The company behind XP League, a Seattle-based youth esports organization with an office in Dallas, opened more than 100 locations and signed over 200 new franchise agreements across the country last year.
Unleashed Brands owns youth concepts The Little Gym, Class 101, Premier Martial Arts, Urban Air Adventure Park, Snapology, and XP League. It operates more than 1,500 units.
“It’s been remarkable to see the progress and expansion we’ve achieved over the past year across our brands and franchisee network,” said Michael O. Browning Jr., Unleashed Brands founder and CEO, in a news release.
“This substantial growth is possible because of the hard work of our home office team, devoted franchise owners and partners that position Unleashed Brands as the dominant youth enrichment platform. We know that today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders, and we will continue to build great brands where those kids can learn, play and grow in the next year and beyond.”
Over the last year, the number of franchisees becoming multi-unit owners increased to 61%, up from 55% the previous year.
“The company also observed franchisees expand their presence into multiple brands within the platform, growing the number of multi-unit, multi-brand owners (MUMBO) from 6 percent to 8 percent systemwide,” the release shows. “These increases highlight Unleashed Brands’ commitment to fostering opportunities for franchisees to thrive and expand as successful entrepreneurs.
Unleashed Brands added to its leadership team in 2023, naming Diane Sanford as chief people officer, Ryan Slemons as chief development officer, and Eric Schechterman as vice president of franchise finance. Separately, the company “introduced a partnership” with the U.S. Center for Safesport, which “provides standardized abuse awareness and prevention training” to franchisees and their employees.
