Jacob
Waters
Account Director
Empathetic strategist. Great listener. Dog person. Always looking for that perfect sentence.
Where It All Started
Jacob caught the politics bug at a young age, attending his first political rally when he was seven years old. The experience of watching his parents struggle to get his brother the special education services he needed—despite having resources and privilege—showed him from a young age that education didn’t work the way it should.
In the Early Days
Jacob started off his career as an elementary school teacher in Frankford, Philadelphia. While teaching he found he missed writing about politics, and so started a blog about education policy from a teacher’s perspective. That landed him his first opportunity in communications, and the rest is history.
What He Brings to the Table
Jacob has deep leadership experience in many aspects of communications and public affairs, from state and local policy advocacy to parent organizing, to executive communications, to original research and thought leadership. He’s a media relations pro, having secured placements in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, CNN, NPR, and many other outlets. And he’s always focused on elevating the voices and stories that typically go unheard.
What Gets Him Up in the Morning
Jacob believes that inequity is a feature—not a bug—of the current public education system. He is always fired up to support educators and other leaders who are trying to build something better so that all students can achieve their goals in life.
In His Spare Time
Jacob is an amateur folk musician, regularly writing, recording, and performing around Philadelphia. He’s a big sports fan, especially rooting for the Phillies, 76ers, and Arsenal FC. He spends a lot of time at the local dog park with his wife and two pups. And he loves trying the countless amazing (non-cheesesteak) sandwiches in Philly.
Jacob earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Haverford College.