Sioux City, Iowa - Kyle Thousand’s great-grandfather lived by the motto “the harder he worked, the luckier he got.” It’s a philosophy Kyle, a North High School alum, has taken to heart.
“Things won’t always go your way, and there will be bumps along your journey, but if you are prepared and do the hard work, things will work out the way they were meant to be,” says Kyle, who attended the University of Iowa after high school graduation.
A fourth-generation Hawkeye, he made waves on the University of Iowa baseball field, twice named as an All-Big Ten selection. After a brief professional baseball career with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, Kyle graduated from Creighton University’s School of Law.
The rest, as they say, is [sports] history.
After law school, Kyle moved to Chicago, working as a corporate and mergers and acquisition lawyer at Katten Muchin Rosenman. The firm represented the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, giving Kyle the opportunity to be part of the general counsel for Jerry Reinsdorf, who owned both teams.
In 2011, a leap of faith landed Kyle a position developing a baseball division at Excel Sports Management in New York City. That role opened more doors and four years later, he was hired as the managing director of baseball at hip-hop artist and entrepreneur Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports, overseeing the entire baseball division.
During his time at Roc Nation, Kyle was instrumental in renegotiating a $137.5 million contract for Yoenis Cespedes with the New York Mets. The deal made headlines and helped Kyle dream bigger.
“I’ve always worked off a prepared plan and thought several steps ahead in getting to where I’m at today,” adds Kyle. “I would never be where I am today without the connections I’ve made and the people I’ve met along the way.”
After six years at Roc Nation, Kyle took another leap, becoming co-owner of his own baseball division at Milk & Honey Sports in 2022. Based in Los Angeles, California, the organization has ventures in music and sports, representing some of the most notable entertainers and athletes in the industry.
Thrilled to join the Milk & Honey team as an equity partner, Kyle credits his Iowa background for instilling a strong work ethic and drive to pursue his dreams.
“I am forever grateful to have grown up in Iowa. To me, there was no better place for my upbringing, and I will always be fond of the memories made and learning what I did to get to this stage in my life,” says Kyle.
When he’s not blazing new trails in the sports industry, Kyle is exploring his new home, Nashville, where he now lives. He also finds time to reconnect with his family and friends back in Iowa, including a group of friends from North High who he still stays in contact with daily through email.
“I always try to live my life and do my job the right way. I owe it all to my parents, the rest of my family, and friends. I’ve been incredibly blessed to experience the things I have in life, and I never take that for granted.”