Barbara Roberts
Advisory Board
Barbara Roberts is a pioneer for women on Wall Street, and a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits. She is a former NY Chair of Tiger 21 (the peer learning group for highly successful entrepreneurs), a teacher of entrepreneurship and innovation, and writer of over 50 profiles of very successful entrepreneurs. Barbara is currently Entrepreneur in Residence at the Columbia Business School and Hofstra University. For her leadership in business, President Clinton presented her with the Norman Lear’s Business Enterprise Award for “acts of courage, integrity and social vision.” Since 2009 she has led Columbia’s Summer Start-up Lab, helping to launch over 100 companies. Since 2016, she also has taught workshops, mentored start ups and judged competitions for the Idea Hub at Hofstra University.
Barbara is a known advocate for entrepreneurs, privately held businesses and farmers. She has served as Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Small Business and Agricultural Advisory Committee and was active in developing downtown Manhattan’s Silicon Alley. Barbara has been especially active in the promotion of economic development for women worldwide, which has led her to serve on many boards and to help start many non-profits devoted to women’s advancement. She is a past president of the Financial Women’s Association of New York and helped to found the New York Women’s Agenda and the New York Women’s Foundation. She also is or has been a member of the Committee of 200, the Women’s Forum, the Belizean Grove and the Women Corporate Directors. A former member of NY Angels and family business expert, she serves on the boards of several privately held companies. She is certified as a master coach by the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and trained in facilitation and mediation. Barbara has an Economics and Philosophy degree from Goucher College and lives and works in New York City and Sag Harbor, NY.
