Meet the Speaker: Leon Jackson, Ph.D. ’19 EMBA
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Leon A. Jackson, Ph.D. ’19 MBA, is first and foremost, the proud father to Leon Jackson II and Kamran Jackson.
Jackson is founder and CEO of The Diversity in Leadership Program, an initiative to help close educational attainment gaps, wealth gaps, skills gaps, and opportunity gaps for marginalized groups and veterans with the aim of creating more inclusive ecosystems throughout the globe. The Diversity in Leadership Program succeeds in those aims through strategic partnerships with institutions of higher education and industry from around the country.
The program seeks to aid its participants advance their careers: Since its founding in 2021, 84 percent of participants have received promotions, with 17 reaching executive-level positions and six moving to CEO roles. The program currently operates in Indiana, and Ohio with partnerships in Chicago, Los Angeles, Michigan, as well as Tennessee, on the horizon. Since its inception, the program has served as a pipeline for Notre Dame’s Business school program, with over 30 graduates of the program now enrolled in the ND’s EMBA, traditional 2-year MBA, 1-year MBA, Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA), and Masters in Data Analytics programs.
From 2021 – 2023 Dr. Jackson served as the Chancellor of Marian University’s St. Joseph’s College, where Jackson increased total enrollment more than 1,200% percent and raised more than $4.5 million in student scholarships and support. Under his leadership the college was able to forge strong partnerships with local business, government, and nonprofit leaders that led to over 150 apprenticeship opportunities for students.
Jackson earned his Ph.D. in workforce development and organizational leadership from The University of Nevada–Las Vegas. He received a master’s degree in workplace learning and performance, also from the University of Nevada–Las Vegas, as well as an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana State University.
