Rocket Youth, One of the Leading and Fastest-Growing Youth Enrichment Platforms in the United States, Announces Backing From Sports Industry Veterans Maverick Carter and Daniel Sillman

Rocket Youth — the fast-growing youth enrichment platform that partners with local educators, coaches, and child development professionals to scale their businesses — announced Friday that it had raised more than $100 million in backing led by sports industry veterans Maverick Carter and Daniel Sillman as well as partner- and build-focused investment vehicle ZBS Partners. Rocket Youth, which has amassed a portfolio of more than 20 businesses across 10 states and is operational nationwide, has differentiated itself by enabling business owners to run and grow their businesses more efficiently while maintaining their operational independence. Thanks to its operator-friendly partnership model, Rocket Youth has brought on more than 750 employees and expanded into five sports — basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, swimming, and gymnastics — since launching in March 2024.

“We founded Rocket Youth with a clear vision: to empower small businesses in youth sports and enrichment to achieve extraordinary growth while preserving their independence and entrepreneurial spirit. By equipping our partners with the tools, resources, and insights they need to scale, we enable them to focus on what truly matters—positively impacting the lives of children and shaping the next generation of leaders,” said Rocket Youth Co-Founder and CEO, Eric Rapps. “Mav and Danny bring a wealth of industry knowledge and relationships that will immediately benefit us and our partners and we’re excited to continue this journey together.”

Carter is the longtime business manager for LeBron James and serves as the CEO of his personal management company, LRMR Ventures. He also co-founded production company SpringHill Entertainment and multimedia platform Uninterrupted with James, which have recently merged with British production company Fulwell 73. Carter will serve as co-CEO of the combined company, Fulwell Entertainment.

The Akron, Ohio, native grew up playing football and basketball and went on to play Division I basketball. Carter credits many of the skills and traits that have catalyzed his entrepreneurial success to what he learned on the field and court during his youth, prompting his investment in Rocket Youth.

“It’s difficult to understate just how profound an impact youth sports have had on my life; so much of who I am today stems from what I learned playing basketball and football growing up,” said Maverick Carter. “It’s incredibly exciting for me to invest in and be a partner to Rocket Youth, a platform providing similar opportunities for kids nationwide by enabling coaches and educators to focus their energy on mentoring the leaders of tomorrow.”

Sillman, who led the round of investment alongside Carter, is the CEO of Relevent Sports, a live soccer events and media company best known for marketing the media rights for global football’s top leagues and competitions across the Western Hemisphere. One of the best-connected executives in the sports industry, Sillman has led media rights sales for the top European football leagues — including LaLiga, UEFA, EFL, and Bundesliga — and secured approximately $5 billion in collective commercial value. He is credited with helping catalyze the increased interest in European football in the United States.

As a student at the University of Michigan, Sillman founded the multi-family office Compass Management Group, which provided financial services and support to high-profile athletes including NBA champion Draymond Green and NFL star Brandon Graham. Later, as Director of Business Development at private investment firm RSE Ventures, Sillman initiated the acquisition of Student Sports, the premier network of camps and events for elite high school athletes. He spearheaded efforts to build the business — which included Area Code Baseball, a training organization for the nation’s top high school baseball players, and Elite 11, the nation’s leading quarterback competition — into a robust media property and subsequently led Student Sports’ sale to Stack Sports.

Eric Rapps, Jake Sloane, and Frank Zhang founded Rocket Youth as a resource to empower partners to prioritize their passion without compromising their growth prospects or relinquishing day-to-day control of their business.

Rocket Youth is redefining how youth sports and enrichment businesses operate by offering a suite of services designed to support their expansion and alleviate administrative burden. The company specializes in providing strategic growth support in areas such as marketing, analytics, pricing optimization, and expansion through new location openings and acquisitions, all while alleviating administrative burdens like HR, payroll, insurance, accounting, legal, tax, and compliance that often hinder small businesses. Rocket Youth has created a unique ecosystem among its partners, enabling businesses to share learnings, best practices, and data with one another, all while maintaining their individual brand identity and independence.