KRUIZ, Magazine

East Bay MBAJAN/FEB 2016 PRICELESS
COVER LETTER/INTRODUCTION pg. 2 RESUME pg. 3-4 PORTFOLIO pg. 5
KYIAKHALID RUIZ
Marketing Communications
Strategic Brand
Management
Social Entrepreneurship
International
MBA
of the Year
2015
“…I want to help your company grow…”

East Bay MBA JAN/FEB 2016
Kongresszentrum: Davos, Switzerland
At this “World Economic Forum” site, Kyiakhalid Ruiz receives
a well-earned Master’s in Business Administration (specializing
in Social Entrepreneurship). 
Seeking an enduring relationship in Marketing, Communications or Business Development 2
KYIAKHALID RUIZ, MBA
kyiakhalid.com kyiakhalid@gmail.com (510) 813-3352
Manage
Project Management
• End-to-end project
management capabilities
(big picture overview +
attention to detail) honed
from 15 years of
entrepreneurship
• Innovative problem-solving
aptitude (to resolve issues
without the panacea of
money)
• Productive supervisory skills
with direct reports & outside
contractors
Robust cultural sensitivity
• Forged from living overseas
and working deeply with
many global citizens
Create
Design
• Artistic savvy shaped from a
deep, lifelong appreciation
of the arts
Software
• Recognized proficiency in
presentation (PowerPoint &
Keynote), image editing
(GIMP & Photoshop), audio
& video editing, page layout
(Office & iWork) and data
visualization (Tableau)
software tools.
Analyze
• Outside-the-box strategic
analysis considering all the
variable inputs
Communicate
• Listening, hearing, asking clarifying questions, and taking
detailed notes to translate ideas into a message.
• Tailoring the message towards its intended audience(s),
then confirming that they understood it.
• Using the right tools (extensive vocabulary, fundamental
English grammar, current Social Media #conventions,
software,…) to convey that message at the right time.
Meet your new teammate!

Kyiakhalid Ruiz, MBA: Manage ✨ Create ✨ Analyze ✨ Communicate
Oakland, CA, USA • (510) 813-3352 ☎
kyiakhalid@gmail.com • www.kyiakhalid.com • linkedin.com/in/kyiakhalid
Proﬁle _________________________________________________________________
• Skilled at exceeding client expectations through productive communication, strategic decision-
making via effective data analysis & innovative problem-solving.
• Immense cultural sensitivity gained from years of travel and living overseas allows Kyiakhalid
Ruiz to interact positively and productively with members of diverse communities.
• Social Causes: Animal welfare, education, underserved sociologically disadvantaged &
minority communities, environmental sustainability
Relevant Knowledge, Skills, and Training
Asset Portfolio Management ☀ Strategic Business Development ☀ Entrepreneurial Experience &
Initiative ☀ Internal Communications ☀ External Public Relations ☀ Brand Marketing Management
☀ Content/Media Creation & Curation
Education ______________________________________________________________
Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) August 2015
HULT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL: San Francisco, US
• Hult Impact Challenge: Social Entrepreneurship track
▪ “Arara da Mata: Reversing Deforestation in Brazil’s Mata Atlântica Biome”
• Club Memberships: Global Women in Business, Hult Venture Club, Hult Golf Club, The Art of
Living Club
Associate of Arts (AA), Real Estate (Highest Honors) June 2014
MERRITT COLLEGE: Oakland, California, US
• 4.0 GPA and recognized as the top-ranked student in a 25-person class
• Specialties: Residential/Commercial Property Management, Real Estate Brokerage
Bachelor of Arts (BA), American Studies June 1999
UC SANTA CRUZ: Santa Cruz, California, US
• Researched the creation of the United States via the contribution of many disparate cultural
experiences (LGBT, African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American, European,…)

