How Rina Collins, Founder of Wise Wonder and Mom of Three, Gets It Done

[Free Letter] Plus, Park Slope Author Fest details!

May 10, 2024

Hi, I’m Kelley MacDonald, and I write Park Slope Times. If you’d like to read my interview series that goes out on Fridays, please upgrade to paid. If you stick with a free subscription, you'll get occasional free emails. Thank you so much for being here!

Hi! How’s your week going? With everything blooming all over the neighborhood, we just noticed spring allergies kicking in this week. I’m still excited to spend the weekend mostly outside though. I have to go see the peonies at the Botanic Garden. I love them!

In today’s issue, I interview Rina Collins, the founder of Wise Wonder Enrichment, one of my favorite spaces for kids in Park Slope. You may know it as Book Nook, but earlier this year, Rina and her team introduced their new name and exciting news to franchise the business.

Wise Wonder is an early literacy program that offers a range of classes for kids ages three months to six years. “It's a great opportunity for children to explore reading and learning in a stressless way so they can grow gradually and naturally,” says Rina.

Below, we talk about how Rina started and grew her business, motherhood, and creating cozy spaces for kids. We also discuss Wise Wonder’s new Park Slope Author Fest, a month-long celebration of children’s literacy and the Park Slope community.

Hi Rina! We’re so lucky to have Wise Wonder in Park Slope; it’s an amazing resource for kids and their parents. What inspired you to start a literacy program for children, and how did you get started?

Since I was little, I gravitated toward children and children gravitated toward me. I was one of those preteens who wanted to hold the baby and play with them. So I knew I wanted to work with children, but it’s funny because what I didn’t want to fall into was education. I did my undergrad and graduate degrees at St. John's University in teaching literacy; I'm a reading specialist. And then I went into teaching and I fell in love with it.

I taught in a pre-K-three classroom in the public school setting in New Jersey. We were one of the first public school preschools, full-day, with uniforms in New Jersey. That's where I started my career. I didn’t know I liked teaching three-year-olds until I went into my classroom, and I absolutely loved it.

I moved to New York City in 2008 to be a preschool director. I was there for about four years, and I realized that I wanted to go back to working directly with children, teaching them, instead of being on the admin side. So, I left that position and started tutoring kids privately in reading, test prep, and other areas. And I realized everything I was teaching was so similar that I created a curriculum fostering all those skills in one setting. Then, I was able to take my curriculum and teach every child those skills.

When I opened my first [branch] on the Upper West Side in 2012, I did it myself. My parents are self-employed, so I grew up in a household of business owners, and I worked with my parents my whole life, so I had that mindset. But I didn't really know how to open a business. I googled my way through it. I don't think I did it the right way, but when my husband came on board, and we opened up Tribeca, a bigger branch, there was some going backward to rejig things to be more organized.

So you went from a solo entrepreneur and googling your way to opening your first branch to now running five locations across two states, and you recently franchised! Plus, you have THREE young children — 7, 5, a daughter turning 3 in June! How are you making this work?!

I have a team of amazing people, and I get things done because I have a great school my children go to, and I have a great caregiver who takes care of my kids. My husband picks up the slack where I can't and vice versa. And my five directors [one for each branch] are so amazing. I know a lot of it is me because I'm the umbrella for all of this, but I wouldn't be able to get it done if I didn't have the team I have, both professionally and personally.

I’m not gonna lie — sometimes it's very hard; it's not easy having a family, running a business, and trying to franchise. But I'm the type of person who when I have a lot on my plate, I know that I need to get it done — so I just do it.

How did you choose Park Slope for your fourth branch?

It’s funny because when we were trying to open our second location [Tribeca] we looked in Brooklyn first, so this was before 2017. We did our research and looked in all different neighborhoods, like Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Cobble Hill. We ended up with a space on Atlantic Avenue, near Trader Joe’s, but we ended up not being able to sign the contract. They found out the space wasn’t zoned for commercial, and then, long story short, Tribeca ended up falling on our lap. But Brooklyn was always in the back of our minds.

