Podium’s “Little Founders” Childcare Center: Scaling On-Site Care at a Tech Unicorn

Challenges

Access, Scalability, Worker Issues

Location

Utah

Stakeholders

Businesses

Beneficiaries

Parents, Children

Overview

Podium, a Utah-based tech company, opened “Little Founders”, an on-site childcare center at its Lehi headquarters in mid-2021. The center serves up to 50 children and is run in partnership with Bright Horizons.

Key Impact Metrics

50
childcare slots created
1,000
employees in Utah with access to childcare
80%
utilization rate

Problem

Southern Salt Lake County had limited infant care availability. During the pandemic, employees like Bryce Hunt juggled remote work with no daycare and costly in-home nannies. This childcare scarcity created a major barrier for the company's efforts to attract and retain top talent in a highly competitive industry. The challenge of balancing work and family often led to difficult trade-offs for working parents, with many, especially mothers, leaving the workforce.

Solution

Podium launched Little Founders, an on-site daycare with space for 50 children, ages six weeks to five years. The center is operated by Bright Horizons, ensuring high standards and freeing Podium from day-to-day management. To reduce the burden on families, Podium partially subsidizes childcare tuition for employees’ kids—making the cost competitive with or lower than external daycares. The company also took a collaborative approach: they left some childcare slots open, allowing children from neighboring organizations to have access as well.

Results

Beneficiary Impact
50 childcare slots created
Employee Impact
1,000 employees in Utah with access to childcare

Replication Tips

Gather employee feedback and buy-in: Podium involved employees in shaping Little Founders—understanding parent needs for hours, quality, etc. As a result, the center meets real demands and was enthusiastically used from day one.
Properly size your center and share excess capacity: Podium built a 50-childcare center for ~1,000 employees—a ratio that ensured initial demand but also left room for future hires.