When Tessa Holloway was approached in 2006 to purchase a child care center in Port Allen, she was a manager at Blockbuster with no experience in early learning. She had two sons, a husband who believed in her, and the will to become an expert at something she had never done before.
The Irwinville native would have never imagined that one leap of faith and years of education, certifications and child advocacy would lead to her becoming the co-owner of a multimillion-dollar early learning and child care center.
Eighteen years later, they have eight locations in Louisiana including stand-alone centers in Baton Rouge, Zachary, Mandeville, Prairieville and Addis, as well as centers at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge and a microcenter at a Scotlandville elementary school in partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.
Kidz Karousel is the largest private Black-owned early learning center in the state and instructors start the curriculum for children as early as six weeks old.
Read the full story, and check out features of this year’s other WIB honorees.