Professional Experience __________________________________________________
FDIP Intern: Peralta Community College District 2015 - present
• Developing the skills to teach undergraduate students
• Published the survey “Tips for Future Educators: Establishing the Best Practices to help the
Educators of tomorrow”
• Created innovative lesson plans & syllabus designed to optimize student potential
Real Estate Consultant: Oakland & Monterey, California, US 2006 - present
• Increasing client portfolio value by…
o Actively managing & consulting client portfolios
o Proposing strategic recommendations
o Implementing efficiencies to substantially decrease outflows
Creative Media Consultant: San Francisco Bay Area, California US 1999 - 2014
• Produced and Communicated clients visions to their internal and/or external audiences (via
documentaries, commercials, and big-budget theatrical releases).
• Required to meet and quickly establish long-lasting and trusting relationships with clients and
with other independent contractors in order to fulfill the client’s objectives in a timely and
budget-friendly manner.
• Cross-departmental communication liaison between multiple key stakeholders within and
across strategic business units
• Managed multiple projects with tight deadlines and budgets
• Designed clear, concise presentations, simplifying complex ideas and language into lay-
speak
• Presented strategic recommendations to key stakeholders, from external client-side to internal
senior management
• Clients include: Cisco, Google, Apple, IBM, Bank of America, Kaiser, SAP, Federal Reserve of
San Francisco, State of California, VISA, Gap, Levi’s, BlackRock, Wells Fargo,…
• Responsible for content production: writing, editing, and proof-reading, keeping a consistent
voice, tone and vision across multiple media channels (print, video, audio, web publishing,…)
Additional Information ____________________________________________________
Languages: English (fluent), Spanish (advanced proficiency)
Technologies: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), Mac OS (Apple), Windows PC, audio/
video editing software, image editing software (Photoshop,…), Tableau (data visualization software),
website development (WordPress, iWeb), Search Engine Optimization (Google Analytics, AdWords,
AdSense, Webmaster Tools,…)

Kyiakhalid Ruiz, MBA 2014-2015 Hult International Business School
International Marketing, Module B
Is time running out on this women’s basketball league?
Kyiakhalid Ruiz, MBA: Manage | Create | Analyze | Communicate
Portfolio Sample: WNBA Marketing Analysis

Diana Taurasi's Russian Team Is
Paying Her To Skip The WNBA Season
The year-round nature of women's basketball
takes its toll and the financial opportunity with
my team in Russia would have been
irresponsible to turn down. They offered to pay
me to rest and I've decided to take them up on
it. I want to be able to take care of myself and
my family when I am done playing.
http://deadspin.com/diana-taurasis-russian-team-
is-paying-her-to-skip-the-w-1683643165
In a world with numerous entertainment options, is domestic demand
strong enough to fully financially support a women’s basketball league?
Brittney Griner Makes 12 Times More
Playing In China Than In The United States
While the Mercury could only pay Griner $49,440
in 2013, the WCBA's Zhejiang Golden Bulls signed
her for approximately $600,000, according to
ESPN The Magazine. Even with a $1 million
endorsement contract from Nike, that type of
money is hard to turn down. That's roughly six
times more than the maximum salary in the WNBA.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201404/
brittney-griner-made-12-times-more-playing-china-us
How much money has the WNBA lost
(or cost the NBA) since it's inception?
So far the WNBA has not mirrored the
monetary success of the NBA, though it is
targeting profitability in 2007. The NBA has
provided annual subsidies of approximately
$12 million dollars to cover operating losses.
The average attendance of WNBA games,
league-wide, is roughly half the average
attendance of NBA games. As of the
agreement signed in 2003, WNBA players
who had up to three years of experience were
capped at $42,000. By comparison, $385,277
was the minimum salary of an NBA rookie.
WNBA rookies earned $30,000 per year. The
maximum salary for a WNBA player in 2007
was $100,000. Many WNBA players choose
to supplement their salaries by playing in
European or Australian women's basketball
leagues during the WNBA off-season.
https://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?
qid=20080522090322AAhvfqx

Executive Summary
Strategic Problem is twofold:
1. the WNBA is losing revenue annually
2. the WNBA is losing talent to other global women’s basketball leagues.
Strategic Opportunity is for the WNBA to grow domestic interest & demand by expanding their
league internationally to parlay nationalistic sympathies.
Strategic Insight is that low domestic American demand is threatening the league’s survival.
Strategic Implication is that without a strategic repositioning, the league will wither within 5 years.
Strategic Alternatives are:
1. Do nothing drastic.
2. Create an annual global championship to entice new domestic American consumers.
Strategic Recommendation is to create an annual global championship to entice new
domestic American consumers.

Category Company Competition Customers/Consumers Collaborators Centers of Inﬂuence Context
WNBA competes against other live sports
entertainment (NBA, NFL, MLB,…), other
live entertainment (movies, television,
video games,…)
The WNBA struggles in a crowded entertainment landscape.
The WNBA is in danger of folding within 5 years.

