Young Millionaires

Shari Misher Stenzler, 36, & Andy Stenzler, 38
Kidville, NY
New York City
Projected Sales: More than $10 million
Description: Upscale educational and play facility for children age 5 and under and their families

Child’s Play: What started as just a dream for husband-and-wife team Andy Stenzler and Shari Misher Stenzler has since become a dream come true for Manhattan parents of children age 5 and under. Kidville, NY, their $3 million, 20,000-square-foot, four-story-high family facility, opened in January 2005 and is home to developmental classes such as “Run, Wiggle, Paint & Giggle,” music classes such as “Little Maestros” and enrichment classes such as “Baby Sign Language” for parents and caregivers. Kidville also features an indoor playground, a beauty salon, a retail boutique and a 50-seat cafe, making it the complete socialization center for kids and parents that the Stenzlers so gallantly envisioned during startup.
In the Genes: A business in its infancy risks floundering, but Kidville, NY is one business that was born to succeed. The Stenzlers are seasoned entrepreneurs who have each found overwhelming success with their previous undertakings, including Cosi Inc., a nationwide salad and sandwich franchise Andy co-founded. Connections made from their previous endeavors, as well as strong ties to their New York City community, allowed the Stenzlers to bank on the wisdom and financial support of an influential group of friends, including tennis couple Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff. Says Andy, “It was about finding the right team of friends and partners who cared about kids and wanted to do something in that space to change people’s lives.”
Cause for Change: Kidville, NY is flourishing with 3,000 member families, the recent opening of a second New York City location and plans to open similar centers in other states, not to mention the future launch of related media, books and music. Meanwhile, the Stenzlers’ single source of inspiration continues to be their kids--Kylie, 3, and Colby, 1. Parenthood opened their eyes to the unappealing options available to parents at the time and motivated them to create a better facility for children. Says Shari, “Going through [parenthood] ourselves not only gave us great ideas, but also created a passion that I don’t think we could have had if we weren’t parents.”
Follow Their Lead: Don’t settle for less than the best, and if the best doesn’t already exist, you might have just discovered your niche.

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