Meet #YourLiaison: Karen Jacobs on Purpose, Perspective, and Leadership in Higher Education

Karen Jacobs’ path to leadership wasn’t linear, and that’s exactly what makes her perspective so powerful. Long before she became Vice President of Account Management at Liaison, Karen envisioned a career rooted in diplomacy, international relations, and education as a bridge between cultures.

But as her career unfolded into leadership in higher education, Karen realized that meaningful connection isn’t built through leverage or negotiation alone, but through relationships, learning, and proximity to people’s lived experiences.

Today, that belief guides her work as one of Liaison’s most thoughtful women in leadership, supporting institutions by navigating change with clarity and care.

Karen’s understanding of purpose‑driven leadership in education crystallized early in her career at Jacksonville University, when students she knew were deployed during Desert Storm. That moment made it impossible to separate policy decisions and global conflict from individual lives and futures.

Later, while working at Thomas Jefferson University, the impact of her work came full circle. Karen recalls sitting in the hospital with her mother when a recent Jefferson occupational therapy graduate walked in as her clinician.

In that moment, Karen saw the direct connection between admissions, education, and care, between institutional decisions and human outcomes.It was a clear reminder that enrollment isn’t just about numbers or goals; it’s about shaping the workforce that will show up for families and communities when it matters most.

Today, Karen is acutely aware of how difficult this moment is for higher education. Institutions and professionals who care deeply about students are being asked to do more with fewer resources, often while facing skepticism about their value and purpose.

“Watching that struggle is heartbreaking,” she says. “These are people motivated by service, yet they’re under constant pressure just to sustain the work they do.”

At Liaison, Karen sees opportunity for empathetic leadership and steady partnership. Whether through tools, insights, or day‑to‑day collaboration, her focus is on helping institutions adapt, innovate, and continue serving students well, even when the old playbook no longer works.

“It’s a real privilege to help leaders find new paths forward,” she says, “Especially when creativity and care are needed most.”

That’s where women leaders in tech and education can make an outsized impact: not by chasing trends, but by helping institutions move forward thoughtfully and sustainably.

Ask Karen what she hopes will define her leadership, and she won’t mention titles or milestones. “I never wanted to be the person who pulled up the ladder,” she says. “I wanted to open doors, and then hold them open.”

Her approach to inclusive leadership is grounded in advocacy, shared credit, and creating pathways for others. It’s leadership that recognizes growth happens when people are supported, trusted, and seen, not isolated and unheard.

That mindset places mentorship at the center of leadership development, and for Karen, mentorship in the workplace is a posture. The advice she returns to all the time is simple but powerful:

• Add value to every interaction.
• Listen fully, rather than just waiting for a chance to respond.
• Create opportunities whenever possible.

For Karen, creating space for others often means stepping back so someone else can step forward. Sharing context, inviting underrepresented voices into the conversation, and trusting people with “stretch opportunities” helps them see what they’re capable of.

Karen often thinks of her parents when facing hard choices. Her father built a business from the ground up while leading with dignity and compassion. Her mother, denied formal access to higher education, found ways to learn anyway—fueled by curiosity and determination.

Those influences shaped Karen’s commitment to access, opportunity, and fairness. “Together, they modeled resilience and integrity,” she says, citing lessons she continues to draw on every day.

Taking a risk by leaving campus-based roles for Liaison was another defining moment. She worried that moving into a corporate environment might distance her from the nobility and purpose of higher education. Instead, she found the opposite: a place where she could keep one foot firmly in higher ed, and the other in an innovative space that supports institutions and students at scale.

When work feels overwhelming, Karen narrows her focus to one conversation, one decision, and one act of support she can get right. It’s a quiet but powerful leadership philosophy, and one that reflects Liaison’s values.

At Liaison, Karen and her colleagues embody what women leaders shaping higher education look like today: thoughtful, resilient, and deeply committed to people.

Because strong leadership doesn’t rush ahead. It’s built on purpose, perspective, and a commitment to holding the door open so others can walk through.