Less than a year into his master’s in public policy, Drew Ambrogi’s (MPP-EP’27) policy fellowship opened the door to a full-time opportunity to advance his career while shaping the future of emerging technology.
Drew Ambrogi’s (MPP-EP’27) path to public policy started in the evolving world of the gig economy. What began as an advocacy role on behalf of gig workers soon expanded into work on the regulatory and legislative debates shaping the gig economy. As his responsibilities grew, he realized he needed a deeper understanding of the policy landscape — leading him to apply for a master’s in public policy at the McCourt School.
Drew Ambrogi (MPP-EP‘27)
“Pursuing an MPP offered me a way to bridge the gap between my subject-matter expertise and analytical skills,” says Ambrogi. “With a more formal training in public policy, my goal coming in was to expand my focus from grassroots advocacy to technology policy more broadly, while building the tools and network to make a larger impact.”
Once at McCourt, he quickly set out to turn those goals into reality.
Within his first semester, he joined the Tech & Public Policy program’s (TPP) visiting fellows student leadership team (SLT) — a small group of students that support TPP’s visiting fellows by connecting them with the broader school community through timely student discussion groups, site visits and events.
“I had the chance to work closely with Fall 2024 Visiting Fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan, whose interests in online speech, Section 230, AI and copyright and privacy aligned with my own,” reflects Ambrogi. “In our discussion groups, she not only walked us through the substance of the policy issues but also gave us a deeper understanding of the landscape and key players in tech policy in Washington, DC.”
Drew Ambrogi (MPP EP ‘27), second from the left, with Fall 2024 TPP Visiting Fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan, third from the left, and members of the SLT
It was this experience that introduced him to a pivotal fellowship opportunity at Google’s Public Policy Fellowship program, which ultimately led to his current full-time role.
“Ashkhen took our SLT under her wing. She was the one who introduced me to the Google Public Policy Fellowship and connected me with people at Chamber of Progress. Those connections were instrumental in my decision to pursue the fellowship.”
His involvement as an SLT would soon lead to a pivotal opportunity — a Google Public Policy Fellowship at Chamber of Progress that opened the door to the next chapter of his career.
Drew Ambrogi (MPP EP ‘27) with Fall 2024 Visiting Fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan’s SLT and McCourt Students at one of Meta’s Washington, DC, offices
Ambrogi started his fellowship at the beginning of his second semester. Through this opportunity, he supported Chamber of Progress’ tech policy team on issues related to AI and online speech, preparing regulatory comments, assisting with state-level advocacy efforts and engaging with congressional staff on AI governance and data privacy.
After two semesters of serving as a fellow, Ambrogi was offered a full-time position as a policy manager at Chamber of Progress, where he handles a civic innovation portfolio, including autonomous vehicles, rideshare and the sharing economy more broadly. As a result, he switched into the McCourt School’s evening program, a transition he describes as “seamless.”
“When I started my MPP program, I didn’t expect to be working full-time in tech policy in less than a year, but McCourt opened doors for me quickly, especially through the TPP’s strong connections in the field.”
As Ambrogi continues his McCourt education, he shares his perspectives on the most valuable aspects of his experience.
“One of the most valuable aspects of my McCourt experience has been the way the curriculum has expanded my skill set,” he notes. “ I had never even taken an economics course before, and I didn’t necessarily think of myself as a ‘quant person,’ but the quantitative sequence really unlocked a new way of thinking for me.”
“The community has also been one of the best parts of my experience,” he says. “Being surrounded by classmates who are just as excited about policy makes discussions more engaging, and the mix of perspectives has really enriched what I’ve learned.”
As Ambrogi advances in his career while completing his degree, he’s eager to dive deeper into the rapidly evolving world of technology policy.
“Rapid advances in technology are making this an exciting time for policy,” he says. “The real opportunity is making sure innovation delivers for the public and that policy helps unlock, not slow, that progress. McCourt gave me the analytical grounding to engage with these changes critically and the policy lens to ensure they serve the public good.”