Apex Leadership Co. Welcomes New Branch Owners in Central Ohio
Apex Leadership Co. considers each of its branches and franchisees to be part of the family and the company is thrilled to welcome its newest family members — Ryan and Lauren Edwards. The couple and business partners have taken ownership of the central Ohio branch of Apex Leadership Co., which serves public and private schools in territories including Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union counties.
“The first thing that attracted me to Apex is its values that are aligned with things we believe as a family. Leadership, character development, healthy behaviors, and working together as a team are included in the Apex fundraising model, and those are things that we work on in our own home”, says Ryan, who, together with Lauren, has three young daughters — Ivy, Katie, and Caroline. “The Apex programming is definitely something that I would want our girls to experience.”
Community service has always been at the core of Ryan’s and Lauren’s professional pursuits and doing work that makes a difference in the lives of the people in their community is very important to the couple. Ryan has spent the past 15 years in nonprofit leadership and government service and continues to proudly serve on City Council in Grandview Heights. Lauren has worked in the corporate, government, and non-profit sectors. For many years, she has focused on social entrepreneurship and working with start-up entrepreneurs and businesses that have a social mission as their focus.
The Edwards took ownership of the central Ohio branch this February after being introduced to the company and the concept through a family friend. When they learned about the many positive ways that Apex benefits local communities, The Edwards were quickly inspired to become part of the movement.
As not only residents of Grandview Heights but also lifelong central Ohio residents (Lauren is from Worthington and Ryan is from Newark), The Edwards are fully committed to supporting central Ohio in any way they can. In addition to serving as a city council member for Grandview Heights, Ryan is a member of the Grandview Bobcats Boosters, board member of South Side Thrive Collaborative, and past board chair of the Community Development Collaborative of Central Ohio. He also serves in leadership roles in the activities his daughters participate in. In 2019, Ryan and Lauren were both recognized by Columbus Business First as one of the communities’ 40 under 40. Ryan is also a proud graduate of the Leadership Columbus class of 2015.
The focus of Lauren’s work is to impact social entrepreneurs in central Ohio; she sits on the board of the downtown YMCA and the Franklinton Development Association. She also helps to guide future generations by teaching at The Ohio State University and volunteering at her daughters’ school.
The central Ohio branch has several programs already running in Pickerington, Licking Heights, Olentangy, Teays Valley, Canal Winchester, and several private schools. In the year ahead, The Edwards aim to double the number of schools they are currently serving locally.
Apex Leadership Co., its staff, and all its franchise members welcome The Edwards to the family!
