# Ivybrook Academy

> Ivybrook Academy is a private early-childhood education company and franchise network built around a counterintuitive product: focused half-day preschool rather than all-day childcare. Founded by former teacher Jennifer McWilliams and business operator Drew McWilliams near Charlotte, the company blends Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Multiple Intelligences ideas into individualized programs for children roughly 18 months to six years old. Its customers are families seeking a school-like preschool experience and local operators willing to build a community-facing education business; as of August 2026, Ivybrook reported 54 open campuses, six in development, and 40 additional locations sold across 22 states.

- **Founded:** 2006
- **Headquarters:** Charlotte, United States
- **Founders:** Jennifer McWilliams (Co-Founder and Curriculum Founder), Drew McWilliams (Co-Founder and CEO)
- **Team size:** LinkedIn lists 501-1,000 employees across the organization and campus network; supplied company data lists 220 employees.
- **Products:** Half-Day Preschool, Private Kindergarten, Summer Camp, Franchise Ownership
- **Notable:** Expanded from one Charlotte-area school to 54 open campuses, with six in development and 40 additional locations sold across 22 states as of August 2026., Named to Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for five consecutive years and ranked No. 429 in the 2026 list., Awarded its 100th franchise location before all awarded campuses had opened.

## Products & services

- **Half-Day Preschool** — Morning or afternoon private preschool sessions built around individualized, hands-on learning for children from roughly 18 months through age five, with age availability varying by campus.
- **Private Kindergarten** — A reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social-studies program offered at select campuses for children through age six.
- **Summer Camp** — Weekday half-day themed enrichment combining art, movement, cultural exploration, nature, and introductory engineering activities.
- **Franchise Ownership** — A campus franchise package covering curriculum, training, site and opening support, operations, marketing, purchasing, and ongoing brand systems.

## Achievements

- Expanded from one Charlotte-area school to 54 open campuses, with six in development and 40 additional locations sold across 22 states as of August 2026.
- Named to Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for five consecutive years and ranked No. 429 in the 2026 list.
- Awarded its 100th franchise location before all awarded campuses had opened.
- Built a 2024 performance sample of 24 mature franchised schools with average gross revenue of $858,259 and median gross revenue of $838,581, according to the 2025 FDD.
- Young Authors Week at Colorado campuses received coverage from KRDO and 9News in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Celebrated 20 years and reported 54 open campuses, six in development, and 40 additional locations sold across 22 states.
- **2026-07** — Held its annual owner conference in Colorado Springs under the theme 'Relationships: The Heart of Ivybrook.'
- **2026-06** — Introduced a $5,000 initial-franchise-fee reduction for qualifying current and former educators.
- **2026-04** — Announced a recapitalization with Crux Capital; the founders retained meaningful ownership and continued to lead the company.
- **2026-03** — Young Authors Week at Colorado Springs and Parker campuses earned local television coverage.
- **2026-02** — Ranked No. 429 on Entrepreneur's 2026 Franchise 500, its fifth consecutive year on the list.

## Links

- Website: https://www.ivybrookacademy.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ivybrook-academy
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivybrookacademypreschools/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivybrookacademy
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivybrookacademy

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ivybrook-academy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-22