Holding herself to high standards

“Dance like no one is watching” is a credo urging people to embrace their authentic selves. Kasi Edwards ’96 has her own take on that.

“I’m a big believer in what you do when no one else is watching,” she said, “really challenging yourself and holding yourself accountable to do the hard, hard work and the things that nobody else is going to see. Only you can kind of answer to yourself on that. And that’s been a driving factor in who I am. I have very high standards for myself.”

Edwards, the executive vice president of strategy and corporate development at Kettering-based Reynolds and Reynolds, was honored with the Raj Soin College of Business 2026 Outstanding Alumna Award. The award recognizes former Wright State students who have made exceptional contributions to their professions while giving back to their community.

During her nearly 28-year career with Reynolds and Reynolds, a company that develops software for automotive retailers, she’s delivered results in sales, marketing, operations and product management.

“I’ve done a ton of different things,” Edwards said. “I started in introductory marketing roles, then transformed into product and new business development roles. I spent a number of years in our sales organization, carrying a bag and selling our products across multiple states.”

After overseeing the company’s marketing department for 13 years, Edwards was named to her current role in 2024.

She said that through hard work, opportunities presented themselves.

“I’ve been really blessed to have a lot of good mentors and career coaches throughout my journey here that have helped me navigate and get to the next steps,” she said.

Kasi Edwards ’96 says the broad business perspective she gained through Wright State’s MBA program helped propel her career from a series of leadership roles to executive vice president of strategy and corporate development at Reynolds and Reynolds.

The next step for Edwards was more education and training, which she found in Wright State’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

One of the most impactful parts of Edwards’ MBA experience was the program’s strong entrepreneurial focus. Through developing a business concept, writing a business plan and learning how every part of an organization works together, the experience provided her with a deep understanding of business from every angle.

“Wright State’s MBA program has positively influenced my career,” Edwards said. “It makes a difference in your career when you’re up for jobs and up for promotions. The experiential learning that I was able to get at Wright State really helped me as I grew in my career at each and every next step.”

A Wright State connection is also helpful to students and alumni who want to join Reynolds and Reynolds.

“At Reynolds, when we’re looking to hire associates, Wright State’s a really big positive on a resume,” Edwards said. “The work ethic is always there. They’re really solid, great associates, and we’ve again and again and again had great success hiring Wright State students.”

To have been singled out among the field of business graduates for this year’s Outstanding Alumna Award is not lost on Edwards.

“I’m genuinely honored to receive any recognition like this given how many incredible people graduate from the university — great business owners and thinkers and leaders in their companies,” she said. “I’m extremely appreciative and very humbled.”

Explore more:

• Master of Business Administration
• Alumni Association
• School of Graduate Studies