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Key Takeaways Michael Browning Jr. is the founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands, the $1 billion youth enrichment platform company that includes Urban Air, The Little Gym and Sylvan Learning.
Unleashed Brands has more than 1,600 locations nationwide and serves more than 25 million people.
In 2025, Unleashed Brands opened 133 new franchise locations with more than 200 franchises in development.
When Michael Browning Jr. tried to launch a trampoline park in 2011, every bank and investor rejected him. His age was a factor — he was 26 years old at the time. Investors said he was too young and that his idea would never work.
Undeterred, Browning went to his parents and asked for their help. His dad had a construction background and said he could help Browning build the facility. His parents also invested in the venture.
That’s how Browning found himself working alongside his father, building the first Urban Air Adventure Park by hand. They rented forklifts, laid wood and unloaded foam cubes, constructing the trampoline park from scratch.
“It was one of these things where I just had a huge passion for starting the business,” Browning tells Entrepreneur in a new interview. “The banks didn’t see it, landlords didn’t see it, people thought I was crazy, but I was committed to it, and it all worked out.”
In 2021, Browning founded Unleashed Brands, a unified franchise platform to help children learn, play and grow. Unleashed Brands, which includes Urban Air, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning, Premier Martial Arts and Water Wings Swim School, has more than 1,600 locations nationwide and serves more than 25 million children.
Last year, the company did just over $1 billion in revenue, and Browning predicts it will reach that milestone again in 2026. In 2025, Unleashed Brands opened 133 new franchise locations, with more than 200 franchises in development.
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