The WNBA struggles in a crowded entertainment landscape.
The WNBA is in danger of folding within 5 years.
Demand
Consumer demand is not strong enough to
support the WNBA’s basic operating costs
(attendance averaging 30+% cannot cover
stadium costs,…)
(see Exhibit 3)
Risk
Without creating value, the WNBA is at risk of
further contraction and/or folding altogether.
WNBA on brink of losing another cornerstone franchise
The Los Angeles Sparks were given up by their ownership and now the
franchise's future is in flux with the season just months away. (AP)
http://www.mercurynews.com/national-sports-news/ci_24846524/
wnba-brink-losing-another-cornerstone-franchise

WNBA: Founded in 1996, headquartered in New York City
12 current teams/franchise partners (see Exhibit 1)
Not the ﬁrst U.S. women’s basketball league
Women’s Pro Basketball League (1978-1981)
Also, American Basketball League (1996-1998)
WNBA was created despite low demand.
Did the WNBA learn the lessons from the defunct WBL & ABL ﬁascoes?
Atlanta Dream New York Liberty Phoenix Mercury
Chicago Sky Washington Mystics San Antonio Stars
Connecticut Sun Los Angeles Sparks Seattle Storm
Indiana Fever Minnesota Lynx Tulsa Shock

WNBA popularity is constrained by numerous alternate entertainment options.
Three “High” threats? Congratulations! You’ve entered a crowded market!
Threat of Substitutes
Enhance value of the “purity” of the
women’s game.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Create alternate viewing networks that
specialize to delivering WNBA content.
Bargaining Power of Buyers
Create relationships with consumers to
enhance value.

Why is the market entered?
The WNBA was created with major backing from the NBA as an avenue for professional
women basketball players and to provide inspiration for women & girls.
What the entrant brings to the new market?
The WNBA hoped to bring stability to the women’s basketball market.
What the entrant meets unto the new market?
The WNBA met higher demand initially, but has declined in recent years. During its
launch, the WNBA competed directly with another new women’s basketball league (the
ABL, 1996-1998).
How is the market entered?
The live sports entertainment market for women was entered into by the WNBA with lots
of economic backing by the men’s basketball league, the NBA.
The WNBA was initiated as a venture by the deep-pocketed men’s league, the NBA.
Without the NBA’s money, the WNBA is dead-on-arrival.

Relative Strengths
Dominant existing mindshare (older forms of
entertainment)
Relative Weaknesses
Not much entertainment caters positively to
women & girls (excepting “chick ﬂicks”, children’s
toys,…)
Relative Opportunities
Opportunity to create entertainment that gives
positive role-models to women & girls
Relative Threats
The threat of other forms of entertainment that will
cater to women & girls, enter and achieve
dominant mindshare/walletshare position.
The “role-model for women & girls” market is crying out for positive entertainment.
The competitor who can accurately provide role-model entertainment, wins.

Protect Position Invest to build Build Selectively
Build Selectively Manage for Earnings Expand or Harvest
Protect position & refocus Manage for Earnings Divest
Competitive Strength of Business UnitLow
Low
High
High
IndustryAttractiveness
Strategic Alternative 1 Strategic Alternative 2

Consumers’ allowance for entertainment is a small sliver of their budgets.
The WNBA needs to create value in their product to grab more walletshare.
Consumer entertainment expenditures are a
critical portion of their annual budgets.
Entertainment budgets shrink during tough
economic times.
(see Exhibit 4)

Consumers derive greater perceived value from WNBA’s competitors.
WNBA needs to offer greater value for their product to compete for consumer walletshare.
Perceived Performance
RelativePrice
Thrifty
Average
Premium

WNBA needs the support of powerful allies to survive.
WNBA Strategic Collaborators
Proctor & Gamble (“…$83.6 billion in sales and more than $10 billion in net earnings. Its
beauty, grooming, and healthcare household names, such as Secret, Tampax, Cover Girl, and My
Black is Beautiful, are focal points of the multi-brand partnership.”) http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/
2013/07/26/in-its-17th-season-the-wnba-continues-to-defy-odds/
Boost Mobile
NBA ($12 million/year subsidies to WNBA)

Economic: Consumers’ budgets shrink during tough economic times. 
Sociological: WNBA exists to provide role-model
leadership to women & girls as well as job
opportunities for American women
professional basketball players. 
Technological: WNBA among leaders of
“second-screen” viewing, social media
fan interactivity.
WNBA exists in an attempt to equalize opportunities for women.

