Dan Umpa’s Next Mission: Helping Kids Grow Through USA Ninja Challenge

When Dan Umpa talks about his path to business ownership, it’s clear the story starts long before he ever heard of USA Ninja Challenge. It traces back to Long Island, where he grew up watching the Coast Guard pilots stationed near Robert Moses and Jones Beach. Those early memories shaped his sense of purpose.

“I always used to look up to those guys,” Umpa said. “They were there in people’s times of need… their whole point of being there is to save lives and help people.”

That instinct to serve stuck. After high school, Umpa set his sights on the U.S. Naval Academy, drawn to what he described as a “leadership laboratory” where he could immerse himself in both academics and military training. He graduated in 2009 with a degree in robotics and engineering — a foundation that would later make USA Ninja Challenge feel surprisingly familiar.

He went on to become a naval aviator, flying search-and-rescue helicopters — “the Swiss Army knife of the Navy,” as he calls them — where adaptability, readiness and problem-solving weren’t just professional expectations, but survival tools.

Umpa says his military experience is woven into the culture of his Ninja gym. One lesson stands above the rest: “Never tell somebody to do anything you're not willing to do yourself.”

It’s a principle that guides how he leads employees, works with families and inspires students. Whether it’s cleaning, fixing equipment or moving obstacles, he makes sure his team sees him doing the work too. “I'm leading from the front,” he said. “I am just as willing and able to do it as they are.”

That consistency sets the tone. “If you're not willing to do it yourself, how can you possibly ask somebody else to do it?” he said.

Umpa jokes that his gym operates under its own motto — a twist on the Marine Corps’ Semper Fidelis. “We call it Semper Gumby, always flexible,” he said.

Working with kids means no two days look the same. The military prepared him for exactly that. As a pilot, he trained for endless scenarios and learned how to adjust in real time while still keeping the mission at the center.

“You have to maintain that flexible mindset with the overall mission goal still in mind,” he said. “If you're not… and you're just staying rigid where you're at, it's not going to work.”

That approach translates directly to his role as a franchise owner: navigating parent expectations, staff needs, facility operations, class flow and the emotional dynamics of young athletes.

While reviewing franchise opportunities, Umpa kept coming back to his engineering background. USA Ninja Challenge allowed him to build — not just a business, but the environment itself.

“I always enjoyed building things,” he said. “This looked like an amazing opportunity to not just build a business but to have a business where I get to build things.”

That includes designing obstacles, shaping class progression, developing coaches and strengthening the community inside his gym. He also saw strong brand health and momentum.

But most importantly, he loved the structured, skill-based curriculum. “That’s what differentiates us from any other kids' activity,” Umpa said. “They're not going to get the same experience as if they had our expert coaches actually guiding them through a skill progression program.”

Umpa believes veterans bring natural strengths to franchise ownership — especially leadership, composure and adaptability.

“People who have served have leadership experience under stressful situations,” he said. “Their ability to handle those stressful situations and think calmly sets the veteran community a little bit apart.”

But he returns again to the concept of flexibility. Veterans are trained to understand a mission, recognize a changing situation and adjust intelligently.

“You have that knowledge to say, ‘All right, well, I recognize the situation now. I need to change and do something different to be able to complete this mission,’” he said.

That mindset isn’t only useful at USA Ninja Challenge — it’s foundational to entrepreneurship itself. “Not every day is going to be a bed of roses,” he said. “I love having the easy days but I'm always ready for the hard ones.”

For veterans considering franchising, Umpa offers one central reminder: “Remember your training.”

Military service doesn’t just prepare service members to follow steps — it prepares them to think, lead and problem-solve.

“It was a framework that taught you how to learn,” he said. “It taught you the principles of leadership. Try to keep that flexible mindset and remember the framework your training led you through.”