Kyle OConnor | South Bend Entrepreneur
Kyle OConnor is an entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and podcast host based in South Bend, Indiana. As the founder and CEO of Alpha Dog Agency, he has grown the company from humble beginnings in a borrowed basement to serving over 100 clients nationwide and seven-figure revenue from their downtown South Bend headquarters.
​
Kyle's journey began in sports, where he set state and national records in high school football and earned recognition in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame record book. After graduating from Bethel University with a degree in Sports Management, he worked with Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins affiliates before transitioning into sports media, founding Five Word Sports and writing for major outlets including Bleacher Report.
​
His pivot to digital marketing came during his time at an international ad agency in New York, where he discovered his passion for helping local businesses maximize their online presence. This experience led him back to Indiana to launch Alpha Dog Agency in 2013.
​
Beyond his agency work, Kyle has founded multiple successful ventures including Point Guard University, a basketball training company that operates camps nationwide, along with providing free clinics in the South Bend and Chicago areas. He's a partner in Athletes Media Group, where he hosted the "My First" podcast featuring conversations with professional athletes like Terrell Owens, Penny Hardaway, and Clyde Drexler. He also co-owns Michiana Sports Cards and hosts the top-rated South Bend Beat podcast.
​
Kyle is the creator of the Marketing Minute 4 Dentists newsletter, which is read by thousands of dentists each week, and hosts the accompanying Marketing Minute 4 Dentists podcast, establishing himself as a trusted voice in dental practice marketing from coast to coast.
​
Kyle is a public speaker who has delivered keynote addresses at WixCon, Startup Moxie, and the South Bend Entrepreneurship & Adversity Program, along with presentations for numerous Chambers of Commerce and sales conferences. His expertise spans entrepreneurship, personal growth and business growth strategies.
​
Recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree in South Bend in 2020, Kyle is passionate about giving back to his community through volunteer work with Heroes For Literacy, an after-school reading program for children. He also sits on the boards of RISE Entrepreneurship and the Hawkins Family Foundation.
​
When he's not building businesses or speaking, Kyle enjoys traveling, collecting sports cards, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.