“I was absolutely thrilled to be able to work with RBAC to find the loan structures that worked best for us. The process was very smooth and they supported us every step of the way, allowing us to create childcare access for our community.”

Mark and Vivian Mathias knew Westchester County needed something it didn't have: enrichment-based childcare that treated working families as the rule, not the exception. What they didn't know in 2017, when they signed their Lightbridge Academy franchise agreement, was that it would take eight years, a pandemic, and more zoning hearings than anyone should have to sit through to prove it.

For RBAC, a client like the Mathiases is exactly why we do this work. They had a clear-eyed read on what their community was missing and the conviction to do something about it. And what they saw missing was worth fighting for.

Mark and Vivian’s mission: Bring enrichment-focused childcare to the community they love

Lightbridge Academy isn't your typical daycare. The franchise focuses on providing an enrichment-based curriculum alongside full-time childcare. This combination resonates deeply in a community like Westchester, where families with two working parents need more than just a safe place to drop their kids off.

As a Westchester resident himself, Mark understood firsthand what local families were missing. His and Vivian’s mission was straightforward: open two Lightbridge Academy locations and give their community a service it needed. Getting there, however, was anything but simple.

The roadblocks: Leasing issues, zoning delays, and a pandemic

After signing on with Lightbridge Academy, Mark and Vivian planned to lease a space, transform it from the ground up for the kids it would serve, and open the doors. 

“We spent 2017 and half of 2018 looking for properties to rent,” Mark recalls. When they discovered that landlords weren't willing to put significant tenant improvement dollars into the kind of construction a childcare center requires, they made the bold decision to buy the properties themselves.

Buying, rather than leasing the properties, meant they’d have to double the amount they were borrowing. "I was able to find two great properties and start the financing journey to figure out how to pay for all this," he says. 

The route: Two properties, two smart SBA loan structures

They got started by self-financing the Scarsdale, NY location, but knew that financing would be needed to take their plans further. Mark started working with a loan broker, who connected him to RBAC, and ultimately the introduction to our team changed everything.  

Mark and Vivian talked through their goals for the two locations with us, and we worked out the best loan combination to help them get there. We helped them refinance the purchase of the first Scarsdale location as an SBA 7(a) Community Advantage loan to help free up cash. Then, we paired the entrepreneurs with an SBA 504 loan to purchase the Valhalla location. 

Once the financing was in place, the plan sped up. Through 2020 to 2022, Mark recalls, “we were getting our approvals and the contractors in place, and we were working with architects, architecture, and design plans.” 

After navigating a pandemic, zoning and planning delays, and construction, the Scarsdale location opened its doors in 2023, followed by the Valhalla location in 2025. 

The destination: Community impact and a record-breaking business

Mark’s instincts about Westchester were right, and the numbers back it up. The Scarsdale location became the top-grossing Lightbridge Academy in the country after just three years of operation and was the first of 90 locations to break $4 million in revenue. The Valhalla location is set to be honored soon with the construction award for Best Adaptive Reuse of a Commercial Building by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Westchester County for 2025.

But the community impact runs even deeper than revenue. Each center serves more than 150 families and creates 25 to 30 jobs in the community. Because Lightbridge Academy serves dual-income families, every childcare spot effectively supports two careers, meaning hundreds of working parents in Westchester can show up for their jobs because Mark and Vivian showed up for their community.

The RBAC experience: Making a complex process feel smooth

For Mark, navigating SBA financing and purchasing the properties was an unfamiliar process, but having the right partner in his corner made a real difference.

"It's been very smooth," he says. "We're still kind of learning as we go, so it’s been fantastic to work with RBAC. They really created a smooth process for us to get a deal done and get our business going."

Not every deal comes together quickly. Some take patience, creativity, and a partner who's in it for the long haul. If that sounds like what you need, we'd love to hear what you're building. 

‍