Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Knight

“…change is nature’s delight.” – Marcus Aurelius

Several years ago, high school senior Ryan Knight had a plan. He wanted to further his education, but as a first-generation college student, he had some concerns. It made sense to him to work a few years to save up money to pay for his education, but his high school counselor didn’t agree. Ryan was an excellent student and president of the student body, and his counselor didn’t want anything to get in the way of his potential. The counselor wrote a persuasive letter to then Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, Pat Bosco. The letter must have been convincing, because soon after, Dr. Bosco offered Ryan a scholarship and sent a hand-written note that changed his trajectory.

“Dr. Bosco had me meet with him during orientation and served as an incredible mentor for me throughout my time at Kansas State University,” recalls Knight. “He was an amazing sounding board, and I had the opportunity to work as an executive assistant in his office junior and senior years.”

Ryan hit the ground running as a marketing major in the College of Business. He quickly got involved in organizations like Quest Freshman Honorary, Delta Upsilon Fraternity, and began serving as a tour guide for Kansas State New Student Services (now Recruitment and Admissions), which he fondly refers to as his “internship in Sales.” From there he earned a spot on the Sales Team, where he eventually had the opportunity to serve as team captain/coach.

His initial concerns about the cost of college were soon alleviated when he was awarded with the Soaring with Eagles Fellows Scholarship and the Paul Edgerly Global Study Abroad Scholarship, which provided him with a semester-long study abroad experience in Brazil. As a senior, while continuing his involvement in NSSI, he was a member of Blue Key National Honors Society, served as President of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, and was named Dean of Student Life Outstanding Graduating Senior. He graduated on the dean’s list with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, a minor in leadership studies, and a certificate in professional strategic selling.

His original plan after graduation was to work for a family member's clothing company as a salesman. It seemed like a logical choice - he had interned with them the previous summer, and he would have the opportunity to travel and a quick path to financial upside. Once again though, his plans changed. “I was lucky in May of my senior year to be introduced to two leaders from EMC (Dell acquired EMC in 2016) who gave me an on-the-spot role play in my introductory interview, then connected me with the recruiter for EMC. The recruiter sold me on the opportunity in technology, going through a world-renowned training program to future-proof my skillset, and moving to Boston. I never looked back,” Ryan commented. “I am so grateful to have been connected with this opportunity that I would have never found if not for Professor Dawn Deeter, Director of the National Strategic Selling Institute, and the amazing NSSI program.”

Immediately after graduating, Ryan and his roommate traveled to Europe, backpacking through 10 countries in 30 days. After his trip to Europe, Ryan moved to Boston and began his career as an Associate Inside Sales Rep for EMC Corporation. Within a year he was an Inside Sales Representative covering 2000+ accounts in downtown Chicago, while living in Boston.

Following the EMC/Dell merger, he was presented with the unique opportunity to become an Inside Sales Manager and hire a team of “EMC” specialists to support the Dell teams on the EMC portfolio. Ryan packed up again and moved to Nashville for this new adventure. “When I started the role, it almost had the feel of a “startup” in a 160,000-person organization. We were a small team supporting a wide area that had the opportunity to develop best practices and templates that were able to scale for future teams. It was incredible to have the chance to recruit, hire, train, and later promote a majority of my team to field sales roles in a short period of time.”

Field sales was always his goal, so when presented with the opportunity to move back home to Kansas City as an Account Executive on the Enterprise Sales Team, he happily seized it. Ryan quickly earned a strong reputation across his customers, partners, peers, and Dell eco-system as an Account Executive and after only three years, was promoted to Enterprise District Sales Manager. He and his team provide coverage over the 12 largest accounts in the Kansas City area as well as the Berkshire Hathaway District. He leads a 60-person area and is responsible for +$250M in annual revenue. His team is on pace for a record-breaking year for the district while focusing on building a strong, inclusive culture.

When asked about his career goals he says, “The first thing I always say to that question is: I believe the number one way to get to the next goal is to become a master at what you’re doing today. As a leader, I want to help put everyone on my team in a situation to overachieve their goal and create sustainable success. Long-term, I want to continue to master my craft and see where it can lead me in the company. While it is a goal of mine to become a senior leader one day – I have learned that if you focus on getting better today than you were yesterday, stay coachable, have a high say:do ratio, combined with a relentless work ethic, you will naturally learn from experience and develop into an “A-Player” that can be successful in any position. I hope to continue working towards success, providing value in any situation, and moving into roles with more responsibility and influence across the organization.”

Ryan has not forgotten where he came from, and he has a message for first-generation college students. “No one goes into college knowing what they’re doing. Everyone is experiencing things for the first time, trying to figure it out. Go with your gut, trust yourself, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t be shy that you are a first-generation student because people want to help those who work hard and have big goals! Even if you start freshman year without scholarships and the loans feel daunting, you can still work to make the right connections and get involved to obtain scholarships your freshman year that will last the rest of college.”

And when it comes to making your post-grad job decision, Ryan adds, “Don’t be afraid to continue getting out of your comfort zone and experience living in a new place for a while. You can always move back home, but when you’re getting started, the best opportunity may not always be the exact location you imagined. I’ve learned so much from the mentality, “you really don’t know what you like or don’t like – or even what to expect – until you try it.”

When Ryan isn’t at the office, he enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and is an avid sports fan, becoming a Chiefs + Wildcats Season Ticket member quickly after moving back to Kansas City. He has also developed a passion for real estate investing, purchasing his first multi-family property in 2020 and now owns four other rental units with goals to grow.

Ryan also prioritizes giving back to his community, volunteering with the homeless community in Kansas City, the First Hand Foundation, and Harvesters, an organization that distributes rescued fruits and vegetables via their gleaning program directly to agencies feeding hungry people. He also tries to organize a quarterly “Dell Giveback Event” for his district, and stays engaged with Blue Key, Delta Upsilon, and the NSSI.

Ryan remains grateful for his time at K-State, and how his experiences here have impacted his career. “I am forever grateful for all the mentors throughout my life, especially through my time at K-State, who helped encourage, instill confidence, and coach skillsets that have helped me grow into a more dynamic and confident leader and person.”