In 2012, Amber decided to leave a stable job to return to school full-time. After working in defense, where the focus is often on things that have gone wrong in the world, she desired a more positive, hopeful career. Therefore, at Johns Hopkins-SAIS, Amber focused on the way market access, finance, and innovation transform economies to expand opportunity. She first applied her education during an internship at the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation, where she helped small businesses to finance development projects. Since graduation, Amber has worked with a small tech start-up that helps public and private sector organizations leverage data to gain insight for monitoring & evaluation and risk management. She is excited to serve as a Kiva Fellow, viewing it as an important first step in her journey to gain a deep and credible understanding of the challenges facing businesses that work in a developing context. With this knowledge, Amber hopes to lead a career aimed at building a more inclusive global marketplace.