Rayna Strasser-King

Kelley School of Business at Indiana University

“Woman on a mission to make a positive impact, by inspiring others and building community.”

Hometown: Palmdale, California

Fun fact about yourself: I’m a singer-songwriter of R&B/Pop/Soul music and released an EP album available on all major streaming platforms.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Southern California (USC), B.S. Business Administration

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? McMaster-Carr, Customer Solutions

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN)

Where will you be working after graduation? Medtronic as a Sr. LDRP Specialist in Cardiac Ablations Solutions, Commercial Marketing (Minneapolis, MN)

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Consortium and Forte Fellow (scholarship recipient)

President, Black MBA Association (BMBAA) – Led initiatives to strengthen community engagement and professional development for students. Organized events that connected students with the broader Bloomington community, including volunteer partnerships with Bloomington’s City Hall Black Market supporting Black-owned businesses and the People’s Cooperative Market, which grows food for underserved residents. I also mentored and prepared our first-year liaisons to transition into Co-President roles, ensuring continuity and leadership development within the organization.

V.P. of Marketing, Africa Business Club – Led marketing for events including Africa Business Week, helping attract African professionals across industries to engage with students at the Africa Business Conference. Promoted the club’s African Business Challenge to startups across Africa, contributing to the selection and recognition of the top three winning ventures, which collectively received $5,000 in funding support.

Co-V.P. External Affairs, Kelley Women in Business (KWiB) – Helped organize key community-building initiatives including our annual charity auction, which raised approximately $12,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington.

Project Team Leader, Business Marketing Academy Consulting Project – Selected to lead a team advising a client on monetizing their webinar platform and existing pump repair products through a new marketing and community-building strategy.

Graduate Assistant, MBA Business Marketing Academy (BMA) – Work alongside the Academy Director to develop content for a new Data Analytics in Marketing course and mentor seven teams of first-year MBA students through their BMA consulting projects.

Project Team Leader, GLOBASE Global Consulting Project – Selected to lead a team of first-year MBA students supporting a delivery and essentials app in Botswana. Coordinated client engagement across seven weeks of remote collaboration and on-site consulting during spring break.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? The achievement I’m most proud of was working on a team consulting project as a first-year student through Kelley’s GLOBASE program. We worked with a fintech entrepreneur operating in Botswana and South Africa, and helped prioritize key parts of his growing business, strengthen his sales process to convert more customers, and develop systems to track and delegate priorities.

Beyond the business impact, the experience was personally meaningful. As a first-generation African, one of my long-term goals was to collaborate on initiatives that support African entrepreneurs and contribute to the continent’s economic development. Working alongside classmates who shared that passion and traveling to Botswana to work with the client on the ground made that goal come to fruition sooner than I even thought possible. We were able to help his business in a meaningful and impactful way.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of my work as an MBA Summer Associate at Medtronic in the Pelvic Health operating unit, where I contributed to marketing initiatives supporting the launch of a new therapy.

The therapy treats incontinence, a condition that affects millions of patients but is often under-discussed because it is private and deeply personal. Contributing to a therapy that improves quality of life for patients made the work especially meaningful. Through my projects, I helped develop marketing tools and resources that support both physicians and patients as they learn about this treatment option.

Growing up, I dreamed of becoming a doctor, but ultimately decided to pursue a different path. Working in healthcare this summer allowed me to contribute to patient outcomes in a new way. Receiving a return offer from Medtronic felt like a full-circle moment and allowed me to reflect and realize that sometimes the dreams we carry quietly as children shape our path in ways we never imagined.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Kelley because of its strong sense of community. Coming from Los Angeles, I was drawn to the close-knit environment of Bloomington. The personalized attention from professors and faculty, who know students by name and are dedicated to their success, was crucial for me. They truly care about the student experience and want us to learn. I wanted a place where I could build meaningful relationships with classmates and truly feel part of a community. Kelley delivered exactly that. The collaborative culture encourages students to help each other succeed, and the relationships I’ve built with classmates, faculty, and alumni will last far beyond business school.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor was Josh Gildea, who also serves as the director of the Business Marketing Academy and someone I have had the opportunity to work with closely as his graduate assistant.

Through his classes, Academy Week company visits, and the BMA consulting project, Professor Gildea connected classroom concepts to real-world applications in B2B sales and marketing. One of the most valuable lessons he taught was the importance of understanding the stakeholders in the room and crafting a story that resonates with them, an approach I applied directly during my internship at Medtronic.

He also emphasized the power of providing regular incremental value when working with clients and how to advocate for yourself professionally. His mentorship shaped not only how I approach marketing strategy, but also how I approach leadership and collaboration.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course was Communications with Professor Trent Deckard. It challenged me to become more confident and intentional in how I communicate, particularly in high-stakes presentations.

Professor Deckard created an environment where students could push themselves outside their comfort zones. One memorable exercise required us to take an abstract concept, like the color “fire,” and immediately create a persuasive pitch selling it to the class. Exercises like this made public speaking engaging and helped us think quickly and communicate clearly.

The lessons from this course had immediate impact. When presenting my final project at Medtronic, I applied techniques from the class that elevated my delivery. The positive feedback I received on that presentation was a pivotal factor in securing my full-time offer. Communication is a skill I will rely on throughout my career, and this course equipped me with tools that will continue to drive my success.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could do one thing differently, I would have explored the healthcare industry earlier in the MBA program.

