Act Two for Huntington Learning Center with Anne Huntington Sharma

by Elizabeth Denham

We spoke with Anne Huntington Sharma and her team about what Second Chances look like for her and Huntington Learning Center.

ANNE HUNTINGTON SHARMA PRESIDENT, HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER DECEMBER ISSUE Q&A

POF: This issue of the Pillars of Franchising magazine is about “Second Chances.” What are some examples of times in your life when you have felt as though you were given a second chance, either in your career or in your personal life?

AHS: The idea of ‘second chances’ is like a second act to me. As President of Huntington

Learning Center, I am the second generation of leadership. Our family business was started in 1977 by my parents, Dr. Ray and Eileen Huntington, with the mission to give every student the best education possible.

Now I am working to build on that history and foundation while maintaining our ethos and expanding our mission’s reach. I inherited a business model that provided exceptional student results throughout its four generations.

Huntington’s ‘act two’ will continue to be rooted in its original mission, while also expanding on our vision of world-class student results and franchise profitability through innovative new programs and continued digital expansion.

POF: As someone with an Art History degree and a career in the arts as a collector, curator, and philanthropist, how has working in franchising integrated into your life goals and helped you in business?

AHS: It’s a positive for many reasons that my life outside of Huntington is as different as it is from my ‘day to day.’ I don’t want the various facets of who I am to be the same. I would not want to always be doing the same thing 24/7. I believe it is important to have extra passions and lead a dynamic life.

At the end of the day, business is business. Crossover from the franchising world into my philanthropic work includes being able to share and adapt more structured methods to procedures and outreach to also create growth in the arts and charity sectors.

POF: Coming on full-time with Huntington Learning Center in 2017, you led the largest franchise expansion to date. What kind of second chance or renewed energy did that bring to the franchise system and how did you accomplish that?

AHS: Huntington Learning Center is a significant piece of the fabric that is me. I grew up in this organization, it is pretty much part of my DNA. Experiencing my parents growing the company throughout their many decades of success has always bolstered my sense of belief in what we do. It fuels me to know that students and franchisees across the country are thriving because of the work we are doing and the innovative ways we are allowing them access to resources and in turn their success.

POF: The pandemic sped up plans for digital and online learning across the board. While this was in the works at Huntington Learning Center, how did the pandemic affect these plans and goals?

AHS: “Sped up” is certainly one way of putting it! Part of my mission as a leader at Huntington is taking the organization through a digital transformation, one that we are in the throes of now. The pandemic launched some of our innovations into warp speed. With endless hours of dedicated collaboration and innovation, we successfully redesigned our business model seemingly overnight. Our remote learning platform HuntingtonHelpsLIVE was launched in under two weeks in March 2020. Since then, we have provided 1million+ hours of virtual and hybrid remote/in-person tutoring and test prep for students across the US.

POF: How did the franchise system fare in the pandemic?

AHS: Huntington provided a critical resource for families during the pandemic in the face of school closures. When our brick-and-mortar centers had to also close their physical doors

during the lockdown, we innovated ways for our franchisees to continue to be able to provide access to learning for students when they needed it most through online options, as well as continue to operate and earn revenue for their employees and local communities.

POF: How will digital learning continue to be utilized going forward as the world opens back up?

AHS: Digital learning is not going away, but it is also important to note in-person instruction is not either. At Huntington, our recent nationwide survey data as well as milestone exams and student progress have proven that a hybrid approach to teaching and learning is the best way to provide students with the idea support moving forward.

In-person, in-center and in-school instruction is critical for development of not only academic skill, but also what we refer to as the ‘soft skills,’ the social and emotional growth students gain by learning in a classroom setting and among peers.

POF: Through the Huntington Compensatory Education Services program which supports special education students who have been denied their federal right to free and appropriate education, you are leveling the playing field for these students. What was the impetus for this program, and what future plans do you have for it?

AHS: During ‘No Child Left Behind’ circa the Bush administration, Huntington was the top provider in the US for supplemental education. The goal of publicly funded programs like these is to increase access across all segments of students and families. Huntington saw a need and decided to fill the niche of furthering access to students who were not getting the academic help they needed based on their level of ability or access to resources. Throughout the years, we have been able to refine that tool in the form of our Huntington Compensatory Education Services that works directly with schools and families providing access to the resources they deserve and that are already earmarked for public funding.

Today’s administration has launched a new round of funding in the form of millions of dollars being allocated to education and tutoring as a means to help curb and recover any learning loss created by the pandemic. Huntington is already seeing success in districts throughout the country where we are partnering with schools to provide supplemental learning opportunities across all sectors of community and education.

POF: As someone who is heavily involved in philanthropy, what role does that play in the fabric of your life, and how does it shape your decisions both in business and personally?

AHS: Philanthropy is a huge part of who I am. I have always felt it is one of the most important things in life to ‘do good.’ I seek out meaningful activities at all levels, local and beyond, that provide the opportunity to create a positive and lasting impact on communities and the families within them.

POF: What are you looking forward to in 2022?

AHS: We are excited to continue to expand Huntington’s programs and capitalize on the fact that hybrid learning is creating a means to reach an exponential number of students that previously did not have access to a local Huntington Learning Center for example. We will continue to grow our network of franchises by an increased number of team members as well as units and are excited to explore new sectors for growth.

To learn more, pleaser reach out to: www.huntingtonhelps.com or www.annehuntingtonsharmacom