Penguins President Turned Pittsburgh Protector: The Kevin Acklin Story

How do you protect the soul of the working class when you're the one brokering the billion-dollar deals?Kevin Acklin is the former President of the Pittsburgh Penguins and former Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Pittsburgh. Born and raised in South Oakland, Kevin shares his incredible journey from leading his childhood hockey league in penalty minutes to navigating the highest stakes in sports and civic leadership.Kevin unpacks the formative moments of his career, including a shocking boardroom revelation in North Carolina that forever cemented his drive to protect the "little guy." We also get the untold, behind-the-scenes story of how he orchestrated the return of NHL legend Jaromir Jagr to Pittsburgh.00:00 Intro: Preserving Pittsburgh's Soul00:49 The Enforcer of South Oakland: Growing up across the street from Dan Marino and leading the league in penalty minutes06:26 The Man in the Arena: Drawing inspiration from Teddy Roosevelt and empowering the community11:33 The Boardroom vs. The Working Class: The emotional North Carolina term sheet story that cemented his defense of the "little guy"20:35 Rebuilding the City: From painting cannons to saving August Wilson's boyhood home and becoming Chief of Staff29:29 Bringing Jaromir Jagr Home: The mysterious phone call, the jersey retirement, and the stolen bobbleheads45:43 Lightning Round54:28 What's Next?: Life at Stevens & Lee, looking toward the future, and why his client will always be Pittsburgh#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.