Meet Jennifer McDowell

Jennifer is a coach, consultant, and community builder dedicated to helping nonprofit and education leaders reclaim their energy, impact, and inner wisdom. As the Founder and Principal Coach of Common Good Coaching, she works with leaders to break free from burnout and perfectionism, centering compassion, dignity, and justice in both their work and personal lives.

With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, education, and community development, Jennifer knows firsthand how systems can unintentionally drain the very people working to create positive change. From her early days as a Peace Corps volunteer to leading community school initiatives, she has consistently focused on building sustainable, people-first solutions.

Jennifer is a Founding Partner at Community Schools Partners, supporting agencies and organizations in designing and implementing effective community school models. She’s also a contributing member of the Center for a Loving Workplace, reinforcing her commitment to fostering work environments rooted in care and equity.

Previously, Jennifer spent nearly a decade with Child First Authority, where she led community school programs, developed cross-sector partnerships, and championed strategies for educational equity. She also co-founded Baltimore Soup, a microgrant initiative that brought people together over a shared meal to fund local grassroots projects. Her career has spanned roles in teaching, coaching, and nonprofit management, always with a focus on strengthening relationships and empowering leaders.

Jennifer believes that leadership can be an act of joy, courage, and care. Through her coaching and consulting, she helps leaders rewrite the script, so they can thrive at work and at home while making a difference in their own lives and the lives of those they serve.