Dina built We Rock the Spectrum so no child would be left out. Then growth uncovered a barrier no one expected.

Key Result #1

Online bookings increased from roughly 3% to more than 40%.

Key Result #2

120+ franchise locations migrated to ROLLER in six months.

Key Result #3

Front desk check-in time dropped significantly, giving staff more time with families instead of technology.

Building a Place Where Every Child Belongs

Dina Kimmel never set out to build a global franchise. She set out to build a place where her son, Gabriel, could simply be a kid.

Dina’s family visited indoor playgrounds where they were repeatedly turned away. It wasn’t because Gabriel had done anything wrong, but because those spaces weren’t designed for children like him.

Years earlier, in 2009, Gabriel had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The hardest part wasn’t leaving the venue. They had grown used to that. It was watching Gabriel’s sister, Sophia, experience the heartbreak of seeing her brother excluded.

There didn’t seem to be anywhere built for families like hers. So Dina created the place they deserved but couldn’t find.

In August 2010, she transformed a bedroom in her home into a therapy space with a trampoline, sensory swings, and a crash pit. What began as a safe place for Gabriel soon became something much bigger. We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym was born. A place where neurodivergent and neurotypical children could play side by side without judgment. A place where parents didn’t have to say “I’m sorry.”

Dina quickly discovered that her family wasn’t alone. The need was everywhere, and the mission resonated.

What started as one room for one family has become a movement for thousands more. Today, sixteen years later, We Rock the Spectrum has opened nearly 200 locations across 34 U.S. states and holds trademarks in 29 countries.

When Growth Created the Next Barrier

But as the business expanded, a new obstacle emerged.

Inside the gym, Dina’s vision had become a reality: children of all abilities could play side by side. But the experience surrounding that time, from booking a visit to checking in, was creating barriers to the overall guest experience.

Every confusing booking process, manual task, and long front desk line pulled the business further away from the experience Dina had worked so hard to create. Growth should have made serving families easier. Instead, it exposed the limits of the technology behind the business.

For nearly a decade, Chief Marketing Officer Shane Stahl searched for a platform that could keep pace with We Rock the Spectrum’s vision. Year after year, the team replaced software, hoping to find one that truly fit.

None of them did.

“The technology we relied on forced us to make compromises we didn’t want to make,” Shane says. “It was like taking a circle and trying to jam it into a triangle.”

Shane Stahl

CMO, We Rock the Spectrum

Families felt those compromises first.

“The biggest complaint we got from customers was their online experience,” Dina recalls. “They said, ‘This is so hard. It’s so difficult. I just want to book a birthday party.'"

Dina Kimmel

CEO, We Rock the Spectrum

Online bookings hovered at just 3% across the franchise. Nearly every reservation required a parent to call during business hours and a staff member to process it manually. Instead of welcoming guests, employees spent their time answering phones and troubleshooting bookings. The result was long check-in lines that left children waiting instead of playing.

These weren’t ordinary operational problems. They threatened the mission itself.

Every abandoned booking represented another family facing an unnecessary barrier. Every minute spent wrestling with software was a minute that couldn’t be spent creating meaningful experiences for children.

And for busy parents, booking a visit often meant finding time during the workday rather than making plans when it was convenient for their family.

That mattered in an industry where 44% of bookings happen after 5 p.m., often after children have gone to bed.

When Technology Shifted from Barrier to Enabler

After years of replacing software, Shane wasn’t looking for another vendor. He was looking for a partner.

That’s when he found ROLLER.

“From day one, it was an incredible experience with the ROLLER team,” Shane says.

Shane Stahl

CMO, We Rock the Spectrum

The decision wasn’t just about replacing software. It was about solving years of friction that affected everyone from franchise owners to families walking through the door.

Parents booking camps, parties, and play had to complete multiple transactions just to register their children. Staff juggled separate systems for each activity creating extra work and inconsistent experiences across locations. Waivers slowed check-in, family data was fragmented and franchisees struggled to navigate an increasingly complex technology stack.

ROLLER offered a different approach. One connected platform designed specifically for attractions, not something built for a different industry.

Families could book multiple children in a single, mobile-friendly checkout and complete waivers as a part of the booking process. Behind the scenes, franchisees and staff could manage bookings, payments, and operations all in one place.

For the first time, We Rock the Spectrum had found technology designed for their business. It was intuitive, easy to use, and, most importantly, built around the attraction guest experience.

“They care about us. They make us feel important,” Shane says. “I don’t exaggerate when I say that, like We Rock the Spectrum, ROLLER has that family feel to it, all the way from the top with Mark and Luke.”

Shane Stahl

CMO, We Rock the Spectrum

For Dina, that mattered.

Protecting the We Rock the Spectrum brand has always meant choosing partners carefully. She wanted a company that understood they weren’t simply implementing software. They were helping thousands of families access a place built specifically for them.

Beyond the technology, Shane and Dina saw a partner that was willing to innovate alongside them.

“It has been a family, and we’re very, very happy to be part of the ROLLER family,” Dina says.

Dina Kimmel

CEO, We Rock the Spectrum

Moving the Mission Back to the Forefront

Implementing a new platform across more than 120 franchise locations in just six months wasn't simply a software rollout, it was an operational transformation.

Rather than relying solely on a traditional train-the-trainer model, the ROLLER team worked directly alongside franchise owners, adapting their approach to owners with every level of technical confidence.

The goal wasn't simply to install new software, it was to remove friction from every guest interaction.

The results came quickly.

Online bookings increased from approximately 3% to more than 40% across the franchise.

That change reached far beyond revenue. Families could reserve visits more easily. Check-in moved faster. Children spent less time waiting in line and more time doing what they came to do - play.

"Anything that we could do to cut down on that check-in time allows our staff members to focus on what really matters: servicing the customers, servicing the kiddos."

Shane Stahl

CMO, We Rock the Spectrum

The platform proved equally intuitive for employees.

"Our staff members were the quickest ones to pick it up," Shane says. "The day-to-day experience for them is much, much easier compared to what it was on our previous software."

Shane Stahl

CMO, We Rock the Spectrum

That simplicity created a ripple effect throughout every location.

Instead of sitting behind computers solving technical problems, franchise owners could spend their time building relationships with families.

"Our owners are able to take more time and work on the things that they need to work on, which is creating connections with the people that come into their gym, instead of just being behind the computer."

Shane Stahl

CMO, We Rock the Spectrum

Technology had finally moved into the background. The mission moved back to the forefront.

Ready for the Next Chapter

Sixteen years after opening the first We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, Dina's mission remains the same: create a place where every child can play, grow, and belong.

With a technology platform that now supports their growth instead of slowing it down, the team is focused on expanding access to even more communities. Their sights are set on 300+ locations globally, bringing inclusive play to families who are still searching for a place where every child is welcomed.

Because every new We Rock the Spectrum location means another community where no child is left on the sidelines.

Interested in opening a We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym? Fill out the franchise interest form to learn how you can bring inclusive play to your community.

Ready to scale your venue like We Rock the Spectrum? We’d love to chat.