Jacob read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield, before reading the BPhil in philosophy at St Cross College, Oxford. During his studies he read widely in philosophy, developing a special interest in political philosophy and continental philosophy, especially the work of Hannah Arendt. During his time at Sheffield, Jacob was part of a group of friends who pioneered a public discussion forum, the Sheffield Salon, modelled on the salons of Enlightenment Europe. He joined the boutique management consultancy SHM in 2015, where he led several digital, people, and strategy projects for a variety of big-name clients, and subsequently joined the Academy of Ideas in summer 2018. He now splits his time between the Academy of Ideas and the boi charity. In his spare time, he enjoys philosophy, literature and cooking.