By Iryna Drozdovska
Why Montessori Education Needs Visionary Entrepreneurs Now
Montessori Needs More Than Passion. Why Our Future Depends on Entrepreneurial Leadership
Montessori education has never been short on passion. Every school I have walked into — from Kyiv to New York, Tokyo to Toronto — overflows with people who deeply care about children, development, and human potential. That passion is real. It is powerful. It is essential.
But today, it is no longer enough.
Montessori schools do not exist in isolation. They operate within economic systems, communities, regulatory frameworks, competitive landscapes, and human organizations made of adults who need clarity, structure, and leadership.
To thrive, Montessori needs more than passion. It needs entrepreneurial leaders. Not entrepreneurs who chase profit. Not businesspeople who view schools as products. But leaders who know how to build, sustain, and grow schools without sacrificing Montessori integrity.
But today, it is no longer enough.
Montessori schools do not exist in isolation. They operate within economic systems, communities, regulatory frameworks, competitive landscapes, and human organizations made of adults who need clarity, structure, and leadership.
To thrive, Montessori needs more than passion. It needs entrepreneurial leaders. Not entrepreneurs who chase profit. Not businesspeople who view schools as products. But leaders who know how to build, sustain, and grow schools without sacrificing Montessori integrity.
My Path Into This Question
I did not come to Montessori as a first-time entrepreneur. At 19, I built my first business with my husband Dimitry — a small marketing agency in Kyiv called Promotion Center. We organized events, found sponsors, and dreamed big. Really big :)
One day, we decided our next sponsor should be Coca-Cola. Before sending the pitch, I asked my best friend’s mother — a respected banking executive — to review it. She read it carefully: "What are you thinking? Coca-Cola works with global agencies. They have protocols. They won’t even read this."
I was crushed. But I didn’t listen.
We sent the letter anyway. A few days later, the Brand Manager for Eastern Europe invited us to meet. He listened to our presentation, smiled, and scheduled a second meeting — at our office.
Our office was a modest apartment on the first floor of a residential building. We were embarrassed. But we were too young and too determined to let fear win.
Coca-Cola became our sponsor. We worked with them for six months. That project transformed our company — and taught me a lesson I carry to this day: All limitations are in our head. The only real obstacle is the one we agree to believe in.
Entrepreneurship was never a concept for me. It was a lived experience — risk, failure, persistence. At 29, I opened my first Montessori school. That moment changed my life — but it did not erase my entrepreneurial identity. On the contrary, it revealed how deeply entrepreneurship and Montessori leadership are connected.
Because running a Montessori school is one of the most entrepreneurial acts there is. You are not just guiding children. You are building an organization. Leading adults. Managing resources. Holding a vision across years, sometimes decades.
Yet most Montessori leaders are never trained for this reality.
One day, we decided our next sponsor should be Coca-Cola. Before sending the pitch, I asked my best friend’s mother — a respected banking executive — to review it. She read it carefully: "What are you thinking? Coca-Cola works with global agencies. They have protocols. They won’t even read this."
I was crushed. But I didn’t listen.
We sent the letter anyway. A few days later, the Brand Manager for Eastern Europe invited us to meet. He listened to our presentation, smiled, and scheduled a second meeting — at our office.
Our office was a modest apartment on the first floor of a residential building. We were embarrassed. But we were too young and too determined to let fear win.
Coca-Cola became our sponsor. We worked with them for six months. That project transformed our company — and taught me a lesson I carry to this day: All limitations are in our head. The only real obstacle is the one we agree to believe in.
Entrepreneurship was never a concept for me. It was a lived experience — risk, failure, persistence. At 29, I opened my first Montessori school. That moment changed my life — but it did not erase my entrepreneurial identity. On the contrary, it revealed how deeply entrepreneurship and Montessori leadership are connected.
Because running a Montessori school is one of the most entrepreneurial acts there is. You are not just guiding children. You are building an organization. Leading adults. Managing resources. Holding a vision across years, sometimes decades.
Yet most Montessori leaders are never trained for this reality.
The Gap in Montessori Leadership Preparation
Traditional Montessori training prepares us beautifully for the child. But it rarely prepares us for:
As a result, talented Montessorians find themselves overwhelmed, exhausted, doubting their capacity — not from lack of commitment, but from lack of entrepreneurial tools. I see this pattern constantly:
This is not a failure of Montessori philosophy. It is a gap in leadership education.
- Starting a school from the ground up — navigating leases, permits, construction, hiring with no roadmap
- Sustaining growth — so schools don't collapse under their own success
- Building strong organizational cultures — where adults feel aligned, supported, accountable
- Leading teams through complexity — with communication, structure, trust
- Creating financial stability — so pedagogy is supported, not compromised
- Innovating with integrity — staying rooted in Montessori values while responding to the world as it is
As a result, talented Montessorians find themselves overwhelmed, exhausted, doubting their capacity — not from lack of commitment, but from lack of entrepreneurial tools. I see this pattern constantly:
- Teachers who dream of opening a school but feel paralyzed by finances
- Founders who build beautiful environments but struggle with systems and operations
- Directors who carry everything alone because no leadership structure exists
- Communities that depend entirely on one person's energy rather than sustainable systems
This is not a failure of Montessori philosophy. It is a gap in leadership education.
