Senior National Partnership Manager, Healthcare American College of Education (ACE)
Karilyn Van Oosten is a mission‐driven executive, strategic growth consultant, and higher‐education leader specializing in healthcare workforce development and education‐industry partnerships. She is the Owner of KVO Strategic Growth, where she advises colleges, associations, and healthcare organizations on building scalable, market‐aligned workforce solutions through high‐impact partnerships and strategic growth initiatives.
She also serves as Senior National Partnership Manager, Healthcare at American College of Education (ACE). In this role, she leads national healthcare and association partnerships designed to expand access to affordable, flexible nursing and healthcare degree pathways. Her work supports workforce upskilling, leadership development, and equity by aligning educational programs with the evolving needs of healthcare employers and professional associations.
With more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in higher education, Van Oosten has held executive roles at Unitek Learning, Herzing University, Chamberlain University, and Grand Canyon University. Across these organizations, she built and scaled national partnership portfolios, negotiated long‐term enterprise and association agreements, and drove multimillion‐dollar revenue growth through cross‐sector collaboration between education, healthcare systems, labor organizations, and nonprofits.
A committed advocate for women’s leadership and civic engagement, she is a former President of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Arizona and currently serves as Vice President of IWF Northern California, where she co‐chairs member engagement initiatives. She also is a Board Member of the Carmel International Film Festival, Leading for change, supporting regional economic development at the intersection of business and culture.
Van Oosten previously served as an adjunct faculty member at Glendale Community College and has dedicated more than a decade of service to organizations such as Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus‐Pine Council, mentoring and developing future leaders.
She 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, with additional doctoral‐level studies completed in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
