Commencement Speaker
Mario Ciabarra
Mario Ciabarra is a serial tech entrepreneur, and a proud Penn State alumnus. His career is defined by a relentless curiosity—the same curiosity he cultivated while studying biochemistry, microbiology, and computer science at the Eberly College of Science.
Ciabarra founded Quantum Metric in 2015 to solve one of the modern enterprise's biggest challenges: turning overwhelming data into genuine empathy. By leveraging agentic AI, he has empowered global brands to move beyond the what of data to understand the why of human behavior.
Long before founding Quantum Metric, Ciabarra was a pioneer of the early mobile ecosystem. Through his ventures Intelliborn and Rock Your Phone, he developed the first mobile hotspots and notification systems, proving that a single developer with a clear vision could outpace the world’s largest tech giants. His earlier success with DevStream, an enterprise monitoring tool, further solidified his reputation for solving the industry's most technical "points of pain."
His journey, from an Eberly student to the leader of a global AI-driven platform, serves as a powerful reminder to today’s graduates that scientific thinking isn't just for the lab; it is the foundation for a lifetime of innovation and impact.
More About Mario
Check out the following story, from December 2024, highlighting Ciabarra's first start-up: "Alum Mario Ciabarra discusses delivering empathy at scale through AI and data."