SPEAKER BIO

Michael Browning Jr.

 Michael Browning Jr. (born 1984) is an American entrepreneur, speaker, and business leader best known as the founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands, the parent company of several leading youth enrichment franchises including Urban Air Adventure Park, Snapology, The Little Gym, Premier Martial Arts, Class 101, XP League, and Water Wings Swim School. Browning is widely recognized for his mission-driven leadership, helping scale purpose-led brands that serve millions of families annually across the United States.

Early Life and Education

Browning was born in Arlington, Texas to Mike and Sharla Browning, both entrepreneurs who instilled in him a deep work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. The Browning family operated a laundromat, worked on a dairy farm, and eventually founded Browning Custom Homes, a homebuilding company that served the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex where he and his family still reside.

Michael demonstrated a passion for business from an early age—selling bracelets door to door, trading baseball cards, building websites in high school, and launching a data analytics company while still a student at Texas Christian University (TCU), where he graduated in 2007.

Founding Urban Air Adventure Park

Inspired by a childhood dream to create a space where kids could celebrate, escape, and connect through play, Browning launched the first Urban Air Adventure Park in 2011 in Southlake, Texas. Despite skepticism from landlords and banks, he and his family invested everything they had, building the location by hand and working every role—from janitor to party host—to ensure its success.

By 2014, the company had launched its franchise division, and by 2017, Browning opened the world’s first indoor adventure park in Sugar Land, Texas, cementing Urban Air’s place as an industry innovator

Building Unleashed Brands

When the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down the family entertainment industry, Browning used the opportunity to reflect and pivot. Realizing that Urban Air’s core audience—moms and their children—had broader needs, he set out to unify the fragmented youth enrichment space under one scalable platform.

Unleashed Brands was launched in 2021 to serve families through fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help kids become who they are destined to be. Today, Unleashed Brands comprises eight nationally recognized franchises and supports over 1,400 locations, collectively impacting more than 20 million lives annually.

Teaching and Mentorship

Browning pays it forward as an Adjunct Professor at Texas Christian University, where he teaches an Introduction to Franchising course. He also serves as Executive in Residence at the Neeley School of Business, mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Philanthropy

Through the Unleashed Brands Foundation, Browning is committed to supporting children facing adversity. His philanthropic work includes donating over $1 million to childhood cancer research, hosting birthday parties for foster children, and ensuring children with life-threatening illnesses can access enriching experiences through Unleashed Brands locations.