She lit up the tech and music industry. Now, she's the GM behind Indy Ignite's explosion

Yahoo Sports3h ago31 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Mary Kay Huse, a former tech star, is now the General Manager of Indy Ignite, showcasing her bold ambition since her early career. She previously worked at ExactTarget and Salesforce before leading the music startup Mandolin.

Key points

Mary Kay Huse is now the General Manager of Indy Ignite
She previously worked at ExactTarget and Salesforce
Huse expressed her ambition to be a CEO at age 24
She led the music startup Mandolin during the pandemic
Indy Ignite is gaining traction in the tech and music industry

Mentioned in this story

Mary Kay HuseExactTargetSalesforceMandolinIndy Ignite

INDIANAPOLIS — Mary Kay Huse was a 24-year-old rising star in the tech world when she sat across the table from Scott Dorsey and said the words he hasn't forgotten more than 20 years later, words that sum up everything anyone needs to know about Huse and her drive and determination.

It was 2004, and Dorsey was interviewing Huse for a job at his startup digital marketing company ExactTarget when he asked her that standard interview question. What are your career ambitions?

"And sincerely, I vividly remember. I can picture exactly where we were sitting, and she looked me right in the eye and said, 'I want to be CEO of a software company,'" said Dorsey, now a managing partner at High Alpha after ExactTarget was sold to Salesforce for $2.5 billion in 2013.

"And I was like, 'Whoa. That level of boldness and ambition doesn't usually come so early in a career.' It really stood out to me."

The rest, as they say, is history. Dorsey hired Huse, and she spent the next 16 years with ExactTarget and Salesforce as "an absolute rock star," he says, before venturing out as CEO of music startup Mandolin, a live streaming concert platform launched during COVID.

And then in 2023, Huse made a phone call to Dorsey. She needed his guidance. Huse was in the running to be the president and general manager of the city's newest professional sports franchise, the Indy Ignite.

"My first thought was, 'This is really different. This is kind of coming out of left field,'" Dorsey says. "And then very quickly, when I started kind of thinking it through, I thought, 'This is perfect, absolutely perfect.'"

Indy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.

Q&A

Who is Mary Kay Huse and what is her background?

Mary Kay Huse is a former tech executive known for her roles at ExactTarget and Salesforce, and she is currently the General Manager of Indy Ignite.

What significant achievement did Mary Kay Huse accomplish in her career?

Huse expressed her ambition to become a CEO at just 24 years old, which led to her hiring at ExactTarget, where she had a successful 16-year tenure.

What is Indy Ignite and why is it significant?

Indy Ignite is a platform that has gained attention in the tech and music industry, with Huse as its General Manager, driving its growth and innovation.

What role did Huse play in the music startup Mandolin?

Mary Kay Huse served as the CEO of Mandolin, a live streaming concert platform launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.