Keynote Speaker: Dr. Robin Martin

Dr. Robin Martin is the President/CEO of Navigating Courage. She has more than 20 years of experience leading people and organizations in social impact investment-making and higher education, specializing in seamlessly integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion with strategy and leadership development.   

At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Martin was responsible for the operational and financial oversight of the Postsecondary Success team, a $128 million strategic fund designed to transform colleges and universities across the U.S. She led strategic planning to drive operational efficiency and effectiveness in support of the foundation’s mission.     

A strategic thinker, systems builder, and catalyst for change, Dr. Martin has a long history of successfully performing in high-paced, highly effective positions, from courtside to executive boardrooms. A former Director of Athletics, Associate Provost and faculty, Dr. Martin is also a master-level certified executive coach. Her strategic design-thinking approach and dynamic speaking style, combined with research and real-life experiences, connects with, and motivates a wide range of audiences-- making her a highly sought-after speaker and strategic partner. 

Dr. Martin earned her doctoral degree in Urban Education Leadership from the University of Cincinnati and her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from the University of New Orleans, where she played basketball for the Lady Privateers. She published Navigating Courage: Leading Beyond Fear, in 2018. This collection of narratives and wisdom, drawn from her own experiences, academic research, and insights that connect humanism with today’s gnarliest challenges, offers a fresh take on the professional trials faced by women of color and minorities in the workplace and also illustrates how to manage them.