CROCAST Mateo Cuadras Jaume

Guest Mateo CuadrasHosted by Siniša ŽugićMay 3, 2026

Mateo Cuadras

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

What if an 'international school' wasn't just for expats, but designed specifically for local families? Mateo Cuadras, Franchise Expansion Director for Maple Bear Canadian Schools, is bringing this model to Croatia, aiming to offer a new option in a market where educational choices are often limited. He describes a blended approach: a Canadian curriculum, delivered bilingually, that also meets all local educational requirements. This creates what he calls "an international school for local people," offering dual qualifications and a globally informed perspective within a familiar cultural context. This conversation delves into the practicalities of launching such a venture as a franchisee, from the substantial initial investment to the specific qualities Maple Bear seeks in its partners. You'll leave understanding how a global educational brand adapts its model for local success, and what it takes to build a school that offers dual qualifications and a genuinely international perspective.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Canada's educational system is often described as a "superpower in education." Maple Bear's model isn't to reinvent pedagogy, but to replicate this proven system, using a franchise structure to distribute a high-performing educational framework globally. Scalable innovation can often be about intelligent replication and distribution, rather than invention.

Maple Bear isn't purely an international school for expats. Mateo Cuadras defines it as "an international school for local people," blending Canadian curriculum with local standards, delivered bilingually, to offer a dual qualification. The strategic move is to define a new category that serves both global aspirations and local identity, rather than picking one.

When asked about the ideal partner, Cuadras lists 'passionate about education' first, but immediately follows with the need for "business skills" because "the school will be successful if it is well-run." For a franchise operation, passion might draw someone in, but a clear understanding of daily operations and financial management is what sustains the enterprise.

The strategy for entering a new market isn't to launch a full K-12 school from day one. Instead, the plan is to "start small with a kindergarten," then "expand the school as the kids grow" year by year. This phased approach allows for managing the significant initial capital outlay while building trust and proving the concept to a local parent base.

The largest capital requirement for opening a school isn't the curriculum or the initial staff, but the physical space. A kindergarten alone requires "between seven hundred and eight hundred square meters" indoors, plus a substantial playground, all needing refurbishment and furnishing. The real estate strategy—whether renting or buying, and adapting—often dictates the initial project viability.

Maple Bear identifies Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka as initial target cities for expansion. This focus on major urban centers reflects a clear understanding that the demand for premium, international-standard education, as well as the investor pool to fund it, is concentrated in key population hubs.

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