Born and raised in St. Louis, Karen Jackson always had a passion for education and helping others achieve their full potential. Her dad was a small business owner and her mother a remedial reading teacher. They taught her the importance of hard work, honesty, and kindness. Karen’s love for learning led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social science from Chapman University. After graduation, she went on to work as a secondary education teacher for the San Diego Unified School District and she has also worked for the Ventura Office of Education teaching secondary education to students with various disabilities.
Driven by her desire to make a larger impact, Karen pursued a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Brandman University (Chapman University System) and focused her career on higher education. With 22 years as a higher education executive, she’s been able to utilize her skills in talent & leadership development and strategic planning to bring in top notch graduate business students who are passionate about purpose driven leadership.
Karen earned a certificate in consulting from Pepperdine’s Graduate school of Education and Psychology. Karen’s drive for continuous improvement led her to start her own consulting firm specializing in leadership training, staff development, recruitment and hiring tactics for various organizations.
Outside of her career, Karen indulges in her hobbies of international travel, hiking through different terrains, and running various races from 5Ks to 15Ks. She also has an interest in learning French and takes classes whenever she can. Through her servant leadership style of inspiration and empathy, Karen continues to make a positive impact on the lives of those around her, both personally and professionally