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CLASS ACT
Empowering others is good business to Celebree School’s Richard Huffman
Richard “Richie” Huffman has dedicated his adult life to empowering others. Through his leadership as founder and CEO of Celebree School, the father of five has inspired and educated children, launched careers and given entrepreneurs the tools to build wealth. Celebree’s mission of "growing people big and small," sums up the profound impact that the preschool franchise makes every day.
Early Inspiration
As a child, Huffman watched his mother run a preschool and was impressed by its positive impact on the community. The idea of making a difference inspired him to start a school of his own.
Huffman was only 26 when he opened the business in 1994. His mission was to educate children with excellent programming while creating a track for employees to build careers. By 2016, Huffman grew

Celebree
into 24 corporate locations with over 700 employees who cared for more than 2,600 children.
A Move To Franchising
By the time Celebree started offering franchise opportunities in 2019, it ran like a well-oiled machine. “Our processes and procedures were fine tuned,” he says. “We had already been doing this for a long time.” In addition to growing through franchising, Celebree continues to expand its footprint with more corporate locations.

Much of Celebree’s success stems from empowering employees with opportunities for growth. “That’s how we attract and retain the best talent,” he says. This plan has worked well. Many of Celebree’s entry-level employees have moved on to managerial positions and several have become franchise partners. “We strive to make Celebree enjoyable and beneficial for everyone.”
Giving Back
The Celebree culture is collaborative and empowering. One example is its charitable initiatives with children’s hospitals. “Our franchise partners are grouped in cohorts and work together to run fundraisers and other programs that benefit sick kids. Giving back is a show of leadership and a big part of who we are,” he says. “Philanthropy is even part of our preschool curriculum.”

Huffman seeks franchise partners who value education and share his passion for helping and developing people. “With an average 150 students and 30 teachers in each of our schools, imagine the tremendous impact we can all make together.”

—Jill Abrahamsen
For more information, visit www.celebree.com/franchising or www.franchiseconsultantmagazine. com, company code 17985.