Megha Karia arrived in Canada from India in 2004 and was quickly confronted with a challenge many newcomers face: she couldn’t find work without Canadian work experience. So, she created her own path through franchising by bringing the internationally renowned Universal Concept Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) to Canada.
UCMAS offers child development programs for kids aged 5 to 13 using mental math and abacus skills. The program has flourished in over 6,000 centres across more than 80 countries.
“I remember watching a demonstration at the UCMAS headquarters in Malaysia and being completely amazed by how students could perform high-speed, accurate math calculations with ease,” says Karia, CEO at UCMAS North America. “I immediately realized the potential of this ‘Math-magical’ program and the value it would bring to children in Canada. Since day one, my vision has been to build something that not only empowers children but transforms communities and creates opportunities for other entrepreneurs.”
Fast forward two decades, what began with just one location in Toronto in 2004 has grown to nearly 100 UCMAS centres across Canada, with locations in (Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba). Almost all UCMAS Canadian franchisees are immigrants, hailing from over 20 different countries, and nearly 70 per cent of them are women. Half of the UCMAS Canada head office team are also women, and close to 700 women have served as course instructors.
When asked what advice she has for newcomers considering franchising as a career path, Karia says: “My advice would be to choose a proven franchise and make it your own. There are no shortcuts. The key is to be consistent, and success will follow.”
According to the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA), franchising is an ideal path for newcomers to Canada. It offers a proven business model, ongoing training and support, and opportunities in over 60 different industries, allowing immigrants to choose a business that aligns with their background or passion. UCMAS is an active member of the CFA community and is committed to the Association’s purpose of helping everyday Canadians achieve their dream of business ownership through the power of franchising.
Megha’s story is a powerful example of how newcomers to Canada are using franchising to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.
“When we came here, we did not have any business plan or anything in mind that we would exactly do,” says Karia. “Typically, like new immigrants, we started to look for jobs, and that’s what we tried for a few months, realizing that we had the expertise in education business and we knew how to do it best.”
Before moving to Canada, Karia ran an after-school software education business in India for nine years.
The decision to immigrate was driven by opportunity. “While we were doing that business, there were a lot of opportunities that were coming abroad. And we wanted to think of options where we could stay current, where we could keep our doors open for opportunities around the globe.”
Karia and her husband, an IT professional, were accepted quickly into Canada. But they soon found the familiar challenge many newcomers face: employers asking for Canadian experience.
“That’s when we thought that let’s incorporate a company. Let’s not just think about ourselves. Let’s create opportunities for other people like us in this part of the world.”
The couple had earlier come across the UCMAS program while working in Malaysia, where they witnessed children demonstrating astonishing math capabilities. “We’d seen a few children doing some miraculous math calculations, some magical math calculations. And when we looked at them, we were like, what are they really doing?”
That curiosity led them to UCMAS—Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic Systems—a global education franchise, and eventually to bringing it to Canada.
“We spoke with the Malaysian office that we would like to bring UCMAS to Canada, and they agreed. So that’s where our journey started in Canada.”
Headquartered in Mississauga, UCMAS Canada has grown rapidly since those early days. “We have close to a hundred locations all over Canada,” says Karia. “We are obviously in every, almost every city of GTA, and even in other parts of Ontario like Windsor, London, Ottawa, everywhere.”
Quebec has also become a strong market for the company. “Very soon in the first few early years, we started to get some traction in Quebec, so we have a great presence in Quebec as well—all parts of Montreal. And so about 15 locations in Quebec.”
UCMAS has expanded into Alberta with 14 locations and more recently, British Columbia. “This year, in fact, British Columbia has had the highest expansion and we’ve opened about six locations in British Columbia,” she adds. “So we now are at nine locations in British Columbia.”
Growth has also reached Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “Just before COVID, we got an opportunity to expand in Saskatchewan. So we opened a few locations in Regina, then Saskatoon, and, just a year and a half ago we opened in Winnipeg and now we are coming up to our fourth location in Winnipeg.”
And there’s no plan to slow down.
“There is a lot of scope still to expand, obviously. Even in places like Kingston, there are a lot of areas even in Toronto region, downtown Toronto, a lot of areas in Ontario left,” says Karia. “Our biggest push now is going to be for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Those are the two provinces we feel have a tremendous amount of scope, and in the next couple of years we are going to actually enter those provinces.”
Karia says her experience as a newcomer has helped shape the business model into one that creates opportunity for others. She offers advice for new immigrants looking to explore franchising as a path forward.
“There will be a lot of hurdles that would come your way. There would be a lot of sustainability issues that would come your way. But if you can find a franchise model that is also making a difference in the community… Our biggest advantage is we do impact-driven work,” she says.
Karia stresses the importance of helping children build critical thinking skills, particularly in an era dominated by technology. “In today’s day and age when children are becoming extremely dependent on apps and new platforms and AI tools, it’s become much more important for children to actually focus on critical thinking,” she said.
“A franchise, proven franchise model, which is present in 80 countries, and it’s trial and tested, that can work in your favour, can also make an impact and can also be future proof.”
She encourages newcomers to consider franchises that are “safe, yet can actually give you a great amount of money if you work the way right, if you give quality education.”
Ultimately, Karia believes combining purpose with profit is key.
“It’s important for anyone to make money, to actually live their lives in a country like Canada and enjoy their lives. But at the same time, if you have been given an opportunity and you can make a change—and bring the change through education—I think there is a huge impact that you’re making to the world,” she said.
“Find a business or a work or franchise through which you can make a difference and also make money.”
Referencing a recent article, she adds: “Jamie Dimon, who’s the CEO of JP Morgan Chase mentioned that the two most important things that the children will need in future would be physics, math, and critical thinking. And we work on all of this for children through the program that we have.”
“So math skills, critical thinking skills are becoming more and more important. And if you can stay in a business that can actually support that, you will have a bright future.”
Here are some stats from the CFA:
- Newcomers Are More Likely to Be Entrepreneurs – According to Statistics Canada, immigrants are more likely to own businesses than individuals born in Canada.
- 1 in 4 Businesses in Canada Is Immigrant-Owned – A 2024 StatsCan survey revealed that 23.7% of private sector businesses in Canada are owned by immigrants.
- Canada’s Immigrant Population Is Growing Rapidly – Over 8.3 million immigrants live in Canada – 23% of the total population, the highest proportion among G7 countries. This number is expected to grow to almost 32% by 2041.
- Franchising Offers a Smoother Path to Entrepreneurship – For newcomers navigating a new legal system, unfamiliar markets, and limited local networks, franchising offers structured support, from training and location scouting to vendor access and marketing.
- Business Ownership Supports Integration and Citizenship – Research by IRCC and Statistics Canada shows that immigrants who become Canadian citizens have higher employment rates and earnings, and business ownership can be a key pathway to citizenship.
Insights from CFA on why franchising is ideal for newcomers:
- It offers a proven business model with training and ongoing support
- It helps entrepreneurs navigate challenges like leasing, legal requirements, and vendor relationships
- Franchises exist across almost every business category, in 60+ different industries, so newcomers can choose something that matches their background or passion
- It provides a built-in network of fellow franchisees and community support
- It presents a business opportunity where the franchisee lives, allowing them to engage with and give back to their local community
- In many cases, it’s more affordable than starting from scratch
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