Joanna Jacobson is the founder and Managing Director of Strategic Grant Partners, a coalition of 14 Boston based family foundations formed in 2002 which focuses on strategic and venture philanthropy in areas of education, high risk youth, child welfare and family self-sufficiency. Previous to this, Ms. Jacobson's career was in private industry where she held senior management and marketing positions in turnaround businesses including the President of the keds Corporation and SVP Marketing and Product Development at Converse Corporation. She has also taught at the Harvard Business School and was a partner in Core Strategy Group, a marketing strategy consultancy.

Ms. Jacobson earned her Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and her Bachelors Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She serves on the Boards of the Steppingstone Foundation, the Harvard Business School Dean's Advisory Board, the David Project, the Boston Teacher Residency and is the Chair of the Urban Teacher Residency Institute.