Ragen Cooper, B.B.A.’18

Advertising Aficionado 

Director, Paid Social, Blue Wheel Media

Since graduating cum laude from WMU Haworth in 2018, Ragen Cooper’s career has been a whirlwind of growth and exciting milestones. She joined Blue Wheel Media as a digital advertising specialist when it was still a small team of just 16. Cooper was the first hire dedicated to growing the company’s advertising department—fast forward four years and digital advertising increased spend 763%. Today, advertising is the largest department at Blue Wheel.

Crafting digital advertising strategies is where Cooper’s passion lies, especially for beauty and cosmetics brands, though her work covers apparel, home, health and other industries. Finding herself in leadership roles as the advertising department grew, she landed promotions to advertising team lead in 2020, manager of paid social in 2021, and now proudly holds the position of director of paid social.

Receiving a variety of awards for her campaigns, Cooper identifies winning the 2022 Bronze Stevie® Award for the innovative advertising training program at Blue Wheel as a career highlight. The project, which is close to Cooper’s heart, swiftly onboards new hires and immerses them in the company’s unique culture.

But Cooper’s journey focuses far more on personal growth than accolades. She works daily on who she is as a leader. Since graduating from WMU, she has participated in Dr. Scott Cowley’s mentorship program for digital marketing students, where she has met and hired some incredible students.

Best Advice:

“One piece of advice that resonates with me is to keep in mind that everyone is experiencing life for the first time. We all make mistakes, and then we try to learn and evolve. It also serves as a reminder that there is no need to compare yourself to others.”