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Arielle Gross

Arielle Gross

Global Business Marketing | Facebook | Class of 2011

We say Illinois, Facebook’s Arielle Gross says ... Grainger Engineering Library.

“With its vast array of desks and books, beautiful wooden decor and sun-soaked rooms, it was the quintessentially academic place to study,” says Gross, who earned her bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering and now serves as the New York-based business lead to the VP of global business marketing and chief creative officer of Facebook.

“I would hunker down with my textbooks and laptop for hours on end — to prepare for exams, do homework and think about my future.

“It was a safe and communal space for students to focus and learn, right in the heart of the engineering campus.”

In November 2018, the 2007 Champaign Central High School grad was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Marketing/Advertising list, highlighting the best of the best from the U.S. and Canada.

Gross was an easy choice — she served as Facebook's representative at the U.N. Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change, helped launch the social-media giant's #MoreLikeMe initiative, founded the Arielle Gross Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund at the UI and continues to lead strategy, business, communication and management initiatives for Facebook's Global Business Marketing and Creative Shop organizations, Forbes wrote.