Business school offers such a wide range of opportunities, such as academics, clubs, networking, and career exploration, and it can be tempting to try everything. While that exploration was valuable, focusing earlier on healthcare innovation might have allowed me to go deeper sooner in the industry where I ultimately found my passion.

At the same time, casting a wide net helped me better understand what truly excited me. By ruling out other paths, I was able to confidently pursue healthcare marketing. Looking back, that process of discovery ultimately led me to the right place. I can honestly say, “I have no regrets”, there’s nothing in me that wonders, ‘what if?’

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? The most impactful case study I encountered was the Mann Gulch Fire in Leadership Academy. The case highlights how leadership and decision-making unfold in high-pressure situations where uncertainty and time constraints are critical.

One of the biggest lessons I took away was the importance of fostering collaboration and trust within a team. Effective leaders do not simply direct others; they empower team members to contribute ideas and develop solutions. When people feel ownership over the solution, teams become more adaptive and resilient in challenging environments.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? What I loved most about Bloomington was the charm of its downtown, especially along Kirkwood Avenue. Many afternoons I would walk down Kirkwood, stopping into vintage shops and record stores, or admiring the tulips blooming near Sample Gates in the spring. The town has a classic college-town energy, with restaurants, cafés, music venues like The Bluebird, and comedy shows at The Attic.

Coming from Los Angeles, experiencing four distinct seasons was also refreshing. Bloomington’s pace of life made it easier to slow down, connect with people, and truly enjoy the experience of being part of a university community.

What business leader do you admire most? I admire Ursula Burns who became the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company when she became CEO of Xerox. What makes her story compelling is that she began her career as a summer intern and ultimately rose to CEO, demonstrating her resilience and strong leadership skills.

What I find especially inspiring is how she navigated and thrived in spaces where Black women have historically been underrepresented. Rising to the top of a Fortune 500 company required not only strong business acumen, but also confidence and perseverance to overcome systemic barriers and to challenge expectations.

As a Black woman myself, her journey resonates on a personal level. She proved that it is possible not only to succeed but to redefine expectations and create pathways for others. Her career reminds me that leadership requires courage, authenticity, and the determination to challenge systemic barriers. I aspire to embody those same qualities as I continue to grow in my own leadership journey. 

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Professors at Kelley actively encourage students to experiment with AI as a learning tool. In one strategy course, our professor uploaded case materials into NotebookLM and encouraged us to use it to ask deeper questions and explore new perspectives. In Leadership Academy, we were tasked with building an AI-based tool designed to help recent graduates seek career guidance. Students are also encouraged to complete Kelley’s GenAI 101 program to learn how to collaborate effectively with AI.

Using AI in these ways showed me that its real value is not replacing human thinking but strengthening it. Learning to work alongside AI, rather than relying on it, is a skill that will define the next generation of business leaders.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is Sarah Wales. Sarah consistently brings positivity, humility, and a genuine willingness to help others.

As a graduate assistant for the Consulting Academy, she regularly practices case interviews with first- and second-year students, helping them prepare for one of the most challenging and important parts of business school, recruiting. Her support has helped many classmates build confidence and succeed in the recruiting process.

I first met Sarah at the Forte Conference before business school even began, and her warmth and authenticity immediately stood out. I also admire her career pivot from being a school teacher to pursuing consulting. Her ability to support others and show up with a positive attitude every day has made a lasting impact on the Kelley community.

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

1 Lead a global healthcare team as a director, shaping strategy and bringing life-changing innovations to market worldwide.

2. Lead an initiative that helps bring innovative medical technologies to underserved communities.

What made Rayna such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Rayna joined the Kelley School of Business MBA Program in 2024 and stood out from the moment I met her because of how engaged, committed, curious, and community-minded she was. She came to Kelley with a clear goal: to pivot into healthcare and improve the lives of others. From day one, she looked for ways to contribute, stepping up naturally and consistently throughout her MBA experience. She is a strong leader and an accomplished R&B/Pop singer and songwriter, reflecting her creativity, discipline, and courage to share her voice.

Rayna’s dedication to impact is not situational; it is foundational to who she is. Prior to Kelley, she served as a manager and sales representative at Enterprise and McMaster-Carr, where she led teams, drove results, and developed a deep commitment to exceptional service. She also volunteered as a mentor to first-generation, college-bound high school students.

At Kelley, Rayna became a cornerstone of the community, serving as Black MBAA President, VP of Marketing for the Africa Business Club, Co-VP of External Affairs for Kelley Women in Business, a GLOBASE leader, and a member of the Leadership and Life Sciences Academies. She successfully marketed the new Africa Business Week and co-planned an auction benefiting the Boys and Girls Club. In every role, she built momentum, brought people together, and left organizations stronger than she found them.

Rayna’s positive spirit, strength, and humility are contagious. She leads with generosity, conviction, and authenticity. I am immensely proud of all she has accomplished and look forward to watching her continued success. Rayna will join Medtronic’s Leadership Development Rotational Program, where she will continue advancing healthcare impact. Healthcare needs principled, driven professionals like Rayna, and I am confident she will make a lasting difference.”

Kimberly Good
Associate Director and Instructor, Graduate Career Services
IU Bloomington, Kelley School of Business

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