KYLE OCONNOR
PRESIDENT
Kyle is an entrepreneur, blogger and podcast host from South Bend, Indiana.
Kyle was born in rural Kansas before moving around to various cities in Indiana and Kansas during childhood. He attended high school in Brewster, Kansas. While at Brewster, Kyle set state and national records in football, earning a spot in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame record book.
Kyle enrolled at Sterling College in Central Kansas, accepting a basketball scholarship. After two years at Sterling, he transferred to Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana to finish his college education, graduating with a degree in Sports Management in 2010.
Kyle spent time working with the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins affiliates before writing for Bleacher Report and Football Nation, later founding Five Word Sports. From there, he accepted a job at an international ad agency in New York. It was here that he fell in love with digital marketing, with a focus on local business.
Kyle then returned to South Bend to open the Alpha Dog Agency in 2013 to help business owners maximize their online presence. The early days of Alpha Dog were spent in a borrowed basement, cold-calling local businesses. Alpha Dog has since grown to servicing over 100 clients nationwide and an office in Downtown South Bend.
Kyle also founded Point Guard University, a basketball training company located in South Bend that hosts camps in Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and New York - along with hosting free nationwide clinics for youth athletes throughout the year.
Kyle is a partner in Athletes Media Group, a digital platform that allows professional athletes to tell stories from their playing days. Under the AMG platform, he was the host of My First podcast which let athletes such as Terrell Owens, Penny Hardaway and Clyde Drexler tell stories from their first games and seasons.
Kyle is a partner of Michiana Sports Cards, a sports cards and memorabilia shop located in Granger, IN.
Kyle is also the host of South Bend Beat, a top-rated podcast that interviews local business owners and influencers.
You can book Kyle to speak at your event here. He’s been a featured speaker at WixCon and various Chambers of Commerce and Kiwanis Clubs. He's also been the keynote speaker at Startup Moxie, Applied Entrepreneurship Program and the South Bend Entrepreneurship & Adversity Program. He's also been the keynote speaker for various Sales & Leadership conferences.
Kyle was recognized as a 40 Under 40 member in the South Bend area in 2020, highlighting local leaders and influencers.
Kyle is an avid sports fan, especially of the Chicago Cubs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He loves to travel, sports cards and a good show to binge. He enjoys volunteering at Heroes For Literacy, an after school reading program for children.