Wells Fargo

Thursday

Wells Fargo has been providing SBA loans for more than 25 years and remains one of the most active SBA lenders. They offer both 7(a) and 504 loans for a range of needs — owner-occupied real estate, business acquisition, partner buyout or buy-in, and business startup or expansion — with flexible rate structures including fixed, variable, and adjustable-rate options.

ApplePie Capital

Thursday

ApplePie Capital is a relationship lender that helps new and multi-unit franchisees efficiently obtain financing to start or expand their franchise business. 100% franchise-focused, they've facilitated over $3 billion in loans since 2015. Their growth-oriented ApplePie Core® product lets franchisees open new units faster without personal collateral requirements, alongside SBA, equipment, and remodel financing.

ADP

Thu & Fri

ADP brings payroll, HR, and benefits administration into one intuitive system — automated calculations, tax filing, and real-time reporting, plus HR tools for hiring, onboarding, compliance, and performance management. As a KidStrong franchisee, Chris Bauer is your dedicated national account representative, and you have access to exclusive discounting and promotions.

Capitol Light

Thursday

Capitol Light is a full-service lighting and electrical distributor, incorporated in 1926, supplying over 300 national brands. Services span Lighting Design, New Construction Supply, Lamp Replacement, and Lighting & Electrical Maintenance, plus a Complete Energy-Retrofit Turnkey Solution for remodels. Their in-house utility rebate team qualifies and collects rebates on your behalf, and they offer a shared energy savings program.

Ramp

Thursday

Ramp is the smart financial infrastructure behind every card swipe, invoice, and reimbursement — streamlining approvals, processing payments, and closing the books automatically. More than 70,000 organizations have saved over $12 billion and 27 million hours with Ramp; for the median customer that's 5% savings on expenses and 16% revenue growth in year one. Founded in 2019, Ramp powers over $200 billion in purchases annually.

Podium deploys AI Employees to help local businesses turn every conversation — text, call, or webchat — into revenue. Trusted by 60,000+ businesses across Auto, Home Services, Aesthetics, and Retail, Podium captures and converts leads 24/7, pairing best-in-class AI with a decade of real-world conversation data to take customers from search to sold.

Drive

Thursday

Drive Social Media is a full-service digital agency with over a decade of experience scaling franchise-based businesses. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, they work directly with each location to understand its unique challenges and goals, then build customized digital strategies to drive sustainable growth across the KidStrong network.

Grassi

Thursday

Grassi Franchise Services (GFS) provides advisory, tax, and accounting services to franchise businesses, multi-unit operators, and PE-backed companies. With 25+ years of experience, GFS offers proactive guidance across financial reporting, tax strategy, cash flow management, and operational performance. As part of Grassi, an employee-owned firm, GFS brings a collaborative, relationship-driven approach.

Marsh McLennan

Thursday

Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) provides business insurance, employee health & benefits, retirement & wealth, and private client insurance solutions. With 15,000+ colleagues and 300+ offices across the U.S. and Canada, MMA combines the personalized service of a local consultant with the global resources of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC).

Novacore

Thursday

Novacore is an independent, next-generation specialty insurance provider on a mission to transform insurance for agents, carrier partners, and clients. Building on the 35-year track record of NSM Insurance Group, Novacore delivers industry-specific programs through specialized underwriting, advanced technology, and trusted carrier partnerships — partnering with more than 20,000 agents nationwide across 20+ specialty programs.

Basis

Thursday

Basis is an omnichannel advertising automation platform that unifies search, social, programmatic, CTV, and site-direct media into a single system. It automates the digital advertising process — uniting teams, integrating tools, reconciling billing, and streamlining campaigns end to end — pairing its technology with consulting and support for agencies and media teams.

WFX

Thu & Fri

WFX Fabrication provides professional CNC routing, custom fabrication, and manufacturing services. As our product development and fabrication partner, WFX is responsible for building all the rigs, furniture, and most of the light equipment that equip our centers.

JPaul

Thu & Fri

The J. Paul Company (JPaul), based in Texas, is a branded merchandise and custom apparel agency that keeps its design, manufacturing, kitting, and e-commerce solutions in-house. For KidStrong, JPaul is our primary apparel and promotional-items vendor partner, helping us build our brand seamlessly.

Dollamur

Thursday

Dollamur Sport Surfaces is a premier, US-based manufacturer of high-performance sports surfaces, engineering and producing custom mats, turf, and wall pads for a variety of athletic facilities. For our centers, Dollamur is the exclusive manufacturer of the signature blue floors that go into every KidStrong location.

Gusto

Thursday

Gusto serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide, processing tens of billions of dollars in payroll each year while delivering employee benefits like health insurance and 401(k) plans. Through one integrated, easy-to-use platform, Gusto simplifies payroll, benefits, and HR with expert support, giving business owners the peace of mind to focus on building great workplaces.

Sargenti Architects

Since 1999, Sargenti Architects has provided comprehensive architectural and design services for the retail, restaurant, hospitality, and workplace industries. Through exceptional service and a deep understanding of clients' needs, they have grown into a recognized leader in the development community, partnering with many of the nation's top fast-casual and full-service restaurant concepts as well as leading retail and hospitality brands. With a team of more than 200 professionals across four offices, Sargenti delivers expertise in architecture, interior design, prototype development, site adaptation, and project management — creating innovative, brand-driven environments aligned with clients' goals for cost, quality, and schedule.