Leadership
Michael Browning is a marketing strategist, brand architect, and creative executive who helps ambitious organizations and athletes build brands that move people. As Founder and Managing Director of July Grey, he leads a multidisciplinary team that blends brand strategy, content, and digital innovation to elevate clients across the built environment, sports, and lifestyle sectors.
With more than a decade of experience leading high-impact marketing initiatives, Michael has guided brands such as L’Oréal Paris, USA Hockey, Manscaped, Dupont, Global Hockey Consultants, and Carlisle Wide Plank Floors—helping them tell stories that inspire loyalty and drive measurable growth. His work bridges industries but shares one mission: creating meaningful brand experiences that connect vision to value.
Through July Grey, Michael has incubated and invested in emerging ventures including SISU Americas, a professional soccer agency; HAYZ Outdoors, co-founded with NHL player Zack Hayes; the Ben Jones Foundation, founded by NHL player Ben Jones; and Breathonance, a wellness-tech company backed by NOBULL & Chopra Global Foundation and lab-tested at Harvard, MIT, and NYU.
Previously, Michael held leadership roles with Fox Ellis Agency where he oversaw marketing and representation for more than 150 athletes and secured multimillion-dollar sponsorships and partnerships.
A graduate of Cornell University’s Digital Marketing Program and a 40 Under 40 honoree, Michael blends creative intuition with analytical rigor—merging data, design, and storytelling to build brands that perform.
Outside of his ventures, he serves as a youth hockey and baseball coach.
Driven by creativity, data, and storytelling that drive action, Michael and his team at July Grey continue to reimagine how brands engage modern audiences—one bold idea at a time.
OUR STORY
From Vision to Impact: The Journey of July Grey
Founded in 2014 as a social media side project, we quickly grew into a leader in digital innovation. By 2016, we pioneered Snapchat’s filter integration technology, leading to a strategic sale within a year.
In 2019, we shifted focus to athlete branding, launching an agency that made an immediate impact. In its first year, we built brands and partnerships for 52 professional athletes, primarily NHL players. By year two, our roster expanded to 250 athletes, offering sponsorships, partnerships, NFT development, and charitable support, including fundraising for youth sports.
Building on this success, we launched a division to support the global effort to monetize athletes' biometric data through blockchain technology, aligning with initiatives like Project Red Card in the U.S.
Today, these experiences drive July Grey, a trusted partner for professional athletes, entrepreneurs, and businesses. With expertise in digital marketing, strategy, and design, July Grey helps clients achieve greatness in an ever-evolving marketplace.
PRESS
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