Q&A with IFA Franchisee Cornerstone Award Winner Becky Grovenstein

Name: Becky Grovenstein
Title: Multi-Unit Franchise Owner
Brands: Lightbridge Academy
Units: 2
Years in franchising: 5 

Why do you think you were recognized with the inaugural IFA Franchisee Cornerstone Award?

I think it comes down to being Lightbridge Academy’s first franchisee in North Carolina and building a foundation that others could follow. Both our schools opened with the highest first-day enrollment in Lightbridge history, and my husband Brian and I have welcomed and mentored every franchisee who has entered the state since. I see this award as recognition of my whole team, and I’m one face representing the efforts of about 70 people. 

What was your career background before franchising?

I spent nine years as an elementary music teacher in Wake County, North Carolina. I will always call myself a teacher first, and that classroom experience still shapes how I lead today.

Why did you decide to pursue franchise ownership, and what attracted you to Lightbridge Academy?

After years in the classroom, Brian and I wanted to build something that bridged my passion for education with his background in finance and strategy. The director of our daughter’s child care center suggested we consider ownership, and we signed with Lightbridge in 2017. The brand’s Circle of Care philosophy and the belief that “we are not in the daycare business, we are in the trust business” resonated with me as an educator, a franchisee, and a mother.

How do you blend your love of teaching music and educating young children with the responsibilities of operating two franchise locations?

I still teach music classes in my schools every month, so most of the children know me as Miss Becky, not as the owner. I believe children sing before they talk, dance before they walk, and draw before they write, so teaching keeps me close to that. I also walk through my buildings and listen to how teachers speak, how parents interact, and how children respond. I’ve built career ladders, so no teacher ever feels stuck the way I once did.

You opened your first Lightbridge Academy location in Holly Springs, North Carolina, during the pandemic in September 2020, and your second location in Apex coming out of Covid in May 2021. How much of a challenge was that for you?

Opening Holly Springs in September 2020 and Apex in May 2021 meant launching in the middle of a pandemic, when working families needed trusted care more than ever. It was a real challenge, but both schools opened with the highest first-day enrollment in Lightbridge Academy history and earned the brand’s CEO Award. I’m incredibly proud of my teams for delivering that care when it mattered most.

You were also Lightbridge’s first franchisee in North Carolina. Did you view that as a challenge or opportunity?

Both. With no local predecessor, Brian and I had to work out how to reconcile Lightbridge’s brand standards with North Carolina licensing on our own. But it was also an opportunity to validate a new market for the brand and to build a playbook that we now share with every new franchisee through building walk-throughs and phone calls.

As one of the International Franchise Association’s Franchisees of the Year, you attended the IFA Advocacy Summit in DC. What was your experience like in meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, and do you believe your voice was heard?

In 2024, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators about early childhood and child care policy, bringing the perspective of a franchise small-business owner and the working families we serve. Advocacy is a long game, but I believe sharing real stories from our schools is how perceptions and policy change: one word, one perception, one person at a time. It was a privilege to represent our industry on Capitol Hill.

What are your plans for the future with Lightbridge Academy?

Brian and I are developing a third location, and we’ve already purchased one of our existing buildings. I plan to keep serving on the Lightbridge Franchise Advisory Council and Education Committee, mentoring new North Carolina franchisees and advocating for child care. Ultimately, the greatest thing I’ll leave behind is the children, both my own and every child who has grown up in my schools.