Strategic Problem is twofold:
1. the WNBA is losing revenue annually
2. the WNBA is losing talent to other global women’s basketball leagues.
Strategic Opportunity is for the WNBA to grow domestic interest & demand by expanding their
league internationally to parlay nationalistic sympathies.
Strategic Insight is that low domestic American demand is threatening the league’s survival.
Strategic Implication is that without a strategic repositioning, the league will wither within 5 years.
Strategic Alternatives are:
1. Do nothing drastic.
2. Create an annual global championship to entice new domestic American consumers.
Strategic Recommendation is to create an annual global championship to entice new
domestic American consumers.
Summary Recap

Pros
Easy to maintain the status quo.
Cons
Missing the opportunity to grab critical
mindshare.
Costs
Opportunity cost of doing nothing to create &
increase value.
Potential loss of sponsorships if ratings &
attendance continue to slip.
Have to survive on continued NBA subsidies.
($12+ million/year)
Beneﬁts
Money savings from not having to spend to
realign.
Easier to maintain the status quo than to invest
in something new.
Strategic Alternative 1: Do nothing drastic

Strategic Alternative 2: Create an annual global championship to entice new American consumers.
Pros
Opportunity to expand exposure to American
audiences of women’s basketball
Opportunity to acquire additional sponsors
Cons
Difficult scheduling dilemma to accommodate
players commitments to WNBA season and/or
overseas teams
Difficult to obtain required buy-in from the
WNBA stakeholders
Costs
Initial cost of coordinating and administrating
annual global women’s basketball
championship (est. $5 million)
Cost of marketing annual global women’s
basketball championship (est. $50 million)
Benefits
Increased exposure of women’s professional
basketball
Increased opportunity to create new positive
role models for women & girls

Strategic Recommendation
To create and manage an annual global women's basketball
championship to compete against other basketball playing counties.
Doing so has the opportunity to increase exposure of women's basketball
to American audiences, create more positive role-models for women &
girls, and to acquire more sponsors to support the WNBA.

Tactical Marketing Plan
Solutions: Market the global women’s basketball championship, relying on nationalistic
tendencies to increase demand among American consumers.
Beneﬁts: To increase exposure of women's basketball to American audiences, create more
positive role-models for women & girls, and to acquire more sponsors to support the WNBA.
Information/Incentive: The incentive for new audience attention will “grease the wheels” of
opposition both among WNBA and other concerned stakeholders.
Value: Having a nationalistic stake in the champion will enhance the value of women’s
basketball in the U.S.
Access: Increased exposure to new consumers will create opportunities for advertisers.
Relationships: Playing an annual women’s basketball championship and/or creating
positive role-models for women and girls will create lasting relationships with affected
consumers.

Digital Marketing Plan
2015 GLOBAL
WOMEN’S
BASKETBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP
Barcelona, Spain
Win an exclusive, all-expenses VIP package to the 2015
Global Women’s Basketball Championship in Barcelona,
Spain for you and 3 of your family! Meet your favorite
players!
All you have to do is retweet #iheartwnba for your chance
to win! Good luck!
31
JULY
Leveraging the power of social media will
go a long way toward creating the buzz
around the 2015 Global Women’s Basketball
Championship.
A digital marketing campaign using social media
could conceivably use the popularity of
retweeting and hashtags along with the
incentive of winning an all-expenses trip for 4
to the site of the Global Women’s Basketball
Championship to increase mindshare among
interested consumers.

Exhibit 1: Map of WNBA teams, customer demographics
Seattle population (2013): 652,405
Average Salary: $62,000
Seattle Storm attendance: 6,717
(17,072 capacity)
Los Angeles population estimate (2013): 3,884,307
Los Angeles Sparks attendance: 8,288 (19,079
capacity)
Minneapolis population (2013): 400,070
Minnesota Lynx attendance: 9,333
(19,356 capacity)
Phoenix population (2013): 1,513,367
Phoenix Mercury attendance: 9,557
(18,422 capacity)
San Antonio population (2013): 1,409,019
San Antonio Stars attendance: 7.719
(18,581 capacity)
Tulsa population (2013): 398,121
Tulsa Shock attendance: 5,566
(17,839 capacity)
Atlanta population (2013): 447,841
Atlanta Dream attendance: 5,864
(18,729 capacity)
Washington D.C. population
(2014): 658,893
Washington Mystics attendance:
8,377 (20,674 capacity)
Uncasville population (2010): 19,571
Connecticut Sun attendance: 5,980
(9,323 capacity)
New York population (2013): 8,405,837
New York Liberty attendance: 8,949
(19,563 capacity)
Indianapolis population (2013): 843,393
Indiana Fever attendance: 7,900
(18,165 capacity)
Chicago population (2013): 2,718,782
Chicago Sky attendance: 6,685
(17,500 capacity)

Exhibit 2: Map of the global women’s professional leagues
Europe Asia Australia
Women’s basketball enjoys global success.

