The Developer Solving America’s Childcare Crisis — Pablo Barreiro (FORTEC)

On this Cafecito y Croquetas episode, we sit down with Pablo Barreiro, Chairman of FORTEC Modern Real Estate—recently recognized by the South Florida Business Journal for rapid growth—to talk about a mission that’s bigger than buildings: fixing America’s childcare deserts through early-education real estate.

Pablo shares how his path from broker (plus a law degree) led to launching a preschool-focused development platform during 2020—and why the team has already delivered 32 schools across 12 states, with a plan to build 70–80 more in the next 36 months. We dig into the economics (why 1.5–2 acres often go to multifamily instead), how adding schools raises the value of surrounding projects, why keeping rents efficient can help temper tuition, and how 30–40 local jobs per school fuel community impact. We also cover teacher pipeline quality, competition improving outcomes, FORTEC’s “For Cares” philanthropy, and Pablo’s advice for young leaders: operate with urgency, be candid, and solve problems locally.

Chapters
00:00 Intro & SFBJ recognition
02:05 Pablo’s story: broker ➝ developer (+law background)
06:20 Why preschools get overlooked in land use
08:45 Childcare deserts & affordability (demand vs supply)
12:30 Teacher quality, training, and retention
15:40 Pairing schools with multifamily & retail
18:10 Scaling plan: fund strategy & national rollout
21:25 Local partners: GCs, architects, attorneys
24:10 Philanthropy: “For Cares” and giving materials a second life
27:30 Advice to young builders & founders: urgency + candor

If you’re a developer, operator, or city leader exploring early-education projects—or a parent who cares about access and quality—this one’s for you.

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