Karen Colbert is an Educational Strategist, Data Scientist, and Productivity Coach

helping institutions leverage AI to build human-centered systems where educators and students thrive with dignity, direction, and a clear path toward long-term impact.

With over 20 years of experience in higher education and leadership, Karen has served as a tribal college department chair, faculty leader, and systems strategist. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, equity, and transformation, equipping educators and organizations to make bold, informed decisions in an AI-driven world.

Karen is the author of The Algorithm Wasn’t Built for Us, a groundbreaking new book that exposes how data systems often marginalize the very people they’re meant to serve—and what we can do about it. She is also the creator of an accompanying workbook designed to help leaders reflect, strategize, and rise with clarity and purpose. These resources form a call for educators and institutions to lead transformational change in an AI-shaped world.

Whether she’s leading coaching cohorts, speaking on national stages, or consulting with colleges and school systems, Karen brings warmth, wisdom, and an unshakable belief in people.