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.Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse walks through the venue on Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.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.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.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.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.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.Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse walks through the venue on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with guests and friends on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with Olivia West on Sunday, April 19, 2026, ahead of the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with co-owner Jim Schumacher on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with Cheryl Hannah mother of Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite president Mary Kay Huse, right, presents the game ball to a sponsor during a Major League Volleyball match against Orlando Valkyries, Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Fishers Event Center.1 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.1 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.2 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse walks through the venue on Indy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.3 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.4 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.5 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.6 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.7 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president and general manager Mary Kay Huse poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Indy Ignite office in Fishers.8 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse walks through the venue on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.9 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with guests and friends on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.10 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with Olivia West on Sunday, April 19, 2026, ahead of the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.11 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with co-owner Jim Schumacher on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.12 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite general manager and president Mary Kay Huse talks with Cheryl Hannah mother of Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.13 / 13Indy Ignite's general manager Mary Kay HuseIndy Ignite president Mary Kay Huse, right, presents the game ball to a sponsor during a Major League Volleyball match against Orlando Valkyries, Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Fishers Event Center.Throughout her career, Huse has been in charge of ventures that saw her staring down million-dollar figures on quarterly statements. She has traveled the world for a two-decade career that put her among the most brilliant minds in tech and startups.

A computer science major by education, Huse has always been an entrepreneur at heart, a person who loves building things. And in 2023, back home in Indy, she was charged with building something she never saw coming.

A women's professional volleyball team was launching in Indy, the creation of Jim Schumacher and Don Hutchinson, two volleyball dads. A mutual friend encouraged Schumacher and Huse to talk.

The two went to a breakfast that Huse thought would be a brief business meetup. Maybe Schumacher wanted to bounce some ideas off of her or, at most, maybe he wanted her to be a consultant to the Indy Ignite. Schumacher had other ideas.

That breakfast turned into a 3-hour conversation that lit a fire in Huse, a spark she'd been missing in her career, a connection to a community. "After that breakfast with Jim, I went home to my wife," Huse says, "and I was like, 'Oh yes. I'm going to do this.'"

Huse was going to be president and general manager of the Indy Ignite.

A few days later, she met Schumacher and Hutchinson for coffee. She liked how "the two of them were just blowing each other crap."

"They were so excited and so passionate, and I just was able to join in. I had two older brothers growing up. I worked in tech. I worked with men my whole life," Huse says. "We kind of just went from there. I'm never afraid to give them my opinion. They're not short on opinions, either."

Indy Ignite Blake Mohler flips a water bottle with teammates on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Emoni Bush (4) yells in excitement with Indy Ignite Cara Cresse (13) after flipping a bottle Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite fans watch from the stands Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite players high-five during team introductions on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Leketor Member-Meneh (7) hits the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Lydia Martyn (22) and Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) leaps to block the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) spikes the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite head coach Lauren Bertolacci watches from the sidelines Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Mia Tuaniga (91) sets the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Mia Tuaniga (91) celebrates a point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Elena Scott (9) looks on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Elena Scott (9) hits the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite fans yell in excitement after set point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Elena Scott (9) high-fives Indy Ignite Leketor Member-Meneh (7) on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) talks to a teammate on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) celebrates a point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Leketor Member-Meneh (7) spikes the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Cara Cresse (13) yells in excitement Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite players celebrate a point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Aiden Fisher waves to the crowd Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II waves to the crowd Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) looks on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite player celebrate a set point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite fans yell in excitement Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.Indy Ignite fans hold up signs Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.1 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Blake Mohler flips a water bottle with teammates on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.1 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Blake Mohler flips a water bottle with teammates on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.2 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Emoni Bush (4) yells in excitement with Indy Ignite Cara Cresse (13) after flipping a bottle Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.3 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite fans watch from the stands Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.4 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite players high-five during team introductions on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.5 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Leketor Member-Meneh (7) hits the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.6 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Lydia Martyn (22) and Indy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) leaps to block the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.7 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) spikes the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.8 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite head coach Lauren Bertolacci watches from the sidelines Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.9 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Mia Tuaniga (91) sets the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.10 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.11 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.12 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.13 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite players dance the YMCA on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.14 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Mia Tuaniga (91) celebrates a point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.15 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Elena Scott (9) looks on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.16 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Elena Scott (9) hits the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.17 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite fans yell in excitement after set point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.18 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Elena Scott (9) high-fives Indy Ignite Leketor Member-Meneh (7) on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.19 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) talks to a teammate on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.20 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) celebrates a point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.21 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Leketor Member-Meneh (7) spikes the ball Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.22 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Cara Cresse (13) yells in excitement Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.23 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite players celebrate a point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.24 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndiana Hoosiers linebacker Aiden Fisher waves to the crowd Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.25 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II waves to the crowd Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.26 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite Camryn Hannah (8) looks on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.27 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite player celebrate a set point Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.28 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite fans yell in excitement Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.29 / 29See photos from Indy Ignite against the Dallas Pulse in FishersIndy Ignite fans hold up signs Sunday, April 19, 2026, during the match against the Dallas Pulse at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers.In the Ignite's second season, the team is No. 1 in Major League Volleyball with a 21-5 record and is headed to the playoffs in Dallas next month, marking a back-to-back appearance in the postseason.

For the most part, it's Huse who runs this volleyball show, says Hutchinson.

She negotiated deals for players and "killed it" when it came to making the Ignite a product the city would embrace. She landed sponsors and made the game-day experience electric. She created Pepper, the team's beloved volleyball-headed mascot, who Schumacher calls "the best thing that ever happened to the franchise."

"She loved sports, she had a passion for it, and she has really taken this thing to the next level on a day-to-day basis," Schumacher says, "which allows us to act and think like owners, and get out of her way and let her really build the team."

And Huse has built the team with a toughness and relentless grit. That's something she learned early in life.