Higher education specialist Dr. Pamela M. Donnelly has founded three companies in the education industry. She and her staff offer college preparatory services and holistic admissions support using a proprietary technology platform she created, iterated, piloted, and deploys in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In parallel, her corporate consulting since 2023 has centered upon work as Communications Director for the Palmer for President campaign, helping raise public awareness of impact investor Jason Palmer as a Democratic candidate committed to equitable college access.

Dr. Donnelly rose through the ranks as a first-gen student who went from public education in small-town Virginia to being a television star in her 20s and a summa cum laude graduate of Columbia University in the City of New York and eventual Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University. Her first book went to #1 on the Amazon best-seller list in Education. Following the release of her second book, 4 Keys to College Admissions Success, Donnelly became a nationally recognized media personality while working on the college side to strategize programs to attract and retain disadvantaged students. Having provided consultancy at the federal level through the US Department of Education and Federal Student Aid offices, she offers her research, data, and technology-facilitated programs to help individuals and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of America’s higher education system.

Through her nonprofit organization, American Access Institute, Donnelly commits her life’s work to championing students from underserved populations.