Casey Furtado has a business degree, but his passion for education unexpectedly emerged while teaching English in Taiwan after college. “Teaching found me,” he says. “I didn’t plan it, but I quickly realized how rewarding it was to help kids grow.”
When he returned home to California around 2010, he joined a private school, where he hoped to build a long-term career. But like many educators, he found himself at the mercy of enrollment numbers and shrinking budgets. Each summer brought anxiety. “Every year it was like, ‘We’re not sure we can keep you,'” Furtado recalls. “After a few years of that, I knew I needed something more stable.”
Mission-driven model
That “something” turned out to be Apex Leadership Company, a school fundraising franchise that runs two-week programs combining fitness events like fun runs and obstacle courses with in-school leadership and character lessons. Apex team members visit classrooms or lead group sessions to teach short lessons on topics like empathy, teamwork and resilience. A college friend connected Furtado with the brand’s founder, and within a year, he leaped into business ownership.
Apex offers a simple value proposition: help schools raise money while teaching kids leadership and character. “Our whole mission is to build leaders,” Furtado says. “We do that through our curriculum, events and even how we train our team.”
It’s also logistically streamlined. Unlike old-school fundraisers that relied on paper forms and required kids — and parents — to hunt down people who pledged money, Apex events use digital payments and donor portals. “I’ll never forget counting $40,000 in checks and cash after our first event with a bunch of school volunteers,” he says. “Now, grandma in Florida can donate with one click.”
Scaling for impact
The 40-year-old Furtado now owns six Apex territories across San Diego and the greater Bay Area, servicing more than 130 schools. He credits a strong early partnership with the franchise and the decision to scale early for his success. “That growth allowed us to keep great people and give them opportunities,” he says. “It also helped us build trust with more schools. At first, we had to win people over one campus at a time. Now, Apex is a household name in our area.”
He oversees multiple teams and focuses more on hiring, operations and long-term strategy than day-to-day event execution. But he still occasionally substitutes in schools, just to stay connected to what initially drew him in. Apex CEO Jamie Krasnov says Furtado has become a standout example within the brand and a source of inspiration across the franchise system.
“Casey is a beacon,” Kransnov says. “He shows other franchisees what’s possible. He’s deeply mission-driven, an incredible relationship builder and, above all else, he has the grit to push through challenges and keep growing. Every franchise system needs people like that.”
Today, Furtado’s Apex business raises more than $10 million annually for schools, funding everything from new classroom supplies to staff salaries and building upgrades, and his income is nearly five times what he earned as a teacher. But for him, it’s never been just about the money. “There’s a certain level of passion you need to have for kids and education,” he says. “And when you see students light up during a leadership lesson, that feeling never gets old.”
Related: No Experience? No Problem. How This First-Time Franchisee Built a $3 Million Business.
Advice for aspiring franchisees
For anyone considering franchising — especially former educators — Furtado has some advice: Be willing to leap. “You can plan and research forever, but eventually, you’ve got to get in the boat and row,” he says. “And once you do, grit is what keeps you going.”
That resilience has served him well. Over the years, Furtado has navigated unpredictable school policies, weather disruptions and even entire districts banning fun runs. “You’ve got to be flexible and solution-oriented,” he says. “That’s the only way to grow something meaningful.”
Now entering his second decade with Apex, Furtado still sees room to expand — and hopes to eventually mentor new franchise owners within his system. “We’ve seen that happening already,” he says. “I’m looking to support and partner in different territories to help people franchise.”
Related: This Founder’s ‘Favorite’ Interview Question Only Has 1 Right Answer
