Maija Inveiss

University of Wisconsin – Madison (Wisconsin School of Business)

“Creative, goal-oriented marketing professional who uplifts others with a kind, supportive and positive attitude.”

Hometown: Zionsville, Indiana

Fun fact about yourself: As a third-generation Latvian American, I speak Latvian fluently and participate in cultural festivals by folk dancing and singing. 

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (Reporting and Strategic Communications double track specializations) and French

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Associate Editor at Madison Magazine

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? General Mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Where will you be working after graduation? Associate Brand Manager at General Mills 

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Communications Chair of Graduate Business Association
• President of the Business Masters’ Foodie Club
• Co-Chair of the 2024 Graduate Marketing Network Case Competition
• Second-Year Representative of the Graduate Business Association
• First place in 2023 Graduate Marketing Network Case Competition
• Finalist in Spring 2023 First Year MBA Consulting Practicum
• Site Captain for 2023 Business Badgers Give Back event
• Led Lunch Hour Ted Talk discussion in October 2023 responding to the talk “Disability and Work: Let’s Stop Wasting Talent”
• Panelist on the MBA International Student Orientation as an international student ally
• Panelist on Class of 2024 Case Competition Advice Panel

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? As president of the Business Masters’ Foodie Club, I was incredibly proud to have led the creation and coordination of International Potluck Night in both spring 2023 and fall 2024. In the past, the organization focused on wine and food, so I wanted to shift that image by making events more inclusive to different cultures and those who may not drink. In collaboration with Diversity in Business, another student organization, we asked students to prepare dishes from their backgrounds and share them over a night of conversation. The results included dishes from India, China, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Puerto Rico and France. It was an amazing opportunity to learn. Many people came up to me after the event and told me that it was their favorite during their MBA. It was rewarding to have created something so many people loved. I also appreciated the opportunity to share my Latvian culture with my classmates, as knowledge of Latvia isn’t common. I’m hoping it becomes an annual event so future classes also have this opportunity for global learning.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? In my professional career, I am most proud of my final internship presentation at General Mills. If you told me two years ago that I would be speaking in front of leaders of a billion-dollar brand such as Pillsbury, I wouldn’t have believed you. Prior to being in the MBA program, I would have worked behind the scenes and begged someone to present for me. Public speaking was my biggest fear professionally, but I spent my first year of the program pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. During my presentation, every slide boosted my confidence. I believed that I could truly be a brand manager and tackle my professional goals. I finally understood how I could make an impact on a brand and what it meant to develop an effective strategy. Being offered a full-time position post-graduation at my ideal company was an incredible feeling, but that presentation was the culmination of hard work, self-belief, and input from the amazing people who guided me along the way.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose the Wisconsin School of Business because of its specialization system. When searching for my next career step, I worked on marketing projects such as managing social media and newsletters at Madison Magazine. It was about 25% of my role, but it reached a point where I wanted to do marketing work 100% of the time. And not just marketing interested me; I wanted to be a leader, organize a team, and manage a business. That’s when I found Wisconsin’s full-time MBA program. Brand management was exactly what I was looking for. The specialization system allowed me to gain business knowledge and fine-tune my marketing skills. I hadn’t seen other schools zero in on specializations like Wisconsin. Because of that, I knew it would be the right fit to prepare me for my desired career path.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor is Jan Heide. Jan teaches marketing management as part of the Wisconsin MBA core curriculum. As the MBA program signified a career change for me, I was nervous that I may struggle in a business career. But the moment I started Jan’s class, I felt at home. I loved everything about marketing, especially the way marketers had to think through problems. I’d always been shy to speak up in class, but Jan creates an open, welcoming environment where you can make mistakes and build off of other’s input. I soon raised my hand more-and-more in all my classes. The following year, I was fortunate enough to be his teaching assistant. While being his TA, he made sure to continue my education by sharing articles to read and using each meeting as an opportunity to discuss real-life marketing problems and research.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course was Brand Asset Management, which Professor Neil Morgan taught. For brand and marketing management students, the course is suggested as one to take before your internship. Without that class, I don’t believe I could have succeeded at General Mills. Neil covered so many important topics, such as brand positioning, brand identity, brand revitalization, B2B marketing, and private label. Many of his frameworks will be permanent tool kits in my brand management career, as the course laid a solid foundation of knowledge.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I was fortunate to host multiple events each semester as president of the Foodie Club, and I’m thankful that most of those events were fairly well attended. At the same time, there were other events my colleagues hosted that didn’t get as much attention as they deserved. Some of my favorite events—those that had the most impact on me outside time in the classroom—were underattended. If I could go back in time, I would have asked more people if they planned to attend prior to the event and encourage them to consider doing so. Even for myself, there are some events that I wish I had rearranged my schedule for so I could have attended.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The list of things I love about Madison is infinite. Prior to the program, I lived in Madison for nine years and worked as a journalist writing about the best things to see, eat and drink in Madison. The food scene is incredible. The hardest question for me to answer is: “What is your favorite Madison restaurant?” There are so many amazing restaurants with inventive chefs. Over the past five years, restaurants in Madison have gained more national recognition with James Beard Awards and national media accolades. Madison is also home to the largest producers-only farmers’ market in the United States, which really encourages use of fresh, Wisconsin-grown ingredients at restaurants.

