Why These Silicon Valley Franchisees Expanded With Mathnasium Learning Centers

Nancy and Kobad Bugwadia opened their first two centers with Mathnasium Learning Centers, the math tutoring franchise, in Silicon Valley in 2009 and 2012. Since then, they’ve helped thousands of children across the Bay Area build a strong foundation and develop a joy for math. To that end, they just recently opened a third center in Willow Glen. 

“We started thinking of other territories that we could make an impact in,” Nancy said. “When you look at a big franchise and think you're just a small franchisee, seeing the ‘aha’ moments on the kids' faces make all the difference.”

While they are driven by a desire to make a difference in their community, the couple attributes a large portion of their success to the Mathnasium business model and the support they receive from the corporate team. 

Why Mathnasium? 

Before franchising, Kobad — who has a doctorate in engineering — worked in the technology field for over a decade while Nancy had a 30-year career in health care. When looking for business opportunities, Kobad said that Mathnasium was a natural fit due to what they learned with their children. 

“What inspired us to look into Mathnasium was that it was something that completely made sense in terms of our having our own kids,” he said. “The methodology of Mathnasium fit very well with how I felt the teaching model should be. It was about helping each student succeed at their own pace. It was all about helping every student have a customized learning plan.”

After signing the franchise agreement, the couple underwent training in Los Angeles and opened their first center in Campbell-Los Gatos, near San Jose. In 2012, the couple opened a second center in Mountain View-Los Altos, choosing to strategically expand instead of buying multiple locations at one time. 

The Decision to Expand

The Bugwadias’ decision to expand their Mathnasium franchise was rooted in their passion for education and their commitment to making a positive impact in their local communities. As the Mathnasium brand itself grew as a franchise, Kobad and Nancy felt compelled to share the joy of learning math with more children. 

“The way the third center came along was absolutely validation for the Mathnasium system and the Mathnasium method of teaching,” Kobad said. “We have had the drive to be able to reach a wider audience or to take the message to a new set of demographics  who might not be able to access our center in Los Gatos.” 

With their experience from previous expansions, the Bugwadias navigated the process smoothly, leveraging their knowledge and resources to overcome challenges efficiently. And by analyzing data and consulting with Mathnasium's corporate team, they strategically identified areas where their services were needed, ensuring that their expansion efforts were driven by genuine demand.

“Corporate helped us analyze the data points to make a decision,” Nancy said. “And fortunately, we have done this twice before so things were not new to us. We were able to find a location pretty quickly.” 

How Community Involvement Drives Expansion

The couple’s active involvement in their local community played a big part in driving their decision to expand. They genuinely cared about making a difference in kids' lives through education, and that passion drove them to get involved in community events and partnerships.

“We have always been a community-based small business,” Kobad said. “So being part of the community has always been very important. We saw the impact that we were able to make in the lives of kids — and that's very powerful.” 

The Bugwadias regularly partner with local nonprofits to provide scholarships for under-privileged kids to attend the Mathnasium program at no cost. They also work closely with local schools to host “Math Nights” events, where students and their parents participate and have fun playing different math games together. Meanwhile, partnerships with organizations like Community United and the Warriors Foundation have allowed them to reach kids who might not otherwise have access to their programs. 

“We already have schools that start booking these Math Nights for the next school year,”  Kobad said. “And we are looking to bring the same excitement to our new center in Willow Glen where we’ve already met with some of the local schools and are excited to make a difference in the community.”

For more information on franchising with Mathnasium, visit: https://1851franchise.com/mathnasium.