Meet Amber Bouthot.

Amber Bouthot is the executive editor and publications manager for glo and HOME Living magazines. She also owns Fort Wayne Food Tours and Red Bird Writing, a freelance marketing company. Friends and colleagues describe Amber as an effervescent, passionate, community-minded connector. A transplant from Illinois, she is a staunch advocate for northeast Indiana and gives back by volunteering for a variety of organizations and causes. She earned a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from the Indiana Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Northern Illinois University.

Over the course of her career, she has been responsible for creating the marketing and development strategies for several organizations, including Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana, Artlink, Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana, The Fort Wayne Derby Girls, and The Fort Wayne Children’s Choir.

Not only is Amber a skilled writer, editor, and marketer, she is a positive influence in her community as well. People look to her to share good news and connect them in meaningful ways to nonprofit organizations and other groups and projects moving our region forward. Her current and past volunteer roles include serving as the executive director for Fort Wayne SOUP; on the Marketing committee for Greater Fort Wayne Inc.; the board of directors for Anthony Wayne Rotary, Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana, and Arts United; the event planning committee for SCAN; PR committee and social media chair for Fort Wayne Rotary; and the Special Events committee for Women United. She also launched the Love, Fort Wayne project as a part of Leadership Fort Wayne in 2014, which celebrates Fort Wayne and includes over 50 video testimonials from local leaders and residents.

Amber has two daughters, ages 5 and 2; a wonderfully supportive husband, Adam; and two dogs, Frankie and Wilma. She loves to read, spend time in her garden, and go camping with her family.

YWCA Asks: What does an ’empowering woman’ mean to you?

Amber: An empowering woman is someone who sees the success of others  and cheers them on. It also means helping others when you can— that can be by connecting them with resources or others who can help them, sharing their story (as we do so often in glo), or providing guidance if you have the experience or expertise they need. For many, it is empowering to just be heard, so I try to listen as often as I can; strength can come from being heard.

YWCA Asks: In what ways do you feel you empower other women?

Amber: In my role as the executive editor and publications manager of glo, I provide a platform to women to share their stories. We design our editorial to be helpful and empowering by sharing stories about inspiring women and providing a space for woman-owned businesses to reach a wider audience. I also volunteer in a variety of capacities, and in each role I take on, I try to create a space for women to be heard, understood, and supported. I am blessed to have had some amazing female mentors in my life— both personally and professionally. From them, I’ve learned that the only way forward is together— and that there is space for everyone to succeed.

 YWCA Asks: Would you please share an experience or tidbit of knowledge that would help other women?   This could be a lesson learned, or motivational story, or information that you would like to share to help educate others.

Amber: One tidbit of advice that I received early in my career, and that I have passed on countless times to others, is get involved in your community. Find what it is you are passionate about and then explore ways to chase that passion. For me, that has included volunteering for a wide range of nonprofit organizations over the past 15-20 years. There is nothing more empowering than using your time and talent to help others.