Rockbridge Growth Equity, a Detroit-based partnership-oriented middle market private equity firm, has made an unspecified strategic investment in The Nest Schools, an operator of 36 early childhood education centers across Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and Virginia.
Gerry Pastor and Jane Porterfield, Nest’s co-founders and co-CEOs, will continue to lead the company and implement their differentiated operational playbook with the support of Rockbridge.
Pastor and Porterfield have decades of education industry experience, having previously led another successful early education business together.
“It’s no coincidence that in a relatively short amount of time, Nest has grown to become one of the top 50 largest early education providers in the country,” says Ziv Weizman, a partner at Rockbridge. “We have been impressed with Gerry and Jane’s standout approach in the industry and their dedication to providing premier early education experiences.
“Parents today value high-quality early childhood education, and we see abundant opportunities to expand into new markets and grow our presence in existing regions by partnering with Gerry, Jane, and the entire Nest management team.”
The Nest School delivers, it says, a premium educational experience supported by a proprietary, developmental-focused curriculum in safe and stimulating educational environments with industry-leading facilities.
Its play-based educational programming is augmented by a fitness-inspired wellness program (Fit Buddies), a program emphasizing art and music (Paints & Pianos), and a program teaching basic life skills (The Art of Living).
Its curriculum and program design encourage children to wonder, question, work with their peers, and experiment with different possibilities. The more than 600 team members deliver the company’s Nest Play curriculum to more han 3,000 infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children across its portfolio of schools.
“The importance of early childhood education and our understanding of how young children learn and develop has evolved rapidly over recent years, and we incorporate all current research into our approach in addition to state-of-the-art technology,” said Pastor and Porterfield in a joint statement. “With the support of the Rockbridge team, we will look to grow our presence in a fragmented industry and meet the growing demand for innovative and quality education solutions. We were highly impressed by the Rockbridge team’s understanding of the early childhood education industry and believe their experience and relationships make them the ideal partner as we embark on the next phase of the Company’s development.”
For more information, visit thenestschool.com.
