Children’s Coding Center Expands National Presence to Charlotte

As interest and demand for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields grow, a new business is coming to provide children with the critical skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future. The Greater Charlotte area is now home to two Code Ninjas locations – Fort Mill, SC and Concord, NC. The Fort Mill center opened in mid-December at 1135 Stonecrest Blvd. Suite 105 and the Concord location opened in early February at 8905 Christenbury Parkway.

Children in the area ages 7-14 can visit the new Code Ninjas centers to learn how to code in a fun, non-intimidating way — by playing and building their own video games with peers in a social environment. In addition to coding, children gain skills in robotics, math, logic, and problem solving. The game-based curriculum and welcoming atmosphere enables kids to have fun, while parents see tangible results.

The Fort Mill location is owned and operated by local entrepreneurs, Christina and Joe Lazar. Christina and Joe bring years of experience in the education and business fields respectively, as Christina is a former local classroom teacher and Joe’s specialties lie in hospitality and leadership training. In addition to their new Code Ninjas location, the power duo has for the last 10 years, owned and operated a local, award-winning tutoring center, The Lazar Center of Learning & Achievement, as well as a small custom furniture and home décor business. As parents themselves, the Lazars were drawn to the Code Ninjas concept because of its unique cumulative curriculum that offered children like theirs a way to integrate educational and social opportunities.

The Concord center will be run by Anjali and Vivek Dighe. Previously residents of Washington, D.C., Anjali and Vivek bring combined strengths from their decades of experience in business optimization and business and technology development strategies in the public, private and international sectors. Committed to making technology opportunities available for children, Anjali is an active volunteer for the Women in Homeland Security STEM committee. After moving to Charlotte, the pair noticed the lack of STEM opportunities for children like their son, who love and thrive off technology. When the pair found Code Ninjas, they knew it would be the perfect opportunity to explore their passions while giving back to their community. The Dighe’s plan to open an additional two locations in Charlotte and one location in Chapel Hill over the next two years.

“Parents want their children to learn the critical skills that they’ll need in the future, but it also has to be fun for kids. Code Ninjas has found that sweet spot where kids have fun and parents see results, and we’re truly excited to bring our unique concept to Charlotte and the surrounding communities,” said David Graham, CEO and Founder of Code Ninjas.

David Graham is a professional software developer who previously owned a successful chain of coding camps for adults. After numerous inquiries from parents, Graham realized there was an unmet demand to teach children coding skills. He launched the Code Ninjas brand in 2016.

For more information about the Charlotte Code Ninjas locations, please visit www.codeninjas.com/locations/sc-fort-mill/ or www.codeninjas.com/locations/nc-concord/.

About Code Ninjas

Founded in 2016, Code Ninjas teaches children to code by building video games. Through a variety of offerings including after-school programs, camps, and parents-night-out events, Code Ninjas centers partner with families to provide children ages 7-14 with a fun, safe, and encouraging environment to gain the skills they need for a brighter future. With more than 90 locations in development across 20 states, Code Ninjas is the fastest growing kids coding franchise in the United States For more information, visit www.codeninjas.com.