Dr. Teri Coaxum, MBA ’09

Executive Connector | Business Strategist | Educator | Entrepreneur | Public Servant

For Dr. Teri Coaxum, leadership has always been about more than professional achievement. It is about using relationships, knowledge, and opportunity to create meaningful change.

A proud graduate of Metropolitan College of New York, Dr. Coaxum earned her MBA in Media Management from MCNY in 2009. Today, she is an educator, executive coach, entrepreneur, author, and accomplished public-service leader whose career has connected government, business, education, and community.

Purpose in Action

Dr. Coaxum has built a career grounded in service and the belief that leadership should create opportunities for others.

She has served at the city, state, and federal levels of government, including as Deputy State Director in the Office of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, where she became the first African American woman appointed to that position in the Senator’s New York office. She later served as Regional Advocate for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. She held leadership positions in New York City and State government.

Today, she leads Coaxum Connects LLC, an NYC-certified M/WBE strategic management and government relations firm, and the Coaxum Connects Wellness Foundation, which focuses on wellness, education, mentorship, and community empowerment.

She also brings her professional experience into the classroom as an instructor at Medgar Evers College and previously taught at MCNY and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

From MCNY to a Life of Impact

Dr. Teri Coaxum 2026 TEDx

Dr. Coaxum’s journey reflects an idea that has been part of MCNY since its founding: education has its greatest value when knowledge is put into action.

Her MBA from MCNY became part of an educational journey that supported a career spanning public service, entrepreneurship, education, and community leadership.

Her accomplishments have earned significant recognition, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, inclusion on the 2026 Schneps Media Brooklyn Power List, and numerous honors for business, community, and humanitarian leadership.

Most recently, Dr. Coaxum brought her message of intentional living and leadership to the TEDxWilmingtonWomen stage with her 2026 talk, “The One Simple Tool to Build a Life You Actually Love.”

In Her Own Words

“MCNY helped me understand that purpose is not simply something you find. It is something you put into action. I have carried that with me throughout my career, from public service and business to education and community work. For me, success also means pouring into the next generation, sharing what I have learned, opening doors and helping others see what is possible for their own lives. That is how purpose continues.” -Dr. Teri Coaxum, MBA ’09

Her Story. Our Purpose.

Dr. Teri Coaxum’s story is one example of what Purpose-Centered Education can look like long after graduation. Her career has spanned government, business, education, and community service, but the thread connecting that work has remained consistent: creating opportunities for people and communities.

Nearly two decades after earning her MBA, she continues to put purpose into action by connecting people, ideas, and opportunity, and investing in those who will come next.

That is the MCNY story. Find Your Purpose. Put it to work.