Karilyn Van Oosten

Karilyn Van Oosten is a mission‑driven executive, strategic growth consultant, and nationally recognized leader in healthcare workforce development and education‑industry partnerships. She is the Owner of KVO Strategic Growth, a consulting practice focused on helping higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, and mission‑driven partners design and scale sustainable workforce solutions through high‑impact partnerships and market‑aligned strategy. 

In parallel, Karilyn serves as Senior National Partnership Manager, Healthcare at American College of Education (ACE), where she leads enterprise and association partnerships that expand access to affordable, flexible nursing and healthcare degree pathways nationwide. In this role, she has helped establish and grow strategic relationships with leading professional associations and organizations—including the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and the Arizona Nurses Association—advancing equity, upskilling, and leadership development in the workforce. 

With more than 20 years of senior leadership experience, Karilyn previously held executive roles at Unitek Learning, Herzing University, Chamberlain University, and Grand Canyon University, where she built and scaled national partnership portfolios, negotiated long‑term enterprise agreements with major organizations, and drove more than $20 million in revenue growth through cross‑sector collaboration. 

A longtime advocate for women’s leadership, education access, and civic engagement, Karilyn is a former President of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Arizona and currently serves as a Vice President and Board Member of IWF Northern California, where she co‑chairs member engagement initiatives. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Film Festival and Leading for Change, supporting regional economic development at the intersection of business, culture, and community impact. 

In addition to her executive and consulting work, Karilyn has contributed to higher education as an adjunct faculty member at Glendale Community College and has dedicated over a decade of service to organizations such as Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus‑Pine Council, mentoring and advancing leadership opportunities for young women. 

Karilyn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, and a Master of Arts in Language and Culture from Arizona State University. She also completed doctoral‑level coursework in Applied Cognitive Neuroscience at Universidad Maimonides in Buenos Aires, Argentina, reflecting her global and interdisciplinary approach to education and leadership.