As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Rayna never believed she would experience anti-Semitism in her lifetime. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, racism and anti-Semitism were virtually absent from her life. However, once Rayna began college, everything changed. She encountered many challenges including cyberbullying, a mock eviction notice taped to her door, anti-Semitic comments, and Holocaust denial.
From these experiences, Rayna learned that more work needs to be done to successfully combat anti-Semitism – even in the strongest Jewish communities. Since the age of 12, Rayna has led fundraising initiatives for influential organizations and programming for hundreds of events.
In 2010, she embarked on her professional speaking career addressing over 125,000 people in various demographics. By sharing her own story, Rayna seeks to empower others to enrich their communities through organizing and storytelling. Rayna lectures and leads workshops on a variety of topics. Programs are highly customizable, Reach out to Rayna@TheRoseGrows.com for questions.
“My first time speaking with Rayna, you would have thought you knew her for years! She is a multifaceted professional that you can rely on. As a professional, she is punctual, adaptable, present, and prepared. Rayna is an inclusive, inspiring, and comical speaker! You are constantly reflective and drawn into her presentations. As a mentor, she is ennobling, supportive and a champion for her mentees! Rayna is the authentic professional you want to work with and brings a refreshing energy to the room. Thank you for coming and supporting our students, Rayna!”
Rayna is someone any business student can draw inspiration from; her stories are powerful. Through her storytelling, we see how she fully embraced painful memories and learned from every lesson they had to offer her. She explained her secrets to networking successfully and building multicultural relationships, and how it all starts with a hello.
I especially needed to hear her speak during finals week; when she said that “In your toughest season, you grow the most” — it made me feel heard. It put everything into perspective. She reminded me that I’m going to get through my problems, and I will come out on the other side. Our darkest storms can turn into our greatest victories, and Rayna is proof of that family to share your vision!”
I really like how you gave us real-life experiences and examples in your speech because I feel like I could relate. I love how you taught us not to be afraid to speak up and take advantage of the opportunities that come to us. I love how you are not afraid to be yourself and have so much confidence. You really inspire me to speak up and not be afraid to stand up for those who do not have a voice. Your speech was full of emotion and I hope you come back in the future!”
“It was a pleasure to be in attendance. I truly enjoyed your message and energy. You have something special that I know will continue to encourage others to question their own prejudgments in a gentle, humorous, and empowered manner. Thank you for returning to the Owl family to share your vision!”