Kyle Berner
Founder | Feelgoodz
New Orleans, LA, UNITED STATES
Kyle Berner is the founder of Feelgoodz, a travel-inspired lifestyle brand that produces casual footwear and accessories.
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Biography
A born and raised New Orleanian, Kyle Berner graduated from Loyola University New Orleans in 2003 with a Marketing Major. Upon graduation, Kyle devised “The Pail List,” an earlier version of “The Bucket List,” for his 20s. This post-graduation strategy landed him a unique array of positions in music production, computer sales, basketball coaching, and even hot dog cart vending. It led him to Thailand in 2006 to teach English, where the Feelgoodz story began.
In 2008, at 27 years old, Kyle founded Feelgoodz, a travel-inspired lifestyle brand that produces footwear and accessories from Thailand, Vietnam, and Guatemala. This business has been his professional passion since inception.
An avid traveler and engaging storyteller, he has spoken at TedX Tulane and TedX Raleigh, sharing his story and ideas with a like-minded community. He has also been featured in several top publications, including USA Today, GOOD Magazine, Footwear News, The Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur.com.
In addition to being full-time with Feelgoodz, Kyle spends much of his time at Loyola University New Orleans, where he serves as the Center for Entrepreneurship’s EIR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence).
Industry Expertise (10)
Wholesale
Tires / Rubber Products
Supermarkets Food Retail and Distribution
Logistics and Supply Chain
Manufacturing
Footwear
Advertising/Marketing
Retail
Textiles/Leather Goods
Travel and Tourism
Areas of Expertise (4)
Motivation
Collegiate
Entrepreneurship
Travel
Accomplishments (1)
Young Alumnus of the Year (personal)
2010-05-01
Loyola University New Orleans' annual award with the following criteria: 1) The alumna or alumnus must exemplify those characteristics that Loyola seeks to form in its graduates - namely moral character, service to humanity, and unquestionable integrity. 2) The alumna or alumnus must demonstrate a strong commitment to her/his community and Loyola through volunteer service. 3) Must be recognized for her/his accomplishments in her/his profession or other areas of endeavor.
Education (1)
Loyola University New Orleans: Marketing 2003
Links (1)
Media Appearances (5)
Raleigh's Feelgoodz Opens on Glenwood South
Triangle Business Journal
2015-10-14
To meet inventory demand, Feelgoodz is conducting a $1.5M equity round, but because the cash infusion comes when the company has a higher valuation, Saad and co-owner Kyle Berner didn’t have to give up much equity. Most of the company is still controlled by the original owners. “It’s nice to still own the company. That makes a big difference,” Saad says...
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: These Flip-Flops Have Sustainable Roots
TakePart
2015-06-16
When Kyle Berner’s flip-flops broke during a backpacking trip through Thailand, he probably never imagined it would lead to becoming the founder and CEO of a socially minded footwear company. But that’s exactly what happened...
U.S. Entrepreneurs Selling Products in China
FOX Business
2012-07-13
For Kyle Berner, founder and chief executive of FeelGoodz, a New Orleans maker of flip flops and sandals, the attraction of being in China was the reason he signed up with ExportNow, even if sales two months later are anemic. “China was always something we’ve been interested in but we had no idea how to approach this vast market,” says Berner...
Small Businesses Getting Help to Increase Exports to China
USA Today
2012-02-06
This year, Berner plans to list his eco-friendly flip-flops on Chinese e-commerce site Tmall.com, joining the ranks of large American companies such as Levi Strauss that are already on the web site. It's a step that Berner hopes will help take the small company he founded, Feelgoodz, from a "bootstrap business" that generated about $330,000 in sales last year to one with as much as $50 million in sales in five years...
A Young Social Entrepreneur, Kyle Berner Hopes to Raise Money for Several Causes by Selling Eco-friendly Footwear
The Times-Picayune
2008-10-14
Kyle Berner's Feelgoodz flip-flops are made with all-natural rubber from Thailand. Berner, who spent a year teaching English in that country, donaes 3 percent of company revenues to nonprofit programs that work to improve the quality of life and business opportunities in Thailand...
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