Female Founders
Needham. Inspired by an article about
franchising she’d read in Inc. magazine,
3 years later DiMinico licensed the company’s first franchise location, in Andover,
Mass. In 1995, she began a regional developer program that accelerated growth,
and today Learning Express Toys is the
nation’s leading franchisor of educational
toy stores, with 126 stores in 35 states.
“My father was an entrepreneur and
instilled in us the belief that we could do
anything if we worked hard,” says DiMinico. “This company is my passion and my
joy. And every day I continue to learn.”
DiMinico says she was attracted to
the franchising model for growth not
only because of the Inc. article, but also
because, she says, “I believe that owners of
a business will work harder and do a better job than store managers of a business.”
She cites her father as her best mentor
and says he inspired her along her own
path. “My father started his own company when I was seven years old,” she
says. “He was always very encouraging
and supportive.”
Learning Express is on track to do
more than $100 million in revenue this
year, and DiMinico hopes to continue a
pace of opening 5 to 10 stores a year. The
brand will also open a corporate location
with the launch of a new children’s activity center concept, Learning Express Play,
which will open in June 2016 in Bedford,
Mass. And, of course, DiMinico will be
there cheering on the continued growth
of a brand she has nurtured, loved, and
developed since day one.
GETTING STARTED
What inspired you to start your business? I owned a construction/retail business for 10 years before marrying my husband and starting a family. When I was
shopping for my daughter’s nursery with
my sister, I was amazed at how exciting
and moving it was shopping for a baby.
At the register, I told my sister, “My next
business is going to be a kid’s business.” I
immediately understood how parents want
to provide every opportunity for their
children. I looked into furniture, gear,
and clothing, but decided on toys. There
were not many really