In this episode of the Vet2BizLife Podcast, my guest is Mike Maloney, former Navy Top Gun and United Pilot and founder of Kona Longboards, who produces and distributes high-performance longboard skateboards that are handcrafted with superior styling in Denver, Colorado.
Mike is a passionate leader with a proven track record of leading teams, setting a vision, and inspiring professionals to rise to their abilities. He has extensive experience as a senior executive, managing early stage, clean tech, sustainable infrastructure, and energy technology companies.
Founded KOTA Longboards in 2012, Mike started his company after recognizing significant growth potential in the longboard market. KOTA longboards appeal to a much broader demographic than our competitors. The heart of KOTA's demographic is men and women age 30-60.
KOTA is one of 20 companies nationwide to be awarded a 2014 Chase Mission Main Street Grant. KOTA was selected from nearly 25,000 applicants and is the only Colorado company to receive this award.
KOTA stands for Knights of the Air and embodies the concepts of honor, integrity and esprit de corps forged in the skies over Europe during the First World War. KOTA actively supports veterans causes and children's programs encouraging outdoor activities and balance in life.
KOTA longboards' focus is on carving performance, control and comfort so riders of any age feel comfortable learning to ride for the first time, picking up the sport again or elevating their experience. Their handcrafted styling offers riders a more sophisticated image while they carve. All KOTA longboards feature our proprietary KOTAgrip clear, gloss grip finish, eliminating the need for grip tape.
At KOTA Long Boards, they are thrill seekers, veterans, pilots, skiers, bikers, athletes, outdoors nuts and, of course, longboarders. They love having fun, going fast with the wind in our face and challenging gravity. Carving on a high-performance KOTA longboard is like flying a fighter jet on a low level through the mountains – thrilling. They know because they've done it!
Mike Maloney and his Kota Longboards team need your help. They're launching their wefunder.com equity-based crowd-funding campaign. This is an opportunity to be an investor in Kota Longboards. They are selling securities that present a great opportunity to invest in a company and watch their incredibly potent brand grow.
You can contact Mike at -
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
iHeartOlympics: The Latest
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.