24 April 2026 | Interaction | By Editor Robotics Business NEWS <editor@rbnpress.com>
In this Robotics Business News conversation, Navin Gurnaney explains how the appointment of a new Chief Marketing Officer represents a key milestone in Code Ninjas evolution. The company is building a unified, data-driven marketing ecosystem to enhance lead generation, conversion, and retention across its global franchise network. With the addition of AI and robotics programs, Code Ninjas is repositioning itself as a comprehensive future-skills platform. Supported by strong partnerships and industry recognition, the company is well-positioned to meet growing demand for STEM education while delivering scalable, predictable growth for franchise partners.
What strategic priorities led to the appointment of Tyler Semerdjian as Chief Marketing Officer at this stage of Code Ninjas’ growth?
Code Ninjas is at an inflection point. We have 350+ locations with a growing international presence, a curriculum that’s earning serious third-party recognition, and a product that’s never been more relevant to parents. To get to the next level, we needed a marketing leader who could build the infrastructure to match the ambition.
Mr. Semerdjian came to us with deep experience in portfolio-level marketing leadership for PE-backed growth companies across multiple geographies and business models. He’s built marketing functions from the ground up - not just campaigns, but the systems underneath them. Attribution, data infrastructure, franchisee enablement. That’s a different skillset than what most people think of when they think “marketing,” and it’s exactly what we needed at this stage.
We weren’t looking for someone to run creative. We were looking for someone to build a system - one that connects data, media, creative and franchisee tools into a cohesive engine that drives measurable enrollment growth. Semerdjian’s background in PE-backed franchise environments, combined with his entrepreneurial experience as a co-founder, made him the right fit. He understands what it’s like to put your own money into a campaign and need it to work. That’s the mindset we wanted leading this function.
How will his leadership help scale your global marketing engine and strengthen brand positioning across markets?
One of the realities of operating across multiple international markets is that each one has different dynamics, different competitive landscapes and different parent expectations. What works in Texas doesn’t necessarily work in Ontario or London. You need a marketing leader who can build a centralized strategy that’s flexible enough to adapt locally.
Semerdjian has rebuilt our marketing infrastructure with that lens. He’s put systems in place that give us clear visibility into performance at the local level - by channel, by market, by location - so we can make smarter decisions about where to invest. At the same time, he’s sharpened our brand positioning around what genuinely differentiates Code Ninjas: the depth and rigor of our curriculum, the structured progression model, our partnership with Microsoft MakeCode, and the third-party validation of the ISTE Seal of Approval.
Our brand story is strong. What Tyler has done is make sure the infrastructure behind it is just as strong - so that story reaches the right parents in the right markets at the right time, with the data to prove it’s working.
Can you elaborate on plans to build a more connected marketing ecosystem to improve lead generation, conversion and retention?
This has been one of our biggest areas of investment. We’ve built a unified marketing ecosystem that connects the entire parent lifecycle - from first impression to enrollment to long-term retention. Every lead is tracked, every touchpoint is attributed and every franchisee has visibility into their own pipeline.
When a parent books a free session, we know where they came from. When they enroll, we know what drove the conversion. When they stay for two years, we know what kept them engaged. That kind of closed-loop system doesn’t just improve lead generation. It fundamentally strengthens how we approach retention, re-engagement and lifetime value.
We serve tens of thousands of students across our network in recurring monthly programs, with hundreds of thousands of additional seats sold through camps, clubs and events. The ability to deepen those relationships through better data and more personalized communication has been a game-changer. And we’re continuing to optimize - refining our segmentation, improving our automation and getting sharper on attribution across channels.
Critically, this gives our franchisees the data they need to make smart decisions about their own local marketing spend - which channels to invest in, which programs to promote, where to double down.
How does this appointment support your broader goal of expanding enrollment across your growing network of learning centers?
Everything we’ve built on the marketing side is designed to support enrollment growth at the unit level. That’s the metric that matters most in a franchise system. It’s not about national brand awareness in the abstract - it’s about whether the owner in Frisco, Texas or Burlington, Ontario is seeing more families walk through their door.
Chief Marketing Officer Tyler Semerdjian’s approach is centered on franchisee enablement. He’s built paid media playbooks that give owners proven frameworks for running local campaigns on Google and Meta. He’s deployed attribution infrastructure so franchisees can see exactly what’s driving leads at their location. And he’s created the creative assets and messaging tools that help owners convert those leads once they show up for a free session or tour.
The best franchise marketing organizations aren’t top-down. They’re platforms. They arm franchisees with the tools, data and playbooks to grow their own businesses while maintaining brand consistency across the network. That’s the model Tyler has built, and it’s directly tied to our enrollment growth targets. We’ve also seen a meaningful increase in franchisee satisfaction - our Franchise Business Review scores have improved significantly - and a big part of that is giving owners better support and better tools on the marketing side.
What role will data-driven marketing and performance optimization play in your next phase of growth?