Exhibit 3: Attendance Relative Mindshare
WNBA Teams Attendance Stadium Capacity Attendance Percentage
Average WNBA
Attendance (2014)
Relative Attendance Share
Atlanta Dream 5,864 18,729 31.31% 7,578 0.77
Chicago Sky 6,685 17,500 38.20% 7,578 0.88
Connecticut Sun 5,980 9,323 64.14% 7,578 0.79
Indiana Fever 7,900 18,165 43.49% 7,578 1.04
Los Angeles Sparks 8,288 19,079 43.44% 7,578 1.09
Minnesota Lynx 9,333 19,356 48.22% 7,578 1.23
New York Liberty 8,949 19,563 45.74% 7,578 1.18
Phoenix Mercury 9,557 18,422 51.88% 7,578 1.26
San Antonio Stars 7,719 18,581 41.54% 7,578 1.02
Seattle Storm 6,717 17,072 39.35% 7,578 0.89
Tulsa Shock 5,566 17,839 31.20% 7,578 0.73
Washington Mystics 8,377 20,674 40.52% 7,578 1.11

WNBA Teams
Average WNBA
Ticket Price
Team City
Average Salary
Average US
Entertainment
Budget
WNBA Average City
Salary Entertainment
“Family Night” (4
tickets, parking,
concessions,…)
Percentage of Annual
Entertainment Budget
How many
visits per year?
Atlanta Dream $49.25 $72,000 5.4% $3888 252 6.48% 15.43
Chicago Sky $49.25 $69,000 5.4% $3726 252 6.76% 14.79
Connecticut Sun $49.25 $58,000 5.4% $3132 252 8.05% 12.43
Indiana Fever $49.25 $50,000 5.4% $2700 252 9.33% 10.71
Los Angeles Sparks $49.25 $62,000 5.4% $3348 252 7.53% 13.29
Minnesota Lynx $49.25 $51,000 5.4% $2754 252 9.15% 10.93
New York Liberty $49.25 $70,000 5.4% $3780 252 6.67% 15.00
Phoenix Mercury $49.25 $48,000 5.4% $2592 252 9.72% 10.29
San Antonio Stars $49.25 $52,000 5.4% $2808 252 8.97% 11.14
Seattle Storm $49.25 $62,000 5.4% $3348 252 7.53% 13.29
Tulsa Shock $49.25 $51,000 5.4% $2754 252 9.15% 10.93
Washington Mystics $49.25 $72,000 5.4% $3888 252 6.48% 15.43
Exhibit 4: American Entertainment Walletshare

Exhibit 5: Works Cited
“Impact of WNBA losing Taurasi”, Pardon the Interruption, ESPN, February 4, 2015
“How Much the Average American Spends on Entertainment”, http://visualeconomics.creditloan.com/average-american-spends-on-entertainment/
Women’s National Basketball Association: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_National_Basketball_Association
American Basketball League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Basketball_League_(1996–98)
Women’s Pro Basketball League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Professional_Basketball_League
Atlanta Dream: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Dream
Chicago Sky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Sky
Connecticut Sun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Sun
Indiana Fever: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Fever
Los Angeles Sparks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Sparks
Minnesota Lynx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Lynx
New York Liberty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Liberty
Phoenix Mercury: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Mercury
San Antonio Stars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Stars
Seattle Storm: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Storm
Tulsa Shock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Shock
Washington Mystics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Mystics
Rosner, Scott R. and Kenneth L. Shropshire, “Basketball and the Women’s National Basketball Association”, The Business of Sports, edited by Scott R.
Rosner and, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA, Print.
“WNBA on the Brink of Losing Another Cornerstone Franchise”, http://www.mercurynews.com/national-sports-news/ci_24846524/wnba-brink-losing-another-
cornerstone-franchise
“Editorial: Women Face Disparity”, http://baylorlariat.com/2013/02/05/editorial-women-face-disparity/
“Diana Taurasi's Russian Team Is Paying Her To Skip The WNBA Season”, http://deadspin.com/diana-taurasis-russian-team-is-paying-her-to-skip-the-
w-1683643165
“Brittney Griner Makes 12 Times More Playing In China Than In The United States”, http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201404/brittney-griner-made-12-
times-more-playing-china-us
“How much money has the WNBA lost (or cost the NBA) since it's inception?”, https://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080522090322AAhvfqx
“In its 17th Season, the WNBA continues to defy odds”, http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/07/26/in-its-17th-season-the-wnba-continues-to-defy-
odds/

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