Our Story

Angela’s journey in early childhood education began in 1989 as an intern at a childcare program located within a homeless shelter in Minneapolis. In 1993, she earned her associate degree from North Hennepin Community College while working part-time at her children’s child care center, Children’s World. By 2003, Angela had risen to a Director position at another local childcare chain and later joined the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as an Accreditation Specialist. Over the next three years, she traveled nationwide, visiting programs seeking accreditation.

In 2006, Angela transitioned to a position at Head Start, the same year she met Keith. She completed her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in 2010 through Metro State’s Urban Teacher Program. When Head Start closed its location on the HHH Job Corps campus in 2012, Angela submitted a proposal to open her own program there. The proposal was approved, and her first center opened in October 2012. The following year, Angela completed her master’s degree in early childhood education at Concordia University. From 2016 to 2020, Angela and Keith expanded their operations, opening additional childcare locations in White Bear Lake, Inver Grove Heights, and Maplewood.

Keith, originally from North Dakota, moved to Minnesota in 2003. Angela and Keith married on 7/7/07 in Las Vegas, and together they have seven children: Nick, Amber, Ashley, Courtney, Ryder, Nathan, and Alexis. Keith spent 13 years at T-Mobile before transitioning to working full-time at the centers in 2017.

In 2022, Angela and Keith began transitioning their centers to new owners. In October 2023, their daughter Ashley Kapp took ownership of their last remaining program, The Learning Garden in Maplewood, located next door to Angela and Keith’s home. While still actively supporting the program, they are no longer involved in daily operations.

In 2023, Angela joined the Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC) as a part-time coach, allowing her to focus on training early childhood providers while developing the vision for CRAFT.

In August 2024, Angela and Keith signed the lease for their thrift store space, opening the doors of CRAFT Thrift Store on November 16, 2024. Their mission is to use proceeds from the store to continue supporting early childhood providers, empowering them to create high-quality, inclusive learning environments for all children.