Doyle '17 Making Mark as Business Owner and Philanthropist

 

Today, his designs have leapt off the page and onto hats, sweaters and shirts worn by athletes, actors, and high schoolers alike. His apparel company, DKS, not only brings a laid-back, California surf-inspired style to streetwear, but it has also donated $17,000 in profits to charities.

 

“For me, giving back is one of the most important aspects to running a successful business. The more you give, the more you understand and appreciate when you get something,” Doyle said. “It teaches me to appreciate so much more the opportunities and abilities I’ve been given.”

 

Doyle and his cousin, Luke Kennedy, founded DKS in 2010 as a way to combine their love for longboard skating and fashion design.

 

“We saw that we could express more of our creativity and passion through clothes,” Doyle said. “Fashion has always been one of our quiet passions. We’ve been really interested in it ever since we were little.”

 

They were inspired by surf, skate, and basketball culture, Doyle said, and they incorporated all three to create “urban surf.” Many of the styles feature pops of tropical patterns, printed on pockets, sleeves or inside a sweater’s hood. But Doyle’s favorite design is one of the simplest—a black, long-sleeve shirt with the DKS logo embroidered on the front.

 

“It’s something anybody can wear,” Doyle said, adding that DKS apparel is “something you’re never too young or too old to wear. It’s something you can wear to express yourself and connect with the community.”

 

Doyle and Kennedy run all aspects of the business, including designing products, shipping them and responding to customer emails.

 

“I think the most important thing is the connection to our customers,” Doyle said. “You want to create a community, a name that says, ‘Not only do these guys make good products, but also they’re great people.’”

 

He strives to maintain that reputation by making philanthropy a hallmark of his business. DKS has donated profits to Children’s National Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Wounded Warrior Project. Doyle and Kennedy have also collected shoes for Soles4Souls and donates apparel to silent auctions benefitting Children’s National.

 

“We choose the charities that really speak to us,” Doyle said, noting that family and friends have benefitted from those organizations. “We think the more you grow, you still have to remember where you came from, keep your roots and always be humble.”

 

In addition to running his business, Doyle balances time in the classroom and on the court as a forward for the varsity boys’ basketball team.

“I always tell myself it’s not work if I’m having fun, and that’s my philosophy for life,” Doyle said. “It’s not work if you’re following your dream.”

 

After graduation, Doyle said he hopes to attend business school and establish DKS as the trendsetter for urban surf style. He said the community at St. Andrew’s, especially his teachers, has always encouraged him to pursue his dream and drives him to succeed.