Even though National Women's History Month is over, at Kaplan, we celebrate a legacy of strong female leadership every day of the year — highlighting the contributions of women in the field of early childhood education is an honor that can't be contained to just one month. Because of this, it would be a disservice to Kaplan's history if we failed to shine a light on the contributions and legacy of one trailblazing woman that formed half of Kaplan's founding pair: Renee Kaplan.
Kaplan's matriarch, in the very literal sense of the word, "made things happen." Her son, and our executive chairman, Hal Kaplan, fondly recalls that his mother would sit at the dining room table on Sunday mornings with "stacks of payables and invoices" covering its surface, only to replace it with a full dinner come Sunday evening, playing the roles of mother, wife, business partner, and entrepreneur with equal attention.
Despite having no formal college education, Renee was Kaplan's "accountant, bookkeeper, merchandiser, salesperson," and more, in the early days when Kaplan was a chain of toy stores around the Triad called Tiny Town. And once Kaplan Early Learning Company was founded in 1968, she would unload trucks and unpack boxes, go on deliveries for childcare centers, maintain management of the remaining Tiny Town stores around the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina, and work tirelessly to help make her husband Leon's dreams for Kaplan, a reality.
When asked to describe his mother, Hal answered simply: "She was very much a woman of the 90s in the 60s." An innovator in every right, she did more than just find a balance between her career and family life: she was a strong, ambitious woman who established the legacy of female labor and leadership we strive to honor at Kaplan today.
Renee with one of her daughters, Annette, as a baby.
As we take time to reflect during National Women's History Month, and during all times of the year, on what it means to be a woman and what it means to work, raise families, educate children, and provide for the needs of others while still finding time to care for oneself, it's important to recognize that Renee Kaplan was just one of many women of her time doing work behind the scenes to make dreams come true.
At Kaplan, we're very fortunate that we know Renee's story, can celebrate her legacy, and continue to live out Kaplan's mission and vision inspired by her and Leon's love of learning and desire to help all children reach their potential. We're fortunate because we can embrace Renee's voice and story in all that we do and work for. Many female changemakers and thought leaders throughout history aren't able to say the same and their voices and stories have become lost over time.
Renee's voice, however, echoes to this day in our work at Kaplan. When asked what his mother would say if she could see where Kaplan is and what it has become, Hal joked "She'd ask 'what are you doing?!'" quickly adding, "but I think she would be pleased."