Kelly Young

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“Proud Houstonian who loves all things pop culture and spends too much time online.”

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I put a song of the day every day on my Instagram story. Usually, I don’t choose the song of the day; the song of the day chooses me.

Undergraduate School and Major: The University of Texas at Austin, Psychology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Khoros, Social Media and Community Manager

UCLA Anderson is founded on the Three Pillars: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? The Share Success pillar resonates most with me. As Anderson students, we hear people say it so frequently that we start to laugh, but it really is so representative of the Anderson culture. We have a strong community of students, faculty, and alumni who genuinely want to see each other win. I’ve always held a collective mindset, and I believe people achieve more when they have a strong support system. At Anderson, there is a level of collaboration and generosity that is truly rare.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? I LOVE LA! As a business student, there are diverse industries to explore; entertainment, real estate, healthcare, technology, and finance are all within reach. Outside of the career elements, there is the beach! And Anderson students definitely take advantage of it!  I also like to think of LA as a “Choose your own adventure” city for students. If you want to stick around the very walkable UCLA area and have your social life revolve around Anderson – you can! If you want to venture out and go to all the things a huge city such as LA has to offer (concerts, parties, sports, shopping, museums, etc.), you can do that too.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of UCLA Anderson’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? As I was coming from a tech company and exploring schools that catered to that industry, I discovered Anderson’s strong focus on tech. First, there’s the tech Summer Immersion program that educates students on the industry and how to think about products ahead of fall recruiting. Additionally, the Easton Technology Management Center provides cutting-edge courses, guest speakers, and events focused on where the industry is going. I wanted to be in a program that had a clear connection with the industry in which I have the most interest.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at UCLA Anderson? The Entertainment Management Association (EMA) excites me the most! Even though I’m not currently recruiting for entertainment, I follow the industry closely, and I love movies, TV, music, and all awards shows. I can’t wait to be surrounded by like-minded people who share my passions and are willing to nerd out with me.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026?  I think my strong experience dealing with people of all backgrounds is what I bring to the Class of 2026. I grew up in Fort Bend County, Texas, which is considered one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the country. I’ve always been surrounded by people of all races, nationalities, and religions. In a class that is heavily international, my strength will be relating to others and bringing people of different backgrounds together.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment was launching a Facebook Group for Black content creators. Our client came to us wanting a space for an underserved demographic to be able to connect, collaborate, access resources and receive training. My team used our community management expertise to build a launch strategy, and I was able to bring my cultural knowledge into the project for content and nuances. We grew the group to 700+ content creators in just a few months! Working on that group inspired me to explore marketing options in the tech industry.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? I started out my business school journey with my mind set on becoming a Product Marketing Manager in the tech space, but the more I explore, the more I’m open to other industries. My favorite part of marketing is storytelling. I want to spend my career telling the stories behind products that bring people joy or make their lives easier, whether they’re tech products or beloved CPG brands.

DON’T MISS: MEET UCLA ANDERSON’S MBA CLASS OF 2026