Morgan Ramaker’s (BA ’06, MBA ’17) career had always been filled with thoughts of ‘either/or.’ Either the private sector or the public sector. Either communications or business. Then she discovered what could help her turn ‘either/or’ into ‘both’: an MBA from the Wisconsin School of Business.
The MBA was the perfect tool to help the journalism graduate with a business certificate find the right role. Morgan is executive director of BCycle, the Trek-owned short-term bicycle rental program with more than 50 locations throughout the U.S.
“The MBA was the right thing to tie it all together,” she says. “It gave me that extra confidence to run a business, and the network and connections.”
A classmate, Brian Conger (MBA ’17), was already working for BCycle. The chance to work for BCycle helped connect all the dots of what she wanted to do.
“We’re working in a private business but we have that entrepreneurial spirit of a startup, and it’s so entrenched in the community,” she says. “By working with local city officials and nonprofits, it’s a unique combination of private and public sectors working together.”
She first joined BCycle to run its Madison program, then took on a more national role. Ridership in Madison skyrocketed when BCycle converted its fleet entirely to e-bikes. The pandemic changed people’s transportation habits, as well as getting many people on a bike for the first time in years as they sought recreation options.
“We’re just excited about the long-term possibilities for this as people think about how they move in their cities,” she says. “We’re looking at how we can keep that momentum going.”
Learn about WSB’s MBA programs.
Read more about Morgan’s work with BCycle in Update magazine.