This story originally appeared in the Sept. 2024 Checkpoints magazine.

Kevin O’Neil has joined the board of directors of the Air Force Academy Foundation. The board is the governing body of the Air Force Academy Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the Academy through philanthropy.

“I have always been in awe of the contributions that Air Force Academy graduates have made to our country, and I deeply appreciate this opportunity to give something back to the next generation of leaders,” O’Neil says. “With my background in the private sector, I want to support the current needs of the Academy as well as bring opportunities for cadets to participate in programs that offer practical applications for the top-notch education they are receiving. I couldn’t be more honored to have this opportunity to contribute to the mission of both the Foundation and the Air Force Academy.”

Board Chairman Alex Gilbert ’87 praised O’Neil’s commitment and passion for supporting the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. 

“Kevin’s commitment to the armed forces and his background in investing, real estate and innovative collaboration will be extremely beneficial to the Air Force Academy Foundation’s mission of supporting the Academy. We are excited to work with and learn from him,” Gilbert says.

O’Neil is the founder and CEO of ONE Funds, established in 2022. He serves on the company’s investment committee and oversees all fund operations and investments.

Before starting ONE Funds, O’Neil managed numerous personal investments in private equity and real estate. His entrepreneurial journey began in the textile industry and distressed multi-family real estate. He later expanded into aerospace and defense private equity in 2008 with the acquisition of Braxton Technologies. O’Neil has been the CEO of the O’Neil Group, which he founded in 2008. He has also been a managing broker for Paramount Group, a property management company owned by the O’Neil Group, since 2011.

In 2015, O’Neil founded Catalyst Campus in downtown Colorado Springs. This collaborative ecosystem brings together small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups and venture capital in the aerospace and defense industry to foster community, workforce development, innovation and business growth. Catalyst Campus has become an important component in the advancement of technologies for the Air Force, the Space Force, and other defense branches and government agencies.

O’Neil is deeply committed to the prosperity of southern Colorado, and he is passionate about making investments that will have a meaningful and lasting impact on the region.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1990. O’Neil was honored as the 2019 Business Citizen of the Year by the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation. He has served as board chair for Employers Council and was selected to participate in and serve on the Civic Leader Program for the Air Force and Space Force.