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| Jan 19, 2021
Julia Kelb'16 | January 12, 2021
Last fall, TechPoint, a company dedicated to bringing together the Indianapolis tech community, announced its prestigious Tech 25 Class of 2019. 
The 25 winners had been nominated for their incredible impact and commitment to propelling their fast-paced businesses forward. Marian University Graduate of the Last Decade, Amber Ferrari ’15, was among those recognized.
Although Ferrari walked across Marian’s stage at graduation just five years ago, her tech industry chops and mastery of the competitive field is nothing short of extensive. Currently, Ferrari is manager of communications and sales support for Jobvite, a full-scale, global talent acquisition suite. While her work brings her to Monument Circle each day, St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic School, then located on the west side of Indianapolis, is where her roots began.
“I’d say I was a very precocious child, very interested in reading, and language, and leading,” Ferrari said. “I’d be like ‘Hey, do this, here are the rules.’”
Ferrari found herself filling her schedule with extracurriculars like choir, student government, softball, and theater—commanding a room came naturally. At Marian University she was a 21st Century Scholar, held work-study positions and internships, and competed on the university’s speech team while completing her degree in communication.
Upon graduating, Ferrari became Marian University’s first-ever Orr Fellow. The two-year Orr Fellowship sets out to provide fellows with full-time, salaried positions, opportunities to hone leadership and business skills, and an unmatched professional network.
“On finalist day for the fellowship, I interviewed with five different companies,” Ferrari said. “The night I got the call that I had a job and was in the fellowship, I was getting ready for winter formal at Marian.” For the next two years, Ferrari worked at the start-up company, PactSafe, a clickwrap agreement management and e-signature platform—her first steps in the Indy tech scene. “I am a profit of all my experience there,” Ferrari said. “I had to learn how to do every aspect of digital marketing, from search engine optimization, to building website pages, to building landing pages, building campaigns, building automated messaging, email campaigns, building lists, and sales development.”
Next, Ferrari moved to Canvas, the world’s first text-based interviewing platform. Another startup, she was team member number five and hired just before its launch.
“I pulled my first all-nighter the night we launched. I think you have to try so much in startups and see what didn’t work and what really did. It’s cool to look back and say look what we’ve built,” Ferrari said. I
n just 18 months, Canvas was acquired by Jobvite, and the five-member team grew to nearly 400. In her present role on Jobvite’s communications, brand, and strategy team within marketing, Ferrari is responsible for partner marketing, PR efforts, social strategy, employment branding, and supporting speaking engagements.
"I knew the tech industry existed, but I didn’t know it was the place for me. There’s a little bit to all of this where I’ve MacGyver-ed my way in,” Ferrari said. “Wit, emotional intelligence, and communication skills got me a long way.”
Ferrari credits learning to be agile, adaptable, and open to feedback to her quick success, and she advised current students to find a mentor who can be honest with them.
“Go straight to The Exchange or your advisor. It’s important to have self-awareness to see how you best operate,” Ferrari said.
Currently, Ferrari serves on Marian University’s 21st Century Scholar Board of Visitors and the Forging Leaders Committee.
