Hanif Family Brings Passion for Learning to Code Ninjas in Gurnee, IL

New franchise owners are excited to give back to their community by building future STEM professionals.

Feroze Hanif wants to make a positive impact in peoples’ lives, and sees Code Ninjas as the perfect opportunity to do just that. His goal is to help close the gender gap in STEM fields by introducing STEM topics to girls 7–14 years of age.

Please tell us a little about yourself — background, interests, family, and anything else you want to share.

We consider ourselves to be Global Citizens. Having lived our lives in three continents, Chicago has been our home for the last 28 years. We have toured most of the major cities in Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America. We enjoy every aspect of diversity, and love exploring the different ethnic cultures and food wherever our travels take us. In addition to travel, we have a passion for lifelong learning and development.

What was your profession or career leading up to joining the Code Ninjas franchise?

Feroze holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Information Systems from DePaul University. He started his Information Technology career working as a Help Desk Analyst in 1992. Since then, Feroze has held positions in IT Infrastructure, Enterprise Architecture, and Application Development. Leading up to owning a Code Ninjas franchise, Feroze has held the position of Solution Delivery Manager overseeing large scale enterprise application development teams.

Feroze’s wife Samia has a passion for numbers and has provided bookkeeping, payroll and tax services as an H&R Block franchisee owner since 2007. Their eldest son Daanyaal is a Senior at Libertyville High School and Zaviyaar, their youngest, is in second grade at Oak Grove Elementary School.

What made you decide to become a Code Ninjas franchise owner?

Code Ninjas provides a unique opportunity to give back to our local community by building future STEM professionals. By teaching kids about coding, robotics and other related technologies, they are exposed to tactical problems early and can build their problem solving, creative thinking and collaboration skills. We want to help kids focus on developing life skills for the future as they solve practical challenges in a fun and entertaining environment.

Code Ninjas franchise provides a unique opportunity to give back to our local community by building future STEM professionals.

What are you most excited about as a Code Ninjas franchisee?

The most gratifying feeling is when we can make a positive impact in people’s lives. As we have a passion for empowering women in under-served communities, Code Ninjas will provide us with the platform to help shape people’s lives in our communities through early education. There is a significant shortage of women in STEM fields, but Code Ninjas will help bridge the gender gap by introducing STEM topics to girls 7 to 14 years of age. Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that having knowledge of computer languages is becoming just as important as learning about spoken languages. In our center, we are as passionate about teaching young kids computer languages as parents are to teach their native spoken language to their kids at home.

Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that having knowledge of computer languages is becoming just as important as learning about spoken languages.

What do you think will be the most challenging part of being a Code Ninjas franchisee?

Having owned a mature H&R Block franchise for the last 11 years, we are very confident in the Code Ninjas franchise model, and are extremely excited about the opportunity to serve children in our community. The most challenging part for us so far has been waiting for our center to launch. As we waited patiently and followed the steps to make our center operational, the excitement within our family was at its peak. Some of our community members were just as excited and have been anxiously awaiting our center’s launch. We are so pleased to finally be open!

As we waited patiently and followed the steps to make our center operational, the excitement within our family was at its peak.

What advice do you have for anyone considering owning a Code Ninjas franchise?

Code Ninjas HQ has an amazing turnkey solution for getting your center up and operational quickly. Leverage the experience and support available at HQ to take the leap forward. Also, network with other franchisees in your area to understand the local state, county and city laws. Marketing will play a key role in making your center a success. Use the tools and vendor relationships HQ has built to reduce the burden on the franchisees. There may also be an opportunity to collaborate with other neighboring franchisees to jointly market Code Ninjas in the larger metropolitan area.

Leverage the experience and support available at HQ to take the leap forward.

Code Ninjas in Gurnee, IL is now open! Visit their website and like their Facebook page for updates.

At Code Ninjas, kids ages 7–14 learn coding, robotics, and problem solving in a FUN, supportive, and social environment. With hundreds of locations nationwide, Code Ninjas provides the next generation with the life-changing STEM skills they’ll need in the future. Code Ninjas: Kids have fun, parents see results.