Mike Kinner created Air O Sport around a simple challenge: how could he play a sport he loved with his daughter, his aging father, and friends who did not see themselves as athletic? In this conversation, he explains how a family-business upbringing and a difficult stretch as a founder shaped a game intended to bring different generations together. The Colorado Springs founder and inventor also shares how play has informed his work with families and business teams, why he values screen-free creativity, and what he hopes to build through the Air O Sport Foundation. In the episode, Mike talks about growing up around the Donut Mill, learning from his parents, the value he found in reading, and the product-design challenge that helped shape Air O Sport. He describes using play in corporate team experiences, the lonely stretch when the business felt difficult to sustain, parenting and screen-free play, and his hope to create more opportunities for people to play together. GUEST LINKS: Air O Sport: https://playairosport.com/ | Air O Sport Foundation: https://airosportfoundation.org/ | Peak Play Performance: https://peakplaypro.com/ GUEST Mike Kinner Founder and Inventor Air O Sport CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: play across generations 00:50 Colorado Business Podcast intro 01:00 Meet Mike Kinner and Air O Sport 02:44 The Donut Mill and family business 08:00 From basketball to self-development 15:55 Reading, focus, and flow 19:49 Diamond sponsor read 23:51 Why Mike created a multigenerational sport 26:52 Product design and the patent challenge 28:59 Play, confidence, and corporate teams 35:19 The setback that nearly stopped the dream 37:15 Relationships, trust, and team building 44:03 What pushed Mike past the setback? 45:06 Parenting and screen-free play 49:59 Creativity and the gift of boredom 51:29 LINE-X sponsor read 54:33 A sport that makes room for more people 56:52 Breaking loneliness through play 59:47 Where Air O Sport is going 1:02:27 Family, community, and the mission 1:05:09 The next million play moments 1:07:59 Outro SPONSORS Diamond sponsor read: EXCO Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/ Bellwether Homes: https://bellwetherhomes.com/ Pioneer Rodeo: https://pioneerrodeo.com/tickets/ Lightning Glassworks and Screens: https://fastglassrepair.com/ Bright Leaf Energy: https://brightleafenergy.co/ Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/ Be Our Guest Getaways: https://beourguestgetaways.com/ Planet Duct: https://planetduct.com/ FASTSIGNS: https://fastsigns.com/ Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: https://pinnacleapc.com/ LINE-X sponsor read: LINE-X of Colorado Springs: https://linexcoloradosprings.com/ RAIN: https://rain.tech/ Savion HQ: https://savionhq.com/ Data Hubz: https://datahubz.com/ Reveal Med Spas: https://revealmedspas.com/ Awesome Home Services: https://awesomeservice.com/ Dream Accounting Solutions: https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/ Exponential Impact: https://exponentialimpact.com/ Review note: The recorded Diamond read includes Pioneer Rodeo event copy for dates that have passed. Confirm an updated read or approved use before episode lock. ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community. Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColoradoBusinessPodcast Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/ What should Colorado protect as it grows, and what should it be willing to build? Share your perspective in the comments. #ColoradoBusinessPodcast #AirOSport #ColoradoSprings #Play