A Business that Connects with Ambition
Deepika and Vijay Ilavarasan were successful technology professionals who wanted more from their careers than working for someone else. They selected Kiddie Academy® because of its culture of entrepreneurship. As Kiddie Academy Franchisees, the Ilavarasans knew they would be able to make their business their own.
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The Ilavarasans
Our 3 Academies
1/3
Kiddie Academy of Vancouver-Fishers Landing, WA
Opened in 2017
Kiddie Academy of Tigard, OR
Opened in 2021
Kiddie Academy of Meridian, ID
Opened in 2024
Time to Start Our Day
It’s a crisp fall morning and the Ilavarasans start the day by checking emails. A parent of a recent graduate emailed them to say their son is doing really well in kindergarten. “When parents come back and tell us how great they’re doing and how we helped prepare them—that gives us immense gratification,” Vijay remarks. Then it’s time to wake up their 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, take them to school, and head out to their Academies.
The Joy of Being There
Deepika loves the interaction with the students, parents, and teachers in her Academy. After all, running an educational organization is in her blood. Her grandfather ran a university in India, so she understands the importance of education and how one person can make a difference in the lives of those in their community. “There’s a family we have where both parents lost their jobs and we let them drop their son off anytime they have job interviews or need care until they can get back on their feet. Helping others is a value close to my grandfather and one our Academy holds true.”
A Culture of Collaboration
Vijay uses nap time to get some work done in his office. “We are thinking about adding some fun activities to our upcoming community event, so I have been talking to other Academy owners to get their input and ideas.”
In It Together
As pick-up comes to an end, the whole Ilavarasan family stays at the Academy a little later than usual. While Vijay goes over the tour schedule for tomorrow, familiarizing himself with the new families he’s going to meet, Deepika and the kids are having fun decorating the lobby for teacher appreciation day. Deepika lets the kids make all the signs and wrap gifts for their teachers. “Our kids love to help in the Academy and they take a lot of pride in it. We keep it fun for them—like tonight we’ll get pizza to celebrate a great day.”
When parents come back and tell us how great their children are doing and how we helped prepare them—that gives us immense gratification.
Vijay Ilavarasan
3 Questions with the Ilavarasans
Why Kiddie Academy
Why Did You Choose Kiddie Academy?
We knew we would have the very first Kiddie Academy in our market. We looked at it as an opportunity to separate ourselves from the competition and really stand out. Some people might be hesitant, but we knew with the support, our backgrounds and ambition, and the Kiddie Academy community behind us, we could thrive, and we have. It has been the best decision for our family.
Words of Wisdom
Any Words of Wisdom for Prospective Kiddie Academy Franchise Owners?
The Kiddie Academy model attracts very smart and creative minds who want to be more hands-on with how they run their business. Here, you have a collaborative community to lean on as opposed to more of a plug-and-play franchise model.
The Reward
What’s the Most Rewarding Aspect of Owning a Kiddie Academy?
Every day we give the best parts of ourselves to this business and every day we get it back tenfold. Our work is fulfilling for the first time in our lives and because of that, our life and our family’s life is more fulfilled.
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