We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lydia. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lydia below.

Hi Lydia , thanks for joining us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

Building Bridge Montessori was one of the most informative and formative experiences of my career. We started our Montessori preschool completely from scratch—renovating the facility, purchasing every piece of furniture, and designing each classroom with an empty space as our starting point. Beyond creating the physical environment, we also had the unique opportunity to build our team from the ground up and intentionally shape the kind of school experience we wanted our children and families to have.

In early childhood education, so much depends on the spirit, care, and character of the teacher. From the very beginning, I was committed to hiring not only for competency but also for attitude and heart. I wanted children to interact with adults they genuinely liked, trusted, and admired—not simply authority figures. Technical skills and experience matter, but meaningful connections are what truly shape a child’s educational experience.

Because Bridge Montessori operates on a unique child sponsorship model—where every child enrolled sponsors another child’s education somewhere else in the world—I was equally intentional about building a team that reflected the global diversity at the heart of our mission. Today, Bridge Montessori is not only committed to providing a high-quality Montessori education, but also to bringing the world into the classroom through our curriculum, our educators, and the diverse families we serve.

Preparing the next generation of global citizens is central to who we are. That philosophy influences every aspect of our school, including how we hire. Above all, I look for individuals who genuinely love working with children and feel called to this work. Competency can be developed and refined over time, but passion and purpose are far more difficult to teach. In my experience, when someone possesses a true calling to serve children, the other skills tend to follow. A successful hire requires more than qualifications alone—it requires heart, commitment, and a deep belief in the importance of nurturing young minds.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Lydia Nandakumaran, and my husband, Rajeev, and I founded Bridge Montessori School in 2018 with a vision of providing Montessori education for children in our community while creating a purpose-driven social enterprise that expands access to education for children around the world.

Bridge Montessori is built on a unique mission: for every child enrolled, we sponsor another child’s education globally. Today, we partner with schools in Sri Lanka, Egypt, and South Sudan, helping provide educational opportunities to children who might otherwise be unable to attend school.

Since opening our doors, Bridge Montessori has grown to two campuses. Our Sierra Madre campus serves children ages 18 months to 6 years old, while our Pasadena campus serves children from infancy through 6 years old. Across both locations, we are committed to providing a high-quality Montessori education while nurturing the next generation of global citizens.

Global awareness is woven into our school culture. We bring the world into the classroom through our curriculum, diverse community, and international partnerships, while maintaining a warm, nurturing environment where every child feels valued and supported.

At Bridge Montessori, families are not only investing in their own child’s education—they are also helping create educational opportunities for children around the world, building meaningful connections across communities and cultures.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

One of the most effective ways we grew our clientele was by focusing relentlessly on quality rather than marketing. When we first launched Bridge Montessori, we honestly didn’t know how quickly the school would grow. It was very much an act of faith, and I even kept my full-time job initially as a backup plan in case the business didn’t succeed.

We didn’t focus our efforts on advertising. Instead, we opened our doors, put up our sign, and began welcoming families for tours. We started with just six children enrolled. That number gradually grew to twelve, then twenty, and eventually to twelve full classrooms across our two campuses.

What we discovered was that in early childhood education, quality speaks for itself. Parents talk to one another, share their experiences, and recommend programs they trust. Within our first year, demand grew so quickly that we reached capacity and had to apply for a license increase to serve more families in our community.

Our growth has been driven almost entirely by word-of-mouth referrals. We invested heavily in creating a warm and nurturing Montessori environment and building an incredibly caring team of teachers who are passionate about working with children. Families are looking for a place where their children feel safe, loved, and inspired to learn. By staying focused on delivering that experience every day, our community became our strongest source of growth and advocacy.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the most significant pivots we made as a business came in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schools across the country. Like many early childhood programs, we were forced to close temporarily, but our focus quickly shifted to how we could continue supporting our families while also preserving our team for the future.

During our closure, we transitioned to virtual learning. Our teachers taught live from their classrooms, using Montessori materials and lessons while children participated through Zoom. While online learning could never fully replace the hands-on Montessori experience, it allowed us to maintain meaningful connections with our students and provide consistency during an uncertain time.

When we reopened, we were fortunate to retain nearly all of our staff and continue serving the majority of our families. In fact, our enrollment grew in the months that followed, which I believe was a direct result of the relationships and trust we built during that challenging period.

As regulations evolved, we adapted quickly by implementing daily health screenings, temperature checks, enhanced cleaning procedures, and other safety protocols. Thanks to the dedication of our team and our commitment to following public health guidance, we experienced very few COVID cases and never had to shut down again after reopening.

Looking back, the experience reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability, and investing in people. It showed us that when a team is united around a shared purpose, it can navigate even the most difficult circumstances. Many of the staff members who helped us through that season are still with us today, and I remain deeply grateful for their commitment, flexibility, and care. The lessons we learned during that time continue to shape our school and our leadership today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bridgemontessori.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-nandakumaran-3b37a912
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bridge-montessori-preschool-sierra-madre-2