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Mike Kesner

Mike Kesner, also known as Michael Kesner and Texas Mike, works in insurance, investing and content creation in the United States. He joined Virtus’s private equity insurance practice and, according to his current biography, serves on its board. Based in Austin, he shares career and life insights as Texas Mike and has appeared on School of Hard Knocks.

Contents11 sections
Key facts

Early Life: Background and Education

He identifies Highland Park as his hometown and attended the University of Denver, where his profile lists varsity baseball and soccer.⁠[1][2]

Early Career: Insurance Sales and Team Building

He spent more than 30 years in insurance, working with John Eichmann over a long period and developing experience in sales and team management.⁠[2][1]

October 2019Joining Virtus

Virtus announced that he, John Eichmann, Eric Banduch, Joey Eichmann and Angela Aiello had joined its Chicago private equity insurance practice. The team had previously developed insurance products and strategies for private capital clients.⁠[3]

2020Moving to Austin

In a 2022 Virtus biography preserved by Equilar, he recalled spending most of his life in Chicago before permanently relocating to Austin, Texas, in 2020.⁠[4]

January 19, 2023School of Hard Knocks Interview

School of Hard Knocks released Asking a Private Equity Millionaire How He Got Rich. Its description identifies him as an insurance executive, with chapters covering career choices, sales, reading, fatherhood and daily habits.⁠[5]

2026Texas Mike Content Brand

He publishes career and life-experience content as Texas Mike and announced his website’s launch in a personal post. The site focuses on mindset, leadership, discipline and resilience.⁠[6][7]

As of October 2026: Virtus Board Role

His latest professional biography says he previously led a Virtus sales team for more than six years and now serves on its board.⁠[2]

Investment Activities

His website describes his approach as Kind Investing, emphasizing founders’ character, execution and long-term growth, alongside experience and support beyond capital.⁠[8]

Philanthropy

According to his biography, he co-founded College Bound to help disadvantaged students in the Chicago area pursue higher education. His website also describes support for The 100 Club of Central Texas, which assists first responders and families affected by line-of-duty tragedies.⁠[2][9]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

Texas Mike: Official website: https://texas-mike.com/ (opens in a new window). LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekesner/ (opens in a new window). Instagram and TikTok use @texasmike97, with both linked directly from his website.⁠[7][2]

Sources

  1. My Mt Rushmore of Business Leaders (opens in a new window)
  2. Michael Kesner — Texas Mike (opens in a new window)
  3. Insurance Broker Virtus Expands Private Equity Practice in Chicago (opens in a new window)
  4. Mike Kesner — Executive Biography (opens in a new window)
  5. Asking a Private Equity Millionaire How He Got Rich (opens in a new window)
  6. The Texas Mike website is officially live (opens in a new window)
  7. Texas Mike (opens in a new window)
  8. Kind Investing (opens in a new window)
  9. About Mike — Mission (opens in a new window)