We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jimmy Tran a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jimmy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

If I had to change one thing about our educational system, I would structure it less around how adults want to teach and more around how kids prefer to learn. Kids don’t learn through passive instruction, they learn by doing. Kids learn and master subject matter when they have a specific interest and passion for the subject matter. Thus, we should give kids more options around how and what they study. When kids get excited about learning, the sky is the limit!

At Code Ninjas, we give students a traditional learning path but also give them options on additional subjects including STEM, Robotics and Engineering. We want students to develop an interest in computers and coding, but prefer it to be done in an organic, student-led fashion. Our experience is that when kids are engaged in the subject matter, the enjoyment is higher and the retention of content is better!

Jimmy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

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. After SMU, I worked in strategy consulting at Bain and Company and then to graduate school at Harvard, where I obtained both a MBA and MPA. Afterwards, 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.

COVID granted me the opportunity to take a different direction in my life and career. I have always been passionate about education and was looking for something that fuses my interests in business, community engagement and fatherhood. After much exploration, I discovered the fastest-growing computer coding franchise in the world – Code Ninjas, which is based just outside of Houston. Amazingly, Code Ninjas did not have a location in Dallas (only in the outer suburbs). Shortly after this realization, I signed an area development agreement to bring multiple locations to Dallas. Our first location is at the Southwest Corner of Preston and Forest, in the same shopping center as Mi Cocina and Natural Grocers.

After opening our first location in March 2021, I had the opportunity to acquire 2 existing Code Ninjas locations in Coppell and Southlake. Today, we own and operate all 3 locations. It’s been a blast and I’ve learned a lot about running and operating a small business…but we’re still just getting started.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

Yes, in late 2021, I acquired two existing Code Ninjas locations in Coppell and Southlake. Both locations were in great areas with solid demographics, but the prior owner faced tremendous headwinds with COVID-19 and simply ran out of time and energy. The prior owner and I had been talking on and off for months, but the acquisition process was extremely quick. We got all the paperwork done and transferred both businesses within a matter of 30 days. Initially, I was hesitant to take on 2 additional locations but I felt as though we could bring some of the energy and success from our Preston Hollow location to Coppell and Southlake. We are still within 6 months of our ownership, but these new locations are gaining momentum by the day!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I am a strong believer in empowering people and then giving them independence to take charge and get the job done. But as an owner, I know it is also important to show that I am engaged and involved where it matters. So my largest piece of advice is to show that you are engaged, but give your team the space and freedom to own their work. It is all about maintaining a balance between being too involved and not involved enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.codeninjas.com/tx-preston-hollow
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codeninjasprestonhollow/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CodeNinjasPrestonHollow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/code-ninjas-preston-hollow
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/code-ninjas-preston-hollow-dallas