About Us
Rachel Spooner
Founder of Thrive College Coaching
Rachel Spooner is an award-winning professor, author, speaker, and higher education leader dedicated to helping students thrive in college and beyond. She is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at North Carolina State University’s Poole College of Management, where she also serves as Director of Future Ready. In this role, she leads the college’s innovative undergraduate initiative focused on helping students develop the durable skills, professional competencies, and career readiness needed to succeed in an ever-changing workplace.
Before joining NC State, Rachel was an Associate Professor of the Practice at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and previously taught at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, Boston University School of Law, and Northeastern University School of Law. She has been an advisor for thousands of students in a formal and informal capacity over her more than two decades in universities, giving her a unique perspective on the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that contribute to long-term success.
Rachel is a sought-after speaker for universities, student leadership programs, conferences, and organizations, presenting on topics including college success, career readiness, and the durable skills that prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Her work has been recognized with numerous teaching awards, reflecting her deep commitment to student learning, mentorship, and educational excellence.
Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. After clerking for the Honorable William C. Conner in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Rachel worked in the Trial Department of Goodwin Procter LLP for five years, focusing on commercial, securities, and bankruptcy litigation, as well as doing extensive pro bono work for prisoners, indigent criminal defendants, and on a death penalty case.
When she is not working with students, Rachel enjoys watching college basketball, reading, trying new restaurants in the Research Triangle, and spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
