With extensive experience in both the corporate and consulting worlds, Jennifer Knowles Ph.D. comes to Concordia to teach in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program and lead the DBA Organizational Performance and Change Concentration.


Knowles completed her undergraduate degree at University of Michigan and receive her Ph.D. from Colorado State University before going on to teach there in both their PhD and master degree programs. Her social entrepreneurship work has been featured in many major news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post. She has spoken on Fox and Friends, CNN, HLN, and CBS This Morning. A TEDx Speaker, she was also named a 2019 “Disrupter” in Colorado.

What drew you to Concordia?

I was drawn to Concordia based on the exciting opportunity to be part of the new Doctor of Business Administration program which launched this year. In addition, I was excited to be part of the Concordia community that shares a similar mission, vision, and values to myself.

What drew you to teaching?

I have been teaching my entire adult career, from training in the corporate sector, to mentoring and coaching, and now to teaching graduate students. I love helping others. In addition, facilitating learning excites me as I help students have those “aha” moments, as they become even better versions of themselves.

How would you describe your teaching style?

I teach in a student-centered manner. I believe students learn best when they can apply what they are learning to their lives. Whether they are applying textbook theory to a real life project they’re dealing with at work, or they are improving their skills and knowledge to reach their dreams, my goal is to serve the students while maintaining academic integrity. Recognizing that everyone learns differently, I strive to present a variety of different learning approaches, helping students receive and retain the information how they learn best.


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Learn more about Concordia’s DBA program here.

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