Franchise Update Magazine Issue I, 2016 | Page 12

Female Founders BY KERRY PIPES ART APPRECIATION Sharing a passion for teaching, kids, and art M ary Rogers (at right) likes to start things and she likes to see children learn. In 1984, she started Computer Explorers, a brand created to teach kids how to work with the newly arriving wave of personal computers. It was a successful brand she deeply enjoyed being a part of, and it’s where she first worked with Rosemarie Hartnett (at left). In 1997, with about 150 franchises in 11 countries, Rogers sold her interest in Computer Explorers. “I left thinking I would just spend the rest of my career consulting and doing various other projects that were of great interest to me,” she says. But the franchise start-up bug wouldn’t leave her alone. In 2002, she and Hartnett, who had since spent time with the Tutor Time brand, teamed up to launch a new franchise company focused on delivering art programs to children. They both had observed schools cutting back on art curriculum budgets following the bursting of the dot-com bubble of the late ’90s, and thought there might be a niche for their concept. They named it Abrakadoodle and in 2004 started franchising. NAMES/TITLES: Rosemarie Hartnett, president; Mary C. Rogers, CEO COMPANY: Abrakadoodle SYSTEM-WIDE REVENUE: $5 million (approx.) NO. OF UNITS: 180 franchised INTERNATIONAL UNITS: 130 GROWTH PLANS: To bring art education to children all around the world PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? Private YEAR COMPANY FOUNDED: 2002 YEAR STARTED FRANCHISING: 2004 YOUR YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 25 years (both) 10 Franchiseupdate ISS U E I, 2 0 1 6 fu1_abraka(10-13).indd 10 2/7/16 2:55 PM