Doctoral student Monica Liggins-Abrams has built a career dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations turn intention into impact. As founder and principal consultant of Liggins Abrams Consulting, LLC, she provides strategic advisement for leaders and teams in higher education, K–12, and nonprofit sectors—partnering with them to align strategy, culture, and operations in pursuit of lasting, equitable change.
Through facilitation, strategic planning, and thought partnership, she guides organizations through complex transitions and culture-building efforts. Her approach is informed by decades of leadership experience and a deeply personal commitment to purpose-driven work. “I’m Monica—a facilitator, strategist, and a firm believer in the power of purpose-driven leadership,” she says.
Her values were shaped early on. “Long before I had the titles or degrees, I had a front-row seat to what leadership, service, and integrity truly looked like,” she reflects. “I was raised in a loving home grounded in faith, family, and hard work. My parents spent most of their lives in physically demanding jobs, but that never stopped them from showing up—fully—for both our biological and church families.”
Their example, she explains, taught her what it meant to serve with humility and consistency. “They always told me to do my best and that doing well in school mattered,” she says. “Those values stuck, and they continue to guide how I live, lead, and serve.”
That sense of purpose continues to guide her today—especially in her doctoral studies. Monica’s dissertation focuses on leadership teams in community colleges, exploring collaboration, equity, and organizational impact. “My approach is deeply informed by my lived experience, faith, and professional path,” she shares. “I don’t separate who I am from what I do.”
Her commitment to equity is not abstract—it’s personal. “As a kid, I didn’t fully grasp how the world was labeling me—by race, gender, income, or the fact that I’d be the first in my family to attend college. But as I advanced academically and professionally, I began to notice the pattern: I was often the only one like me in the room. I’ve come to see that as no accident—it’s all been divinely orchestrated.”
Her mother’s words remain her compass: “To whom much is given, much is required.” It’s a guiding principle that continues to shape both her scholarship and her consulting work.
Through every facet of her life, Monica Liggins-Abrams exemplifies leadership rooted in purpose, equity, and community—a scholar-practitioner whose work bridges faith, action, and meaningful change.