Pablo Barreiro is the Chairman of Fortec, a national leader in early childhood education development. With more than two decades of experience in commercial real estate, Pablo has spearheaded over $500 million in deals across markets nationwide. Under his leadership, Fortec has completed over $200 million in early education projects, transforming an overlooked real estate sector into one of the most promising asset classes in the country. His passion for shaping stronger communities through thoughtful development is reflected in Fortec’s growing national footprint and recognition as one of South Florida’s fastest-growing private companies.

A licensed attorney and former in-house counsel for a multinational firm, Pablo blends legal expertise with strategic vision to lead Fortec’s mission-driven work. He holds multiple degrees from the University of Miami and a JD from Florida International University, and is a member of The Florida Bar. He has been recognized by Worth Magazine in their 2024 Worthy 100 list, by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (2023–2025) and currently serves on The Florida Bar’s Student Education & Admissions to the Bar Committee.

Fortec is doing something truly unique at the intersection of commercial real estate and early education. What inspired this focus, and how did the company get its start?

Fortec began not with a pitch deck but with a moment of recognition. During a property tour in Hollywood, Florida, we came across a preschool for sale. What made it different wasn’t the building; it was the fact that one of our daughters had attended that very school. That encounter reframed how we saw the opportunity.

As we looked deeper, we realized something critical: Despite rising demand for quality early childhood education, very few developers were specializing in the preschool market, leaving school operators with few options to expand. Early childhood education operators were navigating zoning, licensing, financing and construction alone – often in buildings that weren’t designed for children.

That’s why we launched Fortec: to become the partner that early childhood education operators had been missing. We specialize in building purpose-driven schools that empower growth, meet regulatory standards, and align with the unique needs of early childhood learning environments.

You recently launched a $100 million fund to accelerate the development of early childhood education centers across the country. What’s the strategy behind this investment, and what kind of impact are you hoping to make?

Our fund was launched to bring institutional capital into a sector that is both essential and underbuilt. Our strategy is clear: Identify high-growth, underserved communities; partner with mission-aligned operators; and develop facilities that are custom-built to meet the operational, licensing and learning requirements of early childhood education.

The early childhood education sector sits at the intersection of demographic demand, public policy momentum and social impact – and Fortec is uniquely positioned to respond. We’ve developed over $200 million in early childhood education projects across 12 states, with a proprietary approach to underwriting, entitlement and construction. Our model

accounts for the unique revenue and licensing dynamics of this sector, from child-per-square-foot ratios to subsidy enrollment caps.

We’re targeting the development of 50-60 schools across the country, with a projected stabilized value of over $300 million. But this is about more than returns; it’s about solving a systemic shortage. Approximately 51% of Americans live in childcare deserts, while 76% of children under 5 have all available parents in the workforce. By aligning capital with community need, we’re creating real estate that delivers both performance and purpose, supporting educators, empowering families and expanding access to high-quality early-learning environments.

Can you walk us through what the redevelopment process of a regular property into an early learning environment looks like – and why it matters?

At Fortec, our construction process is more than project management; it’s a highly coordinated, 12-phase development system tailored specifically to early childhood education.

Every project begins with our points-based site-scoring system, which evaluates zoning, traffic, accessibility, demographics and voucher demand. Once a site meets our investment and licensing criteria, the construction team prepares a custom site plan, brochure, and high-level budget to attract and align with a quality operator.

Once an operator is engaged, we launch our feasibility study phase, where we refine budgets, adjust layouts to reflect the operator’s pedagogy, and confirm vendor needs.

Why does it matter? Because in early childhood education, the building is the business. A misaligned classroom, an inefficient drop-off area or a delayed inspection can derail an entire academic year. Our system is designed to eliminate that risk, delivering schools that are not only code-compliant but classroom-ready, licensing-optimized and enrollment-aligned.

There’s been a lot of national conversation lately around the future of education and what families really need. What trends are you seeing in the education landscape, and how is Fortec positioned to respond?

The early childhood education landscape is shifting quickly, and Fortec is built to meet that change. Families are prioritizing access to high-quality care near their homes or workplaces without long waitlists or outdated facilities. Parents are also seeking more program choices, from Montessori and STEM-based models to bilingual and values-driven curricula. Yet across

the country, demand still far outpaces supply. More than half of Americans live in what’s known as a day care desert, where licensed child care slots are severely limited.

Fortec exists to close that gap. We target underserved markets, use a proprietary scoring system to assess site potential, and partner with proven private operators to develop purpose-built early childhood education centers. Our schools are not retrofits; they’re designed from the ground up to meet the operational, licensing and educational needs of modern families and educators.

There’s been growing national debate around the role of the Department of Education, including discussions about potential defunding. What impact, if any, could this have on early childhood education – and how is Fortec preparing for that possibility?

While the headlines focus on the Department of Education, the reality is that early childhood education – particularly private preschools – operates largely outside the federal system.

Fortec works almost exclusively with private early-learning operators. These schools are primarily licensed and regulated at the state and local levels, and their revenue is supported by a combination of tuition, state-funded voucher programs and, in some cases, employer subsidies or nonprofit funding. Federal policy shifts have little direct impact on the real estate fundamentals of these schools.

What’s more important is the rising momentum at the state level. We’re seeing rapid growth in school choice legislation, universal pre-K initiatives and state-level child care subsidies – all of which expand demand for high-quality private options. Our development strategy is designed around that resilience. We underwrite to local policy frameworks, diversify across geographies, and partner with operators who understand how to navigate and benefit from evolving state programs.

Looking ahead, what’s next for Fortec? How do you plan on scaling the fund? Are there any milestones, partnerships or new initiatives on the horizon?

Fortec is moving into its next phase of growth. We’re currently under contract or negotiating on over a dozen properties, with signed LOIs from operators in high-demand states, including Texas, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina. We’re deepening partnerships with both domestic and international early childhood education brands looking to scale in the U.S., and we’ve begun formal discussions with institutional investors and family offices for future capital expansion.

Our goal over the next 18-24 months is to fully deploy our current fund, expand into new markets, and further cement Fortec as the leading development partner in early childhood education. But beyond milestones and metrics, our mission remains simple: to build schools that change lives.

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