Artis Stevens
- President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
- First Black CEO in BBBSA’s 120-year history
- Recognized by Worth Magazine as one of Worth’s “Worthy 100”
- Award winning thought leader on mentorship, driving innovation and growth at top impact organizations, and leading with purpose.
In Person-Fee 🛈
Fee Range
$10,000 - $15,000
Virtual Fee:
$5,000 - $10,000
Travels From
Georgia
Artis Stevens Speaker Biography
Artis Stevens is President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) – the nation’s foremost one-to-one youth mentoring organization. As the first Black CEO in BBBSA’s 100+ year history, Artis is spearheading a powerful mission to leverage mentorship as a transformative solution to society’s greatest challenges – from equity and access to justice and opportunity.
Driven by a bold vision to engage one million supporters and strategic partners, Artis has dramatically expanded BBBSA’s reach through innovative methods such as, “It Takes Little to be Big,” a 2023 national campaign engaging BBBSA alumni and tens of thousands of potential donors, mentors and ambassadors. Under his leadership, BBBSA completed a strategic plan to address opportunities to reach more young people and were prepared to execute after achieving a record-breaking fundraising year in 2022, in part due to the largest-ever single donation in the organization’s history – $122.6 million from MacKenzie Scott. As a result, BBBSA provided millions of mentorship opportunities across 5,000 communities. Prior to this role at BBBSA, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of National 4-H Council, leading the organization's brand positioning, alumni and marketing campaigns, digital transformation and local engagement efforts. Before joining 4-H, Stevens served as national Vice President, Marketing, Strategy & Operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) where his most notable accomplishment was spearheading BGCA's most impactful brand awareness and fundraising campaign launch to date – Great Futures Start Here.
Recognized across non-profit and marketing industries as a proven visionary leader and strategist, Stevens was named American Marketing Association Foundation's (AMAF) 2018 National Nonprofit Marketer of the Year, the highest honor bestowed by the AMA/AMAF on non-profit marketing professionals for his leadership in revitalizing 4-H's 100-year-old brand image.
Having devoted his 25+ year career to empowering young people and transforming broken systems that are holding back younger generations, Artis is an experienced speaker in mentorship as a transformational societal solution, reimaging systems and challenging the status quo. He has been featured on Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, CNBC and the New York Stock Exchange and was named to Worth Magazine's Worthy 100 list in 2023.
Artis is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Valdosta State University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
He resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Erica, and daughters Aubrey and Alyse where the family actively serves in their community.
Mentorship as a Transformative Societal Solution
Mentorship is a transformative solution to addressing urgent social challenges and promoting equity, access, justice, and economic mobility. Yet, there are currently 10 million school-age kids nationwide who lack a positive mentor while facing socioeconomic barriers. These challenges perpetuate across generations, impacting communities, the economy, and the social fabric of our country. Artis speaks to how Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s mentorship model can be used as a catalyst by individuals and corporations to help transform communities.
Attendees will explore effective collaboration strategies, understand how to drive positive systems change, and recognize the transformative power of mentorship in enhancing young lives and benefiting society and the economy.
The Five P’s of Purpose
In this keynote, Artis explores the profound impact of leading with purpose and passion. Drawing from his own personal journey and professional experiences, Artis shares how corporations, NGOs, government, and individuals can be purposeful in their work through proximity, power, people engagement, partnership, and perception. This session highlights the importance of aligning personal values with organizational mission, and how doing so can drive motivation, innovation, and a deeper connection to work. Attendees leave with a renewed sense of purpose and practical strategies to infuse passion into their leadership approach.
Attendees will leave empowered to lead with a renewed sense of purpose and passion, equipping them with the tools and inspiration needed to make a lasting impact in their organizations and beyond.
You Don’t Have to Be Perfect – Just Present
Hear Artis deliver a powerful and inspiring speech on the profound impact of mentorship, access, and overcoming the feeling of not being “good enough.” Addressing the challenges of imposter syndrome, Artis will emphasize the importance of finding ourselves through authentic connections. Rather than focusing only on accomplishments and success, he will share stories of struggles and triumphs, illustrating how our personal journeys of self-discovery can help others find their path. Through his own heartfelt narrative, Artis aims to inspire individuals to embrace their true selves and make meaningful connections that transform lives.
Attendees leave feeling motivated and inspired to embrace their own authenticity and build genuine connections to help overcome feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome, ultimately leading to personal growth and the ability to positively impact others' lives
