Kathe Petchel has been in early childhood since 1980 — first as a public school teacher, then as the founder of Bright Beginnings Preschools (est. 1984), which now operates three locations in the Charlottesville, VA area (Crozet, Mill Creek, and Forest Lakes) serving 400+ families with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. She's a national and international ECE speaker, and joined HINGE Advisors in 2017 as a staffing and operations consultant. As Business Development Specialist there, she helps owners understand the real value of their businesses and navigate hiring, financial strategy, and growth decisions with the clarity of someone who has sat in their seat.