After the West 59th Street location, we looked at a couple locations and fell in love with the Garfield space. I love the history of the building and how it used to be a bakery and our fireplace was an oven. It’s very cozy, and that's how Book Nook started on the Upper West Side. We were on the garden level of a brownstone garden, and the Upper West Side is very similar to Park Slope with its homes. So it took me back to when I started Book Nook and how passionate I felt about it — that all came back in Park Slope, which is such a nice way to open a new location knowing that you're doing the right thing.

I love how you set up the space. It’s so cozy and welcoming. How did you come up with the idea for the decor?

My love of classroom decor started when I was a public school teacher. I was like, I cannot be in this room with kids all day and have bare walls [laughs]. So for Book Nook, I knew I wanted to have cozy places, and I wanted it to feel like a home. We have little classrooms that are “cottages” with a front door, and we have faux grass and a little tree surrounding the reading area. The colors, like muted green and faded midnight blue, are calming. We also have a scent in every location and the smell reminds you of Wise Wonder. It’s an arugula scent by Archipelago. Cozy places made me feel so good when I was young, and I always wanted my students to feel that.

In addition to your core classes, you invite parents and babies to meet and play in your studio. I love this idea of a low-key meetup in a cozy space! How did that start?

I didn't really have the whole first-time mom experience, where you’re out meeting new moms and doing things together. Because my son had open heart surgery at three months old. He had to rest on his back for eight weeks, so there were no playdates. And then with my second son, we were really busy with the business and my first had physical therapy and stuff like that. So when I had my daughter, I was like, I want to meet other moms. And I started Babies and Bubbles at the West 59th location, and that’s how it all started. We offer it across all of our locations now, and it’s a free meetup for moms and their babies up to around 12 months old to come and meet each other and have a safe place. A shoe-free space where babies can crawl around, and moms can get to know other parents in the neighborhood.

Thank you so much, Rina! We love Wise Wonder!

(Top photo layout by Kelley MacDonald. All photos are courtesy of Rina Collins/Wise Wonder or product/brand images.)

This month, Wise Wonder kicked off their inaugural Park Slope Author Fest, a series of events celebrating children’s literacy and the Park Slope community. Throughout the month, they’re hosting children's book authors for storytimes and craft events in their cozy studio. Also, each event features a fun activity, gift, special deal, or discount from a local business!

The next event is tomorrow, Saturday, May 11th from 1PM-2PM. Wise Wonder's program director Natasha B. Padhiar will read her children’s book "Quiet Kush,” and Private Picassos will provide a fun craft. RSVP here.

Here are details for the remaining four Author Fest events this month…

"My Heart Would Like Some More, Please!" by Geshu Sugandh on Wednesday, May 15th, 11:30AM-12:30PM. Buttermilk Bakeshop will provide a store coupon to take home and treats during the event, and Imlee Kitchen will provide some of the delicious Indian food mentioned in Geshu's book for families to try. RSVP here.
"It's Hard For Me to Talk" by Allison Mitchell on Sunday, May 19th, 1PM-2PM. Grounded Cafe will provide a free drip coffee or tea voucher for the day, and along with your ticket, you’ll receive a 20% discount to use any time in May on food and beverages. RSVP here.

“Veer’s First Day of School” by Gursharan Bharth on Tuesday, May 21st, 6PM-7PM. Artist & Craftsman Supply has generously donated $20 gift cards to each child who attends this event. RSVP here.
“The Me in the Mirror” by Sheena Demby on Friday, May 31st, 11:30AM-12:30PM. Root Hill Cafe will provide a store gift card, and along with your ticket, you’ll get a discount code to enjoy during May. RSVP here.

The schedule for the 46th season of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! has been announced: The season kicks off June 8th at the Lena Horne Bandshell and features “talent that bridges genres and generations, neighbors and neighborhoods.”