Hello, I am closely involved with a start-up that wants to be structured as a somewhat hierarchical endeavor, with local groups receiving support from The Center. It is in the field of education. Which means - a franchise. Like Kumon... eh. All the franchise models we have seen seem to be heavy on intellectual property. Are there some hybrid models that work with partially open licenses for content? We do not want to depend on grants, so it will have to be a self-sustaining system, most likely a for-profit, legally. In general, what models should I check out for such an education endeavor? We need a network of local "cells" that use common materials and receive common support, but I'd like to look beyond Kumon and such. Way beyond. Cheers, Maria Droujkova 919-388-1721 Make math your own, to make your own math