Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Tran.
Hi Jimmy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Jimmy J. Tran, and I’ve lived in Dallas for 20+ years. I first came to Dallas to attend SMU under the generous and prestigious Hunt Leadership Scholarship, which selects 20 students a year to receive a nearly full-tuition scholarship to attend SMU. I’m extremely grateful to both the Hunt Family as well as SMU, which gave me the opportunity to study abroad in Denmark & Australia, hone my leadership skills, and, most importantly, meet my wonderful wife, Lisa.
After SMU, I worked in strategy consulting at Bain and Company and then to graduate school at Harvard, where I obtained both an MBA and MPA. Afterward, I continued to work in consulting for a few more years, then moved into an in-house strategy role at CBRE, where I was until the COVID pandemic hit.
In 2020, I opened up our first location in Dallas, TX. Shortly thereafter, I had the opportunity to acquire and take over operations at our Southlake location. It’s been an amazing ride, and I currently own and operate locations in Preston Hollow, Coppell, and Southlake!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is as easy as it seems! COVID was a huge hurdle for our business, and most kids’ activities stopped for several months in 2020. Staffing continues to be an issue, and we are always looking for good talent to join our team.
As you know, we’re big fans of Code Ninjas Coppell. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Code Ninjas is the world’s fastest-growing kids’ coding franchise, with hundreds of locations in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Historically, the three core subject areas in a child’s education have been reading, writing, and arithmetic. In today’s world, coding is emerging as a fourth critical area, and at Code Ninjas, kids learn to code while building their own video games. They gain problem-solving, critical thinking, and STEM skills in a fun, safe, and inspiring environment.
The program is tailored to kids aged 5-14 and is centered around a “belt system,” starting with a white belt and ending with a black belt. Positivity and fun are baked into every aspect of the program so that kids are engaged in building video games they love, including popular favorites like Roblox® and Minecraft®.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
First, having a hybrid, flexible learning option is important. Second, despite all efforts to teach and communicate via Zoom, nothing replaces in-person learning!
At Code Ninjas, our students typically come into our “dojo” (computer lab), where they learn to code from our Senseis (instructors). It’s really hard to replicate that environment through a screen at home…, especially for kids 5-14 years old!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.codeninjas.com/tx-southlake
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codeninjassouthlake
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CodeNinjasSouthlake
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/code-ninjas-southlake-southlake
