Michael Roberts

President & CEO, First Nations Development Institute

Michael Roberts (Tlingit) is the president and CEO of First Nations Development Institute, a position he was appointed to in 2005 after having served as a research officer and chief operating officer for the organization from 1992 to 1997 and returning to First Nations in 2002. In the interim, Mike spent five years in private equity, during which he advised angel investors and worked for a $500 million telecommunications fund and for an early-stage Midwest venture capital firm. Mike serves on the board of First Nations and is the immediate past chairman of the board of Oweesta Corporation. He is a board member and treasurer of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders Network and the Investment Committee for the Three Affiliated Tribes. Mike also serves on the Board of Directors for Native Ways Federation and the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy. In December 2021, Mike was recognized by Unboxed Philanthropy Advisors in its “Philanthropy 100” list of 100 of the most significant foundations, corporations, non-profits, and individuals in philanthropy committed to innovations in transforming society and advancing justice. Mike holds an MBA degree from the University of Washington with an emphasis in finance and operations management, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture through the environmental design school at the University of Colorado.