The People Behind Your Game Development Journey
We started Codelearnova Hub because we've all been where you are right now—curious about game development, maybe a little intimidated by the technical side, but excited about the possibilities. Our story isn't about corporate milestones or fancy awards. It's about real people who found their way into this industry and decided to help others do the same.
How We Actually Got Here
Back in 2019, I was working at a mid-sized software company in Baku, doing mostly web development. But nights and weekends? That's when I'd tinker with Unity, trying to build the kind of games I'd always wanted to play. The learning curve was steep, and honestly, pretty lonely.
The breakthrough came when I started documenting my learning process. Not the polished tutorials you see everywhere, but the real stuff—the mistakes, the "aha" moments, the times when something just clicked after weeks of confusion. Friends started asking for help, then friends of friends.
By late 2021, we realized we were accidentally running informal game development workshops out of my apartment. That's when we knew we had something worth formalizing.
Meet the Team
We're not trying to be the biggest game development school in Azerbaijan. We're trying to be the most genuine one.
Kendra Vasquez
Lead Game Development Instructor
Kendra joined us in early 2023 after spending four years at a mobile gaming studio in Istanbul. She has this amazing ability to explain complex programming concepts using everyday examples. Her background in psychology helps her understand exactly where students get stuck and why.
Our Teaching Philosophy
We believe game development should be learned by making actual games, not just following tutorials. Every project our students work on is something they genuinely want to create.
Instead of promising unrealistic career outcomes, we focus on building solid fundamentals and helping students understand what path might work best for their situation.
Rashad Soltanov
Technical Mentor & Founder
Started this whole thing from a genuine desire to make game development education less intimidating. Spent the early 2020s building small indie games while working full-time, which gave him a realistic perspective on what it takes to succeed in this field.
What Drives Our Approach
These aren't corporate values we printed on a poster. These are the principles that emerged from actually working with students over the past few years.
Realistic Expectations
Game development is challenging and rewarding, but it's not a guaranteed path to instant success. We help students understand the industry landscape and make informed decisions about their learning journey. Our autumn 2025 programs are designed for people who want to learn properly, not quickly.
Project-Based Learning
Every student leaves with actual games they've built, not just certificates. We've found that working on projects you care about is the best way to push through the inevitable frustrating moments that come with learning complex technical skills.
Small Group Focus
We deliberately keep our program sizes manageable. Kendra works with no more than 12 students at a time because that's what allows for meaningful individual attention. It means we can't scale as fast as some other programs, but our students get better outcomes.
Industry Context
We stay connected to what's actually happening in the game development world, both locally and internationally. Our curriculum reflects current industry practices, but we also help students understand how the field is evolving and what skills will remain valuable long-term.
This is what our learning environment actually looks like—students working on real projects, getting stuck, figuring things out, and gradually building the confidence that comes from creating something from scratch. Our next cohort starts in September 2025, and applications open in June.