A central role. One of the first things Tyler did when he joined was raise the bar on how we use data to drive marketing decisions. We’ve invested heavily in end-to-end attribution, and we can now measure cost per lead, cost per enrollment and lifetime value by channel, by market and by location. That data doesn’t just inform marketing decisions - it informs business decisions. It tells us which markets to invest in, which programs to promote and where to allocate resources.
For our franchisees, it means they’re not guessing. They can see what’s actually driving results at their specific location and make informed decisions about where to spend. That shift from intuition to evidence has been one of the most impactful changes we’ve made. And it’s a competitive advantage - most franchise systems in our category aren’t operating at this level of data maturity.
The foundation is in place. Now the focus is on continuous optimization - getting sharper on channel mix, improving conversion rates at each stage of the funnel, driving measurable improvement in unit economics and EBITDA contribution, and giving franchisees even more granular insights to work with.
How is Code Ninjas adapting its messaging to reflect the expanding scope of its STEM, robotics and coding programs?
This is an area where Code Ninjas has a really compelling story to tell, and we’re telling it more effectively than ever. When most people hear “coding for kids,” they think of a narrow, screen-based activity. The reality of what we offer is much broader and deeper than that.
Our CREATE curriculum takes kids through a structured progression using a belt system - similar to martial arts - with clear milestones that mark real skill development. Our JR program introduces younger children to foundational concepts through age-appropriate, play-based learning. We’ve launched an AI Academy that teaches kids how artificial intelligence works - not just how to use AI tools, but how to think about AI, build with it and understand its implications. And our Robotics Academy gives students hands-on experience with physical computing and robotics concepts, bridging the gap between code on a screen and real-world application.
All of this is built on a proprietary learning platform developed in partnership with Microsoft MakeCode. And we recently earned the ISTE Seal of Approval for our curriculum - the first and only kids’ computer science curriculum in the world to receive that recognition. That’s a meaningful proof point. It tells parents that what we’re teaching isn’t just fun - it’s academically rigorous and aligned with recognized standards.
The messaging shift is about moving from “we teach kids to code” to “we prepare kids for where the world is going.” Coding is the foundation, but computational thinking, AI literacy, robotics and problem-solving are where the value really lives for parents. Semerdjian’s team has built the brand narrative and creative assets to communicate that evolution clearly - not just to parents, but to the broader market.
What opportunities do you see in the rising demand for future-focused education programs among parents and students?
The demand is real and it’s accelerating. Parents are watching AI reshape industries in real time. They’re seeing headlines about automation, about the jobs of the future, about the skills gap. And they’re asking themselves: is my child prepared for this?
That’s a fundamentally different conversation than it was even three years ago. It used to be that coding was a “nice to have” - an enrichment activity, like piano lessons or soccer. Today, more and more parents see it as essential. They’re not just looking for a fun after-school program. They’re looking for something that gives their child a real advantage - both the hard skills and the soft skills like resilience, problem-solving, creativity and collaboration.
Code Ninjas is positioned exceptionally well for this shift. We’re not a tutoring center. We’re not a screen-time babysitter. We’re a structured, accredited learning environment where kids build real skills in a way that’s genuinely engaging. The ISTE Seal validates that. The breadth of our programs - from JR through AI Academy and Robotics Academy - means we can serve families from early childhood through their teenage years. And the depth of our curriculum means kids don’t plateau after a few months. There’s always a next level.
The opportunity for growth is significant, and it’s not just in new markets. It’s in deepening enrollment at existing locations by helping parents understand the full scope of what we offer and the long-term value of staying in the program.
How will this leadership addition support franchise partners and drive more predictable, scalable growth across the network?
Franchise partners are the business. Everything we do at the corporate level exists to help them succeed. Tyler understands that deeply. He has an entrepreneurial background himself - he co-founded a consumer products company - and he brings real empathy for what it’s like to be an owner investing your own capital and trying to grow a business in your community.
The biggest thing he’s focused on is removing guesswork for franchisees. He’s given them better data so they can see what’s driving leads. Better playbooks so they have proven frameworks for local marketing. Better creative assets so they’re not building campaigns from scratch. And a stronger technology stack so they can manage their pipeline and retention from a single, connected system.
Predictable growth in a franchise system comes from repeatable processes. When an owner in one market can look at what’s working in another market and apply those learnings with confidence, that’s scalable. Semerdjian has built the multi-brand marketing infrastructure that makes that possible - the data layer, the reporting, the playbooks and the tools that turn individual success stories into systemwide growth.
I’ve spent my career building and turning around consumer-facing businesses at scale, from global restaurant brands to retail operations. What I’ve learned is that the companies that win long-term are the ones that invest in systems, not just stories. Code Ninjas has a great story. Semerdjian’s job is to make sure we have the systems to back it up - and to make sure every franchise partner benefits from that investment. We’re excited about where we’re headed.
