About Laura Raives
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Meet one of PRISM’s earliest members and fellow Virginia Tech alumni, Laura Raives, a marketing maven dominating the industry. Laura graduated from Virginia Tech’s School of Communications in 2012. Throughout her career, she has worked at Ogilvy and Initiative and now serves as an Account Manager at Capital One.
Discovering a Passion for Marketing
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
At Virginia Tech, Laura took marketing courses out of curiosity. She became intrigued by the field after being exposed to Donna Wertalik’s real-world approach to the subject, an experience that solidified her desire to pursue a career in marketing.
“What drew me in was the creativity that Marketing can lend in solving a business problem, solving a customer challenge, or making something innovative that really changes the game.”
A Look into Laura’s Professional Journey
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
At Capital One, Laura focuses on representing the brand, identifying customer needs, and shaping the brand identity of products. Her day-to-day responsibilities include analyzing key insights from reports and refining live and pre-launch campaigns. One of her team’s exciting upcoming projects is a new credit card launch, where they aim to create a brand identity that resonates with current customer needs.
Laura finds value in collaborating with innovative people and brands, building professional relationships, and achieving success through those connections. Her career has included opportunities to work with top executives, brand celebrities such as Jessica Alba, and industry leaders like Amazon and Walmart.
A surprising aspect of marketing Laura has discovered is its ever-evolving nature and the constant shifts in roles and responsibilities.
“One thing is for certain, and that is nothing is certain. Roles will always change...The aspects of your role will always change, grow, and shift. There will be new expectations and demands.”
Reflecting on the early days of PRISM, Laura notes how the organization aligned its growth with the rise of social media marketing.
“When we started PRISM, social media was just taking off. It was a huge bet to say that social media was going to be really big, but think of how huge it is today.” In November 2024, PRISM was able to visit Laura in person and gain some more insight into what a day in her life looks like working for the industry titan,
Insight for Students
Laura advises students to learn how to present themselves and their values while consistently challenging themselves. She emphasizes the importance of building confidence to stand out and make a strong impression with clients, executives, and stakeholders.
Laura’s journey—from founding PRISM to leading brand strategy at Capital One—showcases the power of adaptability, creativity, and drive. Her success inspires students to embrace challenges and pursue growth and innovation in their own careers.
PRISM visits with Laura Raives at Capital One Headquarters in November 2024 (McLean, VA).