Kremers ’24: Through the Lens of an Entrepreneur

What began as a creative venture for University of the Ozarks alumnus Matthew Kremers '24 while he was still in high school has grown into a career that now takes him and his wife, Kylee, across the country - cameras in hand and usually with a sporting event in their sights.

The newlyweds are the team behind Stixx Media, an Alma, Arkansas-based photography, videography and social media company that has allowed them to combine their talents, entrepreneurial spirit and love of sports. While sports remain at the heart of Stixx Media, the company in recent years has expanded its reach to include branding and marketing for small businesses, schools, organizations and individuals as well as the occasional wedding.

A communication major at Ozarks, Kremers launched Stixx Media as a senior at Subiaco Academy in Subiaco, Ark., and continued building the company throughout his four years at Ozarks. When he and Kylee (Ash) married in 2025, bringing her into the growing business seemed like a natural fit. A photographer and former collegiate basketball player, Kylee brought her own creative eye and sports background to the venture.

Recently, the couple's work brought them back to where much of Matthew's professional development took place - the U of O campus. The Kremers were at Ozarks earlier this month shooting photography and videography for the University's fall sports teams, giving Matthew an opportunity to reflect on how his college experience helped turn an entrepreneurial passion into a profession.

"It feels a little surreal to be back on campus where my roots are," Kremers said. "This University played a really pivotal role in forming me not only as a person, but as a professional. Being able to go out in the world and prove my worth in other spaces and then come back here is a very big deal for me. These skills that I'm using were 100 percent formed in those media classes, and under the personal tutelage of Professor Susan Edens and other professors who were a huge part of part of that. The support and encouragement they gave me in my journey and with me running a business in college was just wonderful. Another person to shout out to who really helped me was [Sports Information Director] Josh Peppas. I worked with Josh for two years and he was a big part of my journey in the profession."

Kremers said it was more of a spur-of-the-moment business opportunity than a love for photography or videography that was the impetus for Stixx Media.

"I was a senior in high school and was looking for a business I could get into and I noticed that while there were a lot of photographers in the River Valley, there were barely any videographers and there were even less that did quality work," he said. "I just saw it as a hole that needed to be filled, so I began to learn as much as I could about photography and videography. I made my mind up that I was going to dive head-first into it. I guess I just got lucky because once I got into it, I fell in love with it."

The company works primarily in the South and Midwest and sub-contracts eight photographers/videographers throughout the region. Their primary territory includes Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and southwestern Kentucky. They've also worked several high-profile events, such as the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Tournament of Champions Nationals in Chicago this summer. They are also working with NCAA Division I football programs as well as several high schools. They've even done rodeo and lacrosse media shoots.

"We've done just about everything except hockey, and we're hoping to do that soon," Kremers said. "It seems like each year we're branching out more and more, so we're excited about that's going to come next."

Kremers said the most surprising aspect of the business venture has been the client relationships he has made.

"A lot of my clients have become good friends and that's been really cool," he said. "I can name four or five people that we didn't know before we began working with and who have become really good friends-we're going to family dinners and spending holidays together. That's been something that has been a pleasant surprise."

During the fall with football season at its peak, the Kremers can work up to seven days a week-15-16 hours a day.

"It really gets to be a blur when you're up at 6 a.m. and getting back to the hotel at 10 p.m.; then you're up changing batteries two or three times during the night for the next shoot in the morning," he said. "We couldn't keep up that pace unless we loved what we do, and that's what keeps us going. We're having a blast."

Topics: Alumni Stories