Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Olatunde. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Joshua thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In 2010, I read a review of the documentary, “Waiting for Superman”. The review praised the productions ability to offer insight into America’s educational system, juxtaposing it against other leading nations’ systems, and predicting future outcomes for our children. Low-income parents featured in the documentary were poised to ensure their children received the best education possible, often to be met with the failure of not getting their child(ren) enrolled into “high quality” programs that utilized a ‘lottery-system’.

This documentary sparked an idea in me. I understood the importance of children having a quality education, and how challenging that can be in low-income areas. I also understood the role technology had begun to play in classrooms nationwide, and how many teachers were struggling with Common Core Standards facilitation. With this in mind, I decided to develop the YouTube series, “Mr. Josh’s Kool School”.

On this platform, I envisioned offering PreK-3 schools nationwide a comprehensive curriculum support tool for teachers and homeschooling parents. We’d create short-form, multi-subject lessons that supported the mandated standards teachers were facing – while offering it as an entertainment platform for kids. In 2015, we began production and have had many successes since. Our primary focus in 2023 is literacy. We understand children nation are still reading several grade levels behind where they should be, and this impact their comprehension across most other subjects.

Joshua , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

JOSHUA OLATUNDE was born and raised on Chicago’s Southside. He excelled as an athlete in the sport of wrestling -becoming a State Champion in the State of Illinois, and eventually a Team USA Junior All-American.

In high school, Joshua discovered a passion for academia and began chartering his journey to become an Astronaut. As a student at Alan B. Shepard High School, he tutored his peers and worked as a community volunteer to an organization that provided alternative learning platforms to inner-city school students discouraged by education. Joshua received multiple college athletic scholarships, but decided to pursue academics only as a post-secondary school student in New York City.

At Hunter College, his career-goals shifted to Teaching. He double-majored in Physics and English while working as a K-12 Program Coordinator in the South Bronx and Harlem. There, he helped youth without a clear direction and understanding of the Sciences find their passion for learning – and at times their purpose in life. Joshua developed curriculum that allowed students to learn Science, English and Math on their own terms – and in a language they could understand. He took joy in seeing his students propel from below-average to passing state-required exit exams.

In addition to this work, Joshua interned on Wall Street with both JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers before the economic crash. He finished undergrad and did his postgraduate work at Harvard University, where he served as a Student-Teacher in Namibia following their victory of a war for independence. While Joshua spearheaded two case study’s and integrated STEM programming into Mwshependika High School, he learned his most valuable lessons of life there – the value of time and opportunity. Both lessons he promulgates in his work today, ensuring students nationally live their lives to its
fullest potential.

As a current CEO (Kool KIdz Daycare Centers) and for Corporate Executive, Mr. Olatunde’s has provided workforce
development training and job placement opportunities to students nationally. In Minnesota, his company hosts a myriad of employers including Thomson Reuters, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Xcel Energy, General Mills and others. In addition, he serves as Executive Producer and Creator of “Mr. Josh’s Kool School” – a media-based learning tool used by PreK-3 schools globally that presents arts-based learning across all subjects. His journey to influence students attitudes and experiences toward learning is unwavering – as he recognizes our global well-being is nurtured in personal
success.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Through daycare center ownership, we to direct marketing of our media platform to school districts. We serve children and schools throughout multiple districts and utilize our hands-on services to develop our audience.

Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.

Archway Logistics, a service provider to Amazon Logistics was sold in May 2023. It was a great lesson learned in the M&A process, but more importantly in creating equity and having an exit plan upon inception

Contact Info:

• Website: www.koolkidzdaycare.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misterjosholatunde/?next=%2F
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.jackson.5688476/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-olatunde-24a3145/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFiyQ4r2imwGUGRc9DIXcPQ

Image Credits
Patrick Roberts