Not for everyone

The gym for the men the fitness industry forgot.

Brick × Brick is the anti-performance gym for the men building something real — affordable community fitness centers, built for how young men actually want to move and connect.

3 launch cities 35,000 sq ft each 2,500 members per site $13.1M raise

01Why we exist

Three crises, one missing place.

A generation of men is physically inactive, mentally struggling, and profoundly alone. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared social isolation a public health emergency — with health effects equivalent to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.

40% of Gen Z feel stressed or anxious all or most of the time
15% of men now report zero close friends — up from 3% in 1990
1 in 4 young men experiences chronic loneliness

02They've already found what helps

They don't want an app. They want a place to move.

Young men already know what works for them. They're not looking for content or influencers — only twelve percent say wellness content helps their mood. They are looking for somewhere to move, alongside other people, in person.

65% call regular exercise their single most effective mental-health tool
42% have formed real friendships at the gym
81% of Gen Z gym-goers take part in group workouts

03The gap

The place they need doesn't exist.

Budget chains

Planet Fitness and its peers offer equipment without community.

Premium brands

Equinox and Lifetime serve affluent cities at $150–$300 a month.

The YMCA

The closest historical analog — now aging and underfunded.

Quality, affordable space built around how young men actually move and connect. Brick × Brick is built to fill that gap.

Not for everyone The anti-performance gym For men with a few screws loose No front. No flex.

The BXB model

Give men what they want, then give them what they need.

Each location is a 35,000-square-foot community fitness center inside a converted school or community building. We attract men with excellent facilities and programming — then surround them with community, mentorship, and support.

04What's inside

Every space does double duty.

Fitness and connection, by design. Each space is built to deliver real results — and to make it easy for members to actually know each other.

Tap a card to step inside ↻

Fitness floor & studios

Open floor plans that encourage interaction, with trainers working alongside members — not in a separate section.

Move together

Court & sports field

A full basketball court and outdoor field for pickup games, leagues, and father–child programs.

Run it back

Combat sports studio

Boxing, MMA, and martial arts, where physical trust between partners becomes the foundation for friendship.

Trust your corner

Sauna & recovery suite

Steam room and shared recovery spaces where real conversation happens naturally.

Reset & recover

Café & community space

Post-workout gathering, nutrition as a conversation starter, and a venue for events.

Stay a while

Podcast & recording studio

A platform for members to share their stories — and for the community to tell its own.

Tell your story

Free childcare

Barriers removed by design, so that showing up is as easy as possible.

Bring the pack

05Programming

The full spectrum of how men move.

Every program is judged on two questions: does it deliver genuine fitness value, and does it create opportunities for members to know each other?

  • Combat sports & MMA

    Boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and MMA — among the most effective vehicles for male bonding. All levels, beginner to competitor.

  • League play

    Basketball, flag football, volleyball, and softball by skill level — structure, shared goals, and built-in reasons to see each other.

  • Same Time Tomorrow

    Members commit to a daily workout time with the same cohort. Over weeks, these become accountability groups — and friend groups.

  • Personal training

    One-on-one and small-group, on the floor alongside others — reinforcing community instead of isolating the relationship.

  • Father & child programming

    Built for parents to train with their kids — healthy habits across generations, stronger family bonds.

06Integrated support

The people who help you get stronger
can help you open up.

Cross-trained staff

Every trainer and coach is trained in active listening, de-escalation, mental health, and referral pathways. A trainer who sees you five hours a week is often the first to notice when something's off — and equipped to act.

On-site social worker

A licensed social worker embedded in the facility — on the floor, at the café, at events. The referral point for mental-health support, substance-use programs, housing, and job placement.

Personal concierge

Every member, every tier, gets a navigator who helps build a routine, plan nutrition, and connect to programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC they may qualify for but don't know about.

The whole point

Build your six. Build your pack.

Strength isn't built alone. Every round, every pickup game, every spot on the bench is another reason to show up — and someone to show up for.

07The flywheel

Mission and model aren't in tension.
They're the same thing.

1 2 3 4 5 6 BXB
  1. 1Real support means more visits
  2. 2More visits build more bonds
  3. 3Stronger bonds cut churn
  4. 4Lower churn lifts lifetime value
  5. 5More value funds better programs
  6. 6Better programs draw more members

We're not asking you to choose between impact and sustainability. Designed right, they're inseparable.

08Where we're starting

A three-market launch.

Chosen from a field of 34 cities for their need for third places, working-class populations, strong community identity, and available infrastructure.

Flint Michigan

~100,000 residents

A city rebuilding after decades of economic challenge, with deep community bonds and an underserved fitness landscape.

Yakima Washington

~95,000 residents

An agricultural working-class community where young men have few third places beyond the bar, the church, and the gym.

Shreveport Louisiana

~185,000 residents

A city of genuine community culture where the fitness market is dominated by budget chains with no premium community option.

We keep startup costs low by securing donated and below-market buildings — former schools and community spaces — through existing municipal programs.

09The numbers

Built to sustain itself.

Memberships are priced below what most families spend on a phone plan, with revenue diversified across dues, training, youth programs, corporate wellness, leagues, café, and facility rentals.

$13.1M Total raise to launch all three centers
$9.2M Annual revenue at maturity
$2.9M Net operating income
69% Of capacity is break-even — 1,724 of 2,500 members
Build your six Build your pack A reason to come back tomorrow Someone to come back to

The vision

A place to belong, in every city that needs one.

100+ locations
250,000 members served
$300M+ annual revenue

But the measure of success isn't financial. It's whether the men who walk through the door leave with something they didn't have when they arrived.

Help us lay the first bricks.

We're raising $13.1M to build community fitness centers in Flint, Yakima, and Shreveport. Whether you invest, partner, or want to bring BXB to your city — let's talk.

A reason to come back tomorrow,
and someone to come back to.