---
title: "Franchise Times: Lightbridge Academy® Announces New Ownership"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/a4046b7b-dc33-4bed-afd6-3d1ec99642cb
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/franchise-times-lightbridge-academy-announces-new-ownership-2716331
category: "Childcare & early learning"
industry: "Education & Childcare"
segment: "Childcare & early learning"
published: 2021-08-02T13:08:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:15:23.486Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/9c86750cdcf63138db40e7f287f8d6368949.jpg
---

# Franchise Times: Lightbridge Academy® Announces New Ownership

**TL;DR:** Westerly Group and Elmsley Capital have acquired Lightbridge Academy, a 60-unit early education and child care franchise. Brian Burke and Ross Brendel have joined as managing partners, citing the company's growth potential and real estate opportunities.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-08-02. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/franchise-times-lightbridge-academy-announces-new-ownership-2716331).*

## Story

According to a recent article in Franchise Times, Westerly Group and Elmsley Capital are now majority owners of the 60-unit early education and child care franchise Lightbridge Academy®. Brian Burke, a managing partner for Elmsley Capital, is joined in this new endeavor by Ross Brendel, a Westerly Group managing partner.

Both were classmates at Harvard Business School, and they have pursued Lightbridge Academy as an “attractive” business opportunity with a “family-oriented” attitude. The deal was closed in mid-June, and Burke identifies current company size, existing management and “a desire to grow through real estate” as motivation for their involvement.

Their approach with Lightbridge Academy is to not “take a COVID haircut,” and to make an instant impact with “no debt on the [Lightbridge Academy] balance sheet.”

They specifically cite their real estate background as an area of instant company benefit. Previous franchising agreements had taken “as long as three years,” and new executive management has expressed a pursuit of business locations that can be “ready to go” for franchisees to open in six months.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Education & Childcare (sector)
- franchise ownership (topic)
- private equity (topic)
- education franchise (topic)
- real estate development (topic)
- Harvard Business School (company)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/franchise-times-lightbridge-academy-announces-new-ownership-2716331). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/a4046b7b-dc33-4bed-afd6-3d1ec99642cb).