The Skills No One Teaches You
When I started in business, no one taught me about Montessori.
When I started in Montessori, no one taught me about business.
I learned by doing — by failing, adjusting, trying again. Sometimes the lessons came from the most challenging moments.
When COVID-19 shut down New York, most schools closed. Many stayed closed for over a year. Public opinion made leaving home feel dangerous.
We made a different choice. We secured special permits, implemented rigorous safety protocols, and welcomed children — first a few, then more, then nearly everyone. We were determined to protect every possible moment of natural childhood development.
It wasn't easy. We faced criticism. Navigated complex regulations. Worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe. But by the end, something remarkable happened: our families trusted us more than ever. They had seen us fight for their children. They knew we would go to any length to serve them.
That experience taught me: crisis reveals character. The choices you make when no one is watching become the foundation of trust when everyone is looking.
Another lesson came from walking into one of our campuses unannounced after more than a year away — and finding everything in perfect order. Not because they were preparing for inspection, but because the culture was real. This is what happens when leadership is consistent. When values are lived. When systems support rather than constrain.
When I started in Montessori, no one taught me about business.
I learned by doing — by failing, adjusting, trying again. Sometimes the lessons came from the most challenging moments.
When COVID-19 shut down New York, most schools closed. Many stayed closed for over a year. Public opinion made leaving home feel dangerous.
We made a different choice. We secured special permits, implemented rigorous safety protocols, and welcomed children — first a few, then more, then nearly everyone. We were determined to protect every possible moment of natural childhood development.
It wasn't easy. We faced criticism. Navigated complex regulations. Worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe. But by the end, something remarkable happened: our families trusted us more than ever. They had seen us fight for their children. They knew we would go to any length to serve them.
That experience taught me: crisis reveals character. The choices you make when no one is watching become the foundation of trust when everyone is looking.
Another lesson came from walking into one of our campuses unannounced after more than a year away — and finding everything in perfect order. Not because they were preparing for inspection, but because the culture was real. This is what happens when leadership is consistent. When values are lived. When systems support rather than constrain.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
Montessori communities worldwide are changing. Parents are more informed — and more demanding. Educational markets are more competitive. Costs are rising. Teams are more diverse and complex. And Montessori is expanding globally.
This expansion requires leaders who can hold both vision and structure. Values and systems. Human development and organizational responsibility. Without entrepreneurial leadership, even the most beautiful Montessori environments become fragile. With it, they become resilient.
Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, said: "It is that passionate conviction that wins battles and creates works of art, and brings people closer to their boldest dreams. Belief in yourself and in the rightness of your path allows you to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals."
This is what entrepreneurial leadership offers Montessori: not departure from our values, but the passionate conviction to protect them in a complex world.
This expansion requires leaders who can hold both vision and structure. Values and systems. Human development and organizational responsibility. Without entrepreneurial leadership, even the most beautiful Montessori environments become fragile. With it, they become resilient.
Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, said: "It is that passionate conviction that wins battles and creates works of art, and brings people closer to their boldest dreams. Belief in yourself and in the rightness of your path allows you to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals."
This is what entrepreneurial leadership offers Montessori: not departure from our values, but the passionate conviction to protect them in a complex world.
A Call to the Next Generation of Montessori Leaders
If you are:
This conversation is for you.
Entrepreneurial leadership is not about becoming someone else. It is about becoming more of who you already are — with clarity, confidence, and support. Montessori does not need leaders who burn out in silence. It needs leaders who build schools that last — for children, for families, for the adults who serve them.
That is why we created Hopscotch Hub.
Not a business school lecture. Not just Montessori theory.
Real experience. Real mistakes. Real strategies.
Our next cohort begins April 1, 2026.
Join us!
Because Montessori needs entrepreneurs. And entrepreneurs need Montessori.
- a teacher called toward leadership
- a founder building or dreaming of a school
- a director seeking tools to grow sustainably
- an administrator ready to serve more fully
- anyone who loves Montessori and wonders how to make it thrive
This conversation is for you.
Entrepreneurial leadership is not about becoming someone else. It is about becoming more of who you already are — with clarity, confidence, and support. Montessori does not need leaders who burn out in silence. It needs leaders who build schools that last — for children, for families, for the adults who serve them.
That is why we created Hopscotch Hub.
Not a business school lecture. Not just Montessori theory.
Real experience. Real mistakes. Real strategies.
Our next cohort begins April 1, 2026.
Join us!
Because Montessori needs entrepreneurs. And entrepreneurs need Montessori.
Iryna Drozdovska is Founder & CEO of Hopscotch Montessori, an international network of Montessori schools, and Founder of Hopscotch Hub, an educational platform for Montessori leaders and teachers. She has spent two decades building Montessori schools across four countries and preparing Montessori leaders who think like founders, builders, and visionaries.