How a Rejected 26-Year-Old Built a $1 Billion Youth Enrichment Empire
In 2011, Michael Browning Jr. attempted to launch a trampoline park. At 26 years old, he faced rejection from every bank and investor he approached. Potential backers told him he was too young and insisted his business idea would never work.
Undeterred by the rejections, Browning turned to his parents for assistance. His father, who had a background in construction, offered to help build the facility, and his parents invested in the venture. Working alongside his father, Browning built the first Urban Air Adventure Park by hand, renting forklifts, laying wood, and unloading foam cubes to construct the park from scratch.
Today, Browning is the founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands, a youth enrichment platform company that has surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue. The company's portfolio includes Urban Air, The Little Gym, and Sylvan Learning, spanning more than 1,600 locations nationwide and serving over 25 million people.
The Early Days of Urban Air
The first Urban Air location opened on October 28, 2011. At the time, it was only the sixth trampoline park in the United States. Browning and his family operated the business under a simple three-part mantra: keep guests safe, keep them happy, and make money, in that specific order. To understand the business fully, Browning and his family worked every role, including register operator, attraction monitor, janitor, and party host.
The business expanded into franchising on December 16, 2014, when a family in Wichita, Kansas, opened the first franchise location. That original family remains franchisees today and has since expanded to multiple locations.
Browning initially did not view franchising as a growth path while operating four family-owned locations in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. However, persistent inquiries from a guest interested in franchising the concept prompted him to research the model and seek out industry mentors. He eventually embraced franchising as a way to expand without personally operating every location outside his home market.
The Birth of Unleashed Brands
The concept for Unleashed Brands emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when Urban Air was forced to temporarily close all of its locations. As a father of three, Browning found the process of searching for and organizing various children's activities fragmented and difficult.
Recognizing that Urban Air had established a robust infrastructure for marketing, designing, and operating franchise businesses—alongside a large database of families—Browning decided to build a unified ecosystem for youth enrichment. His goal was to acquire trusted youth-focused brands and connect them under a single shared services infrastructure, utilizing the same point-of-sale system, technology stack, and marketing resources.
Unleashed Brands was officially founded in 2021. The platform launched with two key acquisitions: The Little Gym, a gymnastics concept, and Snapology, a STEM education company. Browning targeted these specific brands because his own children had participated in and enjoyed their programs.
Expansion and Growth Strategy
Unleashed Brands now oversees seven distinct brands organized under three developmental pillars: learn, play, and grow. The "play" pillar features Urban Air. The "learn" pillar includes Sylvan Learning Centers, Snapology, and the college-planning franchise Class 101. The "grow" pillar comprises The Little Gym, Water Wings Swim School, and Premier Martial Arts.
In 2025, Unleashed Brands opened 133 new franchise locations, with more than 200 additional franchises currently in development. The company generated just over $1 billion in revenue last year, and Browning projects the company will reach the $1 billion milestone again in 2026.
To drive early franchise growth, Browning utilized unconventional, low-cost marketing tactics. He placed signs on the backs of bathroom stall doors and above urinals inside Urban Air locations, reading, "Want to be your own boss? Own an Urban Air franchise." According to Browning, a large percentage of the company's first 50 franchisees came from guests who saw those advertisements.
Advice for Entrepreneurs
Reflecting on his journey, Browning emphasizes that building a successful business requires deep operational knowledge and a willingness to handle daily challenges. He notes that what appears to be an overnight success often takes about 15 years of hard work, late nights, and early mornings.
Browning advises founders to expect problems and view them as standard milestones rather than reasons to quit. He maintains that true entrepreneurship requires a willingness to get into the weeds and learn every job within the company to ensure long-term success.
