puts trust at the center of everything it does. The brand’s leadership team understands the challenges of balancing work and family, and aims to provide working parents with peace of mind and reassure them that their children are in good hands each and every single day.

Parental experience

Two husband-and-wife teams were inspired to become Lightbridge Academy franchisees after their experience as parents. The brand’s focus on core values and building trust have helped inspire Brian and Laura Sakevich and Ramkumar and JoAnne Jagadeesan to move forward.

The Sakevich family has been involved with the Lightbridge Academy brand for seven-and-a-half years, and one of their two children is still enrolled as a student. Laura Sakevich worked in finance prior to franchising with Lightbridge Academy, and although she loved her job, she desired a more flexible schedule without the three-hour daily commute. Today, she and her husband own and operate the brand’s Mountain Lakes, New Jersey center, which opened in February 2020.

“Working parents always live with a little bit of guilt about missing milestones, and I love that Lightbridge Academy supported me through that,” Sakevich said. “The brand not only focused on the care and education of my child, but they also made sure to keep me connected to what was happening throughout the day. It meant a lot to receive videos of my child’s birthday celebration and other important moments.

When it came to franchising with the brand, my husband and I experienced the value first-hand from both a parental and business perspective. With our experiences in both areas, Lightbridge Academy seemed like a perfect fit. I knew we could create something special in our community with the support of the home office.”

Lightbridge Academy’s signature Circle of Care philosophy helped to create a high level of trust that was crucial to Sakevich’s experience as a parent of the brand and now as a franchisee.

“In our center, my team and I work really hard to build trust every day, and transparency is an important component. Reporting even the smallest accident, like a scraped knee, is important,” Sakevich said. “Parents can have confidence knowing we’re on top of things and responsive to their needs and concerns. Communication is really key for us. We understand that parents put a lot of trust in us when they drop their children off and that can never be underestimated.”

This focus on building trust also extends to staff members. Sakevich noted that some Lightbridge Academy caregivers, for example, are college students who are working toward their degrees and might need flexibility when their schedules change each semester.

“Early childhood educators work very hard,” Sakevich said. “They’re on their feet all day interacting with multiple children simultaneously. It certainly is a passion and you can see how they love each one like they’re their own. As franchisees, our job is to support our educators and show appreciation for the hard work that they do. Our team knows they can come to us for help overcoming any challenge in the classroom. They don’t have to hide questions or issues and that goes a long way.”

The parental feedback to Sakevich’s new center has been positive. She proudly pointed to her center’s glowing online reviews.

“In a trust-based business, your reputation is so important. The feedback has been so positive and we are proud of what we are creating. Parents appreciate how clean our center is, the quality of the education program and the confidence they feel knowing that their children are in good hands. This is the kind of feedback we strive for and are always extremely happy to receive,” Sakevich said.

Franchisee success stories

The Jagadeesans opened their Lightbridge Academy center in 2020 in Elmsford, New York. All three of their children attended Lightbridge Academy from Infancy through pre-K, with the youngest child still attending preschool at their local center.

“We would not be where we are today in our careers if not for the care Lightbridge Academy gave our children,” JoAnne Jagadeesan said. “We’re prepared to support parents in their journey of raising their child while also balancing their careers.”

Communication is key for the Jagadeesans, as is being solution-oriented. Jagadeesan noted how her older son did not always enjoy participating in water-based play. Instead of being left out, his Lightbridge Academy teacher created a plan for him to participate by playing with a spray water bottle.

“So rather than him being excluded, his teacher found a solution that made it comfortable for everyone. It may seem like a small thing but to a parent it is everything,” Jagadeesan said. “The Lightbridge Academy core values fit with our own. We want to be honest and respectful and plan to lead by example to create a nurturing learning environment.”

They lauded the teachers and staff members at every level of the corporate-owned center their children attend.

“When we walk through the door, the warmth and security are like no other,” Jagadeesan said. “As parents, we know that our children felt loved and supported and secure at Lightbridge Academy. We have been fully embraced, and we’re grateful for the brand every day. There hasn’t been any circumstance where we felt there was a lack of trust. Ever.”

“We know how hard it is to raise children and to place them in the care of others and balance work and life,” Jagadeesan said. “As Lightbridge Academy franchisees, we want to be there for our parents and support them in that decision. We will not always be perfect but we will be accountable.”

Through its core values and Circle of Care philosophy, trust is front and center at Lightbridge Academy, creating the exceptional customer experience necessary for parents to become passionate franchisees and brand advocates.