Staff Highlight: Kylie Kinder, Partnership Activation Manager

The Indianapolis Indians internship program often leads interns to full-time roles in the sports industry once the baseball season concludes. For Kylie Kinder, her ticket services internship at Victory Field in 2014 led her to a full-time opportunity with the Indians as partnership activation coordinator until she ascended to a manager role in Oct. 2016.

Born and raised in Marietta, Ohio, Kinder attended Ohio University where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in sport management in May 2014. While at OU, she worked as the head manager for the women’s basketball team for three seasons. She was also a manager at the campus wellness center. Her experience working in college athletics, in addition to a professor pointing her in the direction of the Indians internship table during an OU career fair, positioned her to apply for an operations role with the Indians. Bryan Spisak, the Indians’ ticket services manager and internship coordinator at the time, saw that Kinder’s personality was best suited for the box office.

Kinder’s positivity can’t be missed at the ballpark, and it’s a welcome sight over the course of a long baseball season. There are no rainy days in her world!

Favorite part of working in partnership activation?

I love activation! I am very much a people person, so one of the best things is that we get to build and maintain relationships with our wonderful clients. We have a great team internally and our clients make our jobs so much easier. We want them to reach their goals and they want us to reach ours.

What do you enjoy most about working with the Indians?

We are very well respected by those in the community. Our organization has a really great brand and product. Of course, our staff helps back that up and makes our goals come to life at the ballpark. Everything at Victory Field goes back to the people. I love and appreciate coming to Victory Field for work every day. Everyone is happy to be here. We work at a ballpark, how can you not be happy?

Since you interned before coming on in a full-time role, describe your experience in the Indians internship program.

The Indians have a great internship program. They provide you with a stipend which makes it easier for interns moving to Indy for the summer. From the start, it was so fun. As a ticket services rep, I worked closely with the ticket department guys who are a riot. Once we went on sale with single-game tickets and had fans coming to the box office windows daily, it was a game changer. People love Indians baseball and Victory Field. We had an awesome internship class, the staff was welcoming, and given the workload, you don’t feel like you’re an intern. I would suggest the Indians internship program to anybody.

How do you spend your time away from the ballpark?

I love spending time with my family in our backyard. We have a large blowup pool which is out during the summer months. Our daughter, Lilly, plays in the pool and we just relax… our backyard is our little oasis. My girlfriends and I also have theme dinners once a week. We do a beverage or cocktail, food and music that all match the theme.

What is Lilly’s favorite part about coming to an Indians game?

She loves the snacks. Our family is a bunch of snackers – popcorn and a hot dog and we’re happy!

What are a few of your favorite places around the Circle City?

Garden Table downtown is my favorite spot. Livery is a cool spot with an outdoor patio. I also enjoy going to Hotel Tango and Loco in Fountain Square.

Which book are you currently reading and what three books top your recommendation list?

I love psychological thrillers. Most books I read are fictional. I am currently reading “Camino Winds” by John Grisham. I recommend the following books: “The Silent Patient,” “American Dirt” and “Verity.”