Stephanie Savage ’10, sales representative for Zoom

When it comes to being in the perfect company for opportunity and growth during a global pandemic, a technology business like Zoom — which enables people to work and connect remotely — is the place. And that’s exactly where Stephanie Savage ’10, a sales representative for Zoom, found herself during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“I absolutely love it,” said Savage. “It’s the best company I’ve ever worked for, and it’s such a cool time to be part of the company, too.”

Navigating the ‘Zoom Boom’ during a pandemic

Savage began her position at Zoom in October 2019. The company was already growing, but things really heated up when the pandemic hit and people began to quarantine in March 2020. Suddenly, it seemed like the entire country was trying to figure out how to use Zoom to stay on top of work and connect with friends and family.

“We had what we call the ‘Zoom Boom,’ ” laughed Savage. “It was insane. I was working 15 hours a day, and I couldn’t even keep up with how much was coming my way.”

Success aside, it’s always been important for Savage to work for a company she believes in. She saw firsthand how Zoom’s CEO Eric S. Yuan wanted to give back to the community during the crisis. For example, Zoom enabled free access to the platform for all K-12 institutions across the United States to help support remote education when schools were shut down and teachers were forced to teach remotely.

Savage currently lives in Denver, Colorado, where she works at Zoom.

“It made me proud to work for this company,” said Savage. “Their responsiveness to … everything going on in the world is also amazing. They’ve been hosting conversations for everyone to discuss what’s going on, and they’re taking care of us.”

According to Savage, a lot of the businesses she works with have no intention of bringing employees back into a physical space any time soon. Employees are proving that they can be productive and effective while working from home, and the crisis has forced companies to innovate into the digital space in ways that will be beneficial for the future.

“I think we’re going to see a really big shift in the future of our work place,” said Savage. “Digital transformation is here … so I think that technology is going to continue to do really, really well. Companies need technology to stay ahead of the curve and continue to function when they can’t be in the office.”

Aside from work, Savage has enjoyed seeing people use Zoom in a variety of personal ways. The company has published a website called Together On Zoom that highlights the numerous ways the platform has been used to connect remotely—including wedding ceremonies, notarizing documents, musicians’ meet-ups, art classes, ballet and yoga instruction, family reunions and so much more.

Salve Regina stokes lifelong passion for travel, giving back

Savage originally attended Salve Regina to become a journalist and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English communications. Studying abroad at the University of Rome, however, completely changed her life.

“I credit so much of my success and just who I am as a person to that study abroad program,” said Savage. “And I loved all of my professors [at Salve]. Dr. Ramsey was definitely one of my favorites—I wrote my senior thesis on Seinfeld, and spent the whole year working with him, which was an awesome experience.”

Savage has traveled to over 40 countries. This is her during her study abroad program to Rome when attending Salve Regina.

Although she worked abroad for a few years after graduating and has traveled to 40 countries, Savage’s home is in Denver, Colorado. She has served in a variety of sales roles with different companies before landing her job with Zoom. While she never thought of herself as a salesperson, it just comes naturally—because to Savage, sales is ultimately all about helping people.

“I love helping people work through what their pains are and then coming up with a solution for them to help solve their problems,” she said.

Savage is also on the board of directors for a nonprofit in Colorado called RMA Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit run by an all-female group of philanthropists that helps raise funds for children in need. RMA raises approximately $150,000 a year for local charities, which go through a rigorous grant review process in order to receive donations.

“I love my role as fundraising director, because I am able to inspire and empower the women of our organization while also helping to make an impact on the children of our community,” said Savage.

Savage believes that despite the challenges everyone is facing in the world right now, innovation, a willingness to truly adapt and an undying optimism will help people push through all of the uncertainty. These are all skills she’s been able to implement in her own life and that she sees in the culture at Zoom.

“I’ve always just been someone who gets really excited about what’s ahead in the future, and I’ve always looked at the glass half full,” she said.

Salve Spotlights is a series of people-centered stories periodically featured on SALVEtoday. Check out the tag Salve Spotlights for more stories.

This story was originally featured in Report from Newport’s Summer Issue 2020. t has been modified slightly.