Mia Roberts

Big Sisters Association of Greater Boston

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Mia Walker Roberts has organized her life around the belief that all children can achieve to high standards; it is not what you do for children when they succeed, rather it is what you do when they fail, that determines their trajectory.

As Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Mia Roberts is responsible for understanding how to connect the community relations goals of Boston’s corporate giants with the mission and vision of Big Sister. Through her work, Mia continuously proves that diverse and inclusive environments create true innovation and fuel progress.
For 16 years, Mia has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Big Sister. In her development and leadership of the organization’s Diversity Board, she has recruited thousands of women of color role models to serve as Big Sisters. Through internal and external trainings, Mia has improved cultural responsiveness and gender-sensitivity of staff, volunteers, and other youth-serving practitioners.  She has established herself as an influencer and connector in our community; and her work has had a profound impact on the way in which girls and women of color experience Boston.

With the support of Mia’s leadership, the Diversity Board created Conversations Among Women, a structured dialogue series focused on issues facing professionals of color. This series also serves as a vehicle to expand Big Sister’s reach within diverse communities and to recruit a more diverse volunteer base and staff.  Now, 32% of Boston’s girls can “see what they want to be.”