Lakeshore Learning Materials

The company is one of the largest retail and online suppliers of educational materials to teachers with more than 60 stores in 29 states.

She opened a toy store on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland, California, which inspired the name of the company.

The store was modestly successful but after Kaplan noticed that one teacher purchased five puzzles she decided to sell the store and start a new company in San Leandro, California that focused solely on educational products.

"Our niche is institutions", former CEO Charlie Kaplan told the Los Angeles Times in 1995.

[1] In 1994, the company partnered with public television station KCET to open the Store of Knowledge, a retail shop selling educational toys and products at the Glendale Galleria.