Laukik Patel: Building a Family & Business in Pooler

Story by Claire Sandow
Photography by Leidy Lester

Laukik Patel has always wanted to make his own way, which made entrepreneurship the ideal path for him. At just 30 years old, he is the founder and owner of Angel Learning Center in Pooler, which serves hundreds of children in the community. While Laukik was born in New York, he lived in India from age 11 months to 5 years: this early educational experience in India was what inspired him to pursue early childhood education as a career.

The Patel family moved from New York to Pooler in 2007. Laukik attended Savannah Christian and his parents purchased two gas stations as a source of income during an economic downturn. Through their experience, Laukik saw the ups and downs of operating a small business firsthand.

Laukik’s parents instilled a strong work ethic in him and his first taste of the working life was helping his dad in one of the gas stations.

“He would always say, ‘If you’re not going to work, you’re going straight home and if you don’t work, then you don’t need a car,’” he says. “I obviously picked the job I knew.”

Like many teenagers Laukik and his parents had differences of opinion, which led to him trying his hand at a job in fast food. It wasn’t long before he rejoined his dad at the gas station.

“My dad ended up getting me a job at Wendy’s,” says Laukik. “In the three weeks that I worked there, I realized that I always wanted to do things differently, regardless if I was right or wrong. After that, my dad and I have never butted heads.”

Laukik’s entrepreneurial streak started when he was in college at Armstrong State University. He started tutoring his cousins so they could keep up with and exceed their school’s math and science standards. Word of his effective strategies spread and he soon began tutoring their friends. After growing a client base of more than a dozen students, Laukik rented an office on Highway 80 to house what would become Angel Tutoring Center.

At the same time, he maintained a hectic schedule commuting back and forth to Armstrong, where he was studying biology with the intent to pursue pre-med. “I had classes in the mornings and labs in the afternoons and evenings, then I would tutor after that,” says Laukik.

When the landlord sold the building where he was leasing an office, Laukik had to make a choice: sign a long-term lease or move out. He opted for the latter and started researching different opportunities in the children’s education realm.

Angel Learning Center

Laukik had been looking at franchised child care centers, but couldn’t find a good fit for his concept. His vision for what would become Angel Learning Center combined childcare and early childhood education with afterschool programs for elementary school-age children. The name was inspired by his early childhood spent in India, where he attended a preschool that taught numbers and counting starting at age two and set up the framework for more complex math by first grade.

“In India, they call their little kids angels,” says Laukik. “So Angel Learning Center just felt right.”

He constructed a building off of Jimmy DeLoach Parkway and had a grand opening in 2016. On opening day, 50 children were enrolled and Laukik worked hard to get the word out about his new business. By 2018, the center was serving 250 children.

To give the business a boost, Laukik zeroed in on getting accredited through Bright from the Start, Georgia’s early childhood education and childcare licensing agency. They earned their first Quality Rated star in 2018 and last year they became a 3-star Quality Rated provider, the highest level of accreditation a childcare center can receive.

“We worked really hard for those three stars, and now we’re the only 3-star provider in the area,” Laukik says proudly. “It’s a big accomplishment because it’s harder to get as a large center.”

Angel Learning Center’s services are still in high demand and it consistently has a waitlist for children ages 6 weeks to elementary school age. One of the most popular features that parents enjoy is the integration of technology into the classrooms. Employees are equipped with tablets to communicate with parents throughout the day, recording meals, diaper changes and naps. Parents can also log in and view a livestream of their child’s classroom to see them having fun in real time.

They have expanded the brand to encompass two more childcare centers in Valdosta and Dawsonville, embracing the same modern technology and high educational standards that made the flagship location successful.

“I want my buildings to last 100 years and I want the business to outlive me. I want my centers to flourish,” says Laukik.

An Intercontinental Romance

While he was building his business, Laukik’s parents were orchestrating plans for his future. In 2020, they helped him make a major life move: getting married. He was on a layover waiting on a flight to India and received a surprising WhatsApp message: an invitation to his own wedding.

The invitation was the result of his parents’ matchmaking efforts that had begun in the previous year. They had placed an ad in a newspaper in India with a photo and a listing of Laukik’s accomplishments and it attracted a lot of interest. “My dad got 250 emails in the first weekend,” says Laukik.

After going on some speed dates, no one seemed to be a good fit. Despite some skepticism, he trusted his dad. The day he left to go home his dad set up one more meeting, this time by phone. During this call, Laukik had his first conversation with his future wife Mansi. He and Mansi talked for more than an hour and he agreed to go back to India to meet her.

After receiving the WhatsApp wedding invitation, they met in person for the first time. They got married February 29, 2020, with a larger reception planned at a later date. They were only able to spend 12 days together after their wedding because shortly after their marriage, Covid shut down the borders and Laukik had to return to the U.S. Laukik and Mansi had to fight through bureaucracy and government office shutdowns for months to get him an emergency visa. He was able to visit her in India by August 2020 and they were finally able to be together in the U.S. by February 2021.

“When you get married, you’re working toward something,” says Laukik. “You’re investing time and energy into something that’s going to flourish.”

Laukik and Mansi never did get their big wedding, but they welcomed their first child Ari in January 2023 and their second child Aarav arrived in August of this year. Working in the childcare business has given him a new perspective on parenthood and his work.

“Though I have two children, I’m responsible for more than 600,” says Laukik.

Ari also benefits from the strong foundation that Laukik built because he attends Angel Learning Center.

“He goes every day and it’s helpful because my wife and I can both work knowing that he’s in a good spot,” says Laukik. “The opportunities I provide for my son I strive to do for all the children who come to my childcare center.”

Hometown Pride

Community involvement has been key to Angel Learning Center’s success. Laukik joined the Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce, positioned Angel Learning Center as a sponsor of chamber events like the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration and accepted an invitation to join the chamber’s board of directors.

“I thought I could help them but they help me even more. I never took business classes, so I get to see how other businesses operate in their industries,” says Laukik. “I can rely on them for any questions I have.”

Laukik has put down roots in Pooler and it’s evident wherever he goes. He and his family live in the Forest Lakes neighborhood and his parents live nearby in the Arbors at Godley Station.

“When I’m at Publix or Walmart, kids come up and say, ‘It’s Mr. Laukik.’ I feel like if I had started my business anywhere else, it wouldn’t have turned out the same. It feels good to keep everything right here.”