About

Kyle Pontier

I came up through industrial design and research at the University of Kansas, and have spent my career being steeped in the ambiguous half of hard technology programs.

  • Currently. Advising Ignition Point Labs, a national network for deep-tech commercialization. Writing essays about the impact and influence of technology on humans and society. Building and experimenting with AI. Looking for the next 0-to-1 initiative to lead.

  • Reconciled, 2023–2026. Co-founded and led an AI-native operations company: product, engineering, design, operations, and go-to-market. $1.1M VC-led pre-seed, nine enterprise customers, 90%+ less manual effort for them. Sold to LaborEdge, April 2026.

  • Meta Reality Labs Research, 2021–2022. Research Design Manager. Managed designers and prototypers across haptics and soft robotics; led the cross-discipline Input Pod exploring input past the roadmap horizon.

  • Blue Origin, 2017–2021. Hired as Senior Product Manager for factory systems; created and ran two marquee Jules platforms; founded and led the company's first Experience Design organization; architected the New Shepard astronaut experience and was selected for the first full crew rehearsals.

  • Teague, 2012–2017. Senior Product Strategist. Ran the 777X in-cabin research and turned it into the program's requirements; first supplier keynote at Boeing's ACE; authored the B/E Aerospace connectivity thesis and was a key program in the diligence package for the Rockwell Collins acquisition.

  • Microsoft, 2008–2012. Research lead in eHome, then product strategist in the Connected Strategy Studio, then UX Lead for Halo Waypoint at 343 Industries. Authored the three-year vision the entire Fall 2012 release was built from. D.I.C.E. award; U.S. Patent 9,597,599.

  • Earlier, 1999–2008. Razorfish, and before that design, research, and product strategy roles across agency, consulting, education, and museum work, during the early evolution of connected platforms.

Not yet

Flown in space. Earned a pilot's license. Been to Africa. Snowboarded in Japan. Made a major motion picture. Won an Olympic gold medal (I'm told curling is my last realistic chance).