Expand the Dream: Create and Learn Tutoring Thriving
FSBDC at UCF Funding Assistance and Guidance Fuel Growth for Learning Center
September 3, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or HThayer@ucf.edu
Jairo Batista, Consultant, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4853 or Jairo.Batista@ucf.edu
Orlando, FL – Every entrepreneur starts with a dream. Possibility is seen where others see obstacles and passion sparks new offerings and creative solutions for problems. Maria Santiago is one of those visionary entrepreneurs. Drawing on her experience as a kindergarten teacher and her passion for helping children succeed, she transformed her idea into Create and Learn Tutoring, Inc. With guidance from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF), she secured the funding and support needed to expand from a home-based operation into a thriving tutoring center dedicated to helping students build confidence, self-esteem, and academic success.
Create and Learn Tutoring serves students from Pre-K through eighth grade, providing personalized instruction in reading, phonics, math, and other core subjects. Reading is a particular focus, as Santiago believes a strong foundation in literacy is critical to long-term achievement. The company’s approach goes beyond academics, recognizing that each child learns differently and that emotional well-being plays a vital role in educational success.
“What sets us apart from other tutoring centers is that we focus not only on the academic aspect but also on the social-emotional side,” Santiago explains. “We’re looking not only at the student’s academic gaps but also their learning style and social-emotional state as well. Ours is personalized tutoring that meets your child where they are.”
When Santiago launched the business, she worked out of her home with only a handful of students. As demand for her services grew, she realized she needed additional space, capital, and a plan for expansion. Acting on her accountant’s recommendation, she turned to the FSBDC at UCF and consultant Jairo Batista for guidance.
“Originally, I just went to him knowing that I wanted to advance my business to the next level,” Santiago recalls. “I knew that eventually I had to find a center. I needed funding and I needed to be organized. That’s where Jairo came in. He helped me organize my thoughts and what my goals were and eventually we decided together that seeking funding was the best course of action.”
As an FSBDC access-to-capital specialist, Batista helped Santiago chart a path forward. Together, they developed a funding strategy, prepared a strong loan application, and connected with lenders that were a good fit for her business. The effort paid off when she secured the financing needed to support her expansion.
Batista’s assistance extended beyond funding. He also connected Santiago with commercial real estate professionals who helped her identify and secure a location for her tutoring center in Hunters Creek.
The results have been transformational.
“The changes I have seen ever since I started working with the FSBDC have been tremendous. Night and day,” Santiago affirms. “I went from a handful of students working out of my living room to now being in a commercial location with multiples of students and three times the revenue, which is incredible. I was able to add teachers, which meant I am able to take on even more students. I now have an established business that has grown tremendously.”
Today, Create and Learn Tutoring continues to help students overcome challenges, gain confidence, and achieve their academic goals.
“If you are considering working with the FSBDC, I would say—hands down—don’t hesitate,” Santiago concludes. “It is probably going to be the best decision you can make for your business.”
For information about Create and Learn Tutoring, please visit Cal Tutoring | Personalized Academic Support Services.
— FSBDC —
About the FSBDC at UCF
Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of part of UCF’s Office of the President and the Florida SBDC Network.
The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 9 service centers across Central Florida.
In 2025, the FSBDC at UCF served 2,142 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 3,967 jobs impacted; $760.1 million in sales growth; $83.6 million in capital formation; $85.1 million in government contract awards; and 155 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com .
About the Florida SBDC Network
For 50 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.
In 2025, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 112,158 hours of consulting to 15,439 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $534.7 million in capital, $711.5 million in government contracting, impacting 18,334 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.4 billion, and creating 1,111 businesses.
With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of War, State of Florida and other private and public partners. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/.
The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com