What surprised you the most about business school? Coming from a humanities background, I assumed most people would have a business background prior to their enrolling in an MBA program, and I would be one of the few career switchers. However, it quickly became obvious that many people were in situations like mine. Because of this, I have learned so much from my colleagues. We each have different skills we have used to support each other. I had never taken an undergraduate accounting, finance, or economics course, but those with such backgrounds were always willing to sit with me and explain concepts if needed. On my end, I was happy to help those who needed another pair of eyes on their writing or marketing concepts. I never expected so many people would have nontraditional backgrounds, and it’s been a rewarding surprise.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I most admire my colleague Goncha Muradli. Goncha is a 2024 MBA candidate in the corporate finance and investment banking specialization. If you had to describe her in one word, it would be supportive. She fully believes in everyone and wants nothing but the best for them. Whenever there’s a volunteer needed, Goncha is always the first to put her hand up. On top of being the vice president of the main business graduate student organization, she took on leadership roles of other student organizations. She has been a teaching assistant throughout her MBA and maintained an internship with American Family Insurance during her second year as well. She is also one of the smartest people I have ever met. Whenever she raises her hand in class, you need to pay attention because it will be insightful and help move the conversation forward. I am so grateful to have gotten to know her and call her a colleague and friend.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• I would like to work internationally to fully immerse myself in understanding how other cultures operate businesses.
• I want to lead decision making on a billion-dollar brand.

What made Maija such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Maija has been and continues to be a shining example of what makes a strong leader and overall good human. She has taken a strong course load and done very well academically, while standing out as an incredibly supportive friend and well-rounded individual. Maija is quick to volunteer to help. She’s served as Communications Chair for the Graduate Business Association, President of the Foodie Club, Graduate Marketing Network Case Competition Co-chair, and member of the Marketing Leadership Institute’s Community Committee for both years in the program. In addition to leading a TED talk discussion on Barham-Brown’s Disability and Work video, sitting on multiple panels including the Ignite Leadership Panel, Maija is known for taking care of the small details of events that make a difference in enabling our students to form genuine connections with their peers.

Maija has been a model student for engagement and academic excellence, has been a true asset to the program and has a bright future as a marketing leader.

My colleague Christine Harrington notes, “One thing that stands out to me though is last year Maija went to great lengths to make an event she was not in charge of successful because the student who oversaw it was struggling. Despite putting in a lot of work for it, she kept quiet the fact that she was helping so as not to draw attention to the challenges her peer was facing. Maija is also not afraid to speak up about issues in the program or incidents or to draw attention to successes. She approaches all of this with a calm balanced viewpoint that embodies the principles of calling in. Maija encourages her peers to take advantage of the DEI initiatives and opportunities to learn more about each other. She has enjoyed teaching us about her Latvian heritage and culture. Which has inspired others to share their experiences and customs.”

Kristin Branch
Director, Marketing Leadership Institute

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