Kyle Mesteth

“I'm still blown away. I never could have fathomed something like this. It makes me want to go ten times harder and be a million times more in tune with what I'm doing.”

Kyle Mesteth is Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, South Dakota. A musician, filmmaker, and painter, he works with skateboarders and artists. He is the CEO and founder of Ground Control, an indoor skatepark in the heart of the Pine Ridge Lakota Reservation. 

Ground Control helps skaters and artists make their dreams a reality. There, Kyle sees young people and families struggling with addiction, grief, and loss. “I’m dealing with kids who want to take their lives. People who’ve lost their kids, kids who lost their siblings, kids who are addicted, kids who have parents who are addicted. When I became a father ten years ago, I wanted my son to grow up in a better place. I realized this work was really important when I would get to the Ground Control building and the skaters would be there, waiting for me.”

“You don’t go around asking, hey, recognize me? See me? You just do the work. When funding comes, it’s a blessing. I’ve learned how to make things happen without money, but with money, I can make them bigger and better. I’m trying to become someone who can apply for grants and not lose sight of why.”

Kyle’s message to funders is, “If you can help somebody in a struggling community like a reservation, trust them. Trust that they’ll get the work done because they will.” The Waterers’ approach is based on trust, which is important to Kyle. “That trust thing goes far.  It lit a fire in me: I knew it. I knew it. If I work hard, people will notice, and good things will happen.”

Learn more about Kyle’s work here.