Artis Stevens, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters Of America: The Changemaker Interview
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Two years ago Artis Stevens made headlines by being appointed as the first Black CEO to lead Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. But Stevens was no overnight success; he brought 25 years of leadership in the positive youth development sector for organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and 4-H. It’s been my pleasure to know him for nearly two decades and to have had the opportunity to catch up recently about his career and plans for the organization he helms.
David Hessekiel: Please share a bit about the personal and professional journey that led you to become the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Artis Stevens: I’m the youngest of eight and grew up in a small town, Brunswick, Georgia. We didn’t have a lot of means, but my parents instilled in us that we were rich in relationships. I come from a long line of preachers. Growing up, everyone around me assumed I was going to follow in my dad’s and granddad’s footsteps. Unsure of this myself, I asked my dad if I was going to become a preacher like him. My dad’s response stayed with me: “Everyone has their ministry in this world. You have to find yours.”
That one statement and the support that followed opened my eyes, mind, and heart. Even at 7 years old, it showed me I wasn’t bound by generational expectations or how much money we had. It gave me the courage and motivation to walk my own path. I have grown up in youth development and know first-hand the life-changing impact mentorship can have on one’s life and I have dedicated my career to bringing these types of experiences to all young people.
The murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed on a street I walked on as a kid, made me question if I was doing enough. When I was approached by BBBS of America soon after, it was like looking in the mirror. I saw myself in the journey, in the young people we serve, in my ministry. I know this is my ministry – every mentor, detour and roadblock led me here, standing on the shoulders of giants, leaders, and people who have influenced and inspired me to become the person I am today.
Two years ago, I was humbled to become the first Black CEO in our organization’s history. And while this bold selection is historic, it was only a precursor to our network-wide JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) commitment that’s defining a legacy of representation, allyship, inclusion and belonging for all kids.
David Hessekiel: You’ve made a high priority of managing BBBSA with special attention to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. What are some examples of steps BBBSA has taken to “work intentionally and diligently to bring about change in our organization and our communities” as it’s described on your website?
Artis Stevens: Our commitment to ensuring the opportunity for all voices and perspectives to be heard and honored is an integral part of our values and mission. We were born out of justice, to create equity for youth, bringing together diverse communities, so that all kids can feel included for the promise of opportunity and a better life. Founded as an alternative to the juvenile justice system, we have become the largest one-to-one youth mentoring organization in the country.
We’ve continued to support our national office team and our network with JEDI learning resources to build capacity, awareness, and understanding. With thousands trained in JEDI and hundreds of our agencies adopting it in their communities, it’s the essential ingredient for the work we do and the communities we serve.
We’ve established key national partnerships to expand our reach among communities of color, such as Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, and Lambda Theta Phi, a national Latino fraternity. And JEDI spans into our LGBTQ+ initiative launched over 6 years ago. We know our LGBTQ youth face extremely high risks of bullying and often lack a support system. Through grant funding we have developed training curricula for BBBS; established partnerships; and created materials and resources to better serve LGBTQ youth across our network.
David Hessekiel: Started in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has a long history and high name recognition yet it’s not as big as I thought (e.g. 2022 overall revenue was $67M). As you’ve dug into leading the organization, what have been some of your top initiatives to increase the resources needed to deliver your mission?
Artis Stevens: The organization invested in growing and developing our National Board of Directors as critical leaders in our growth as we built and now activate our strategic plan.
With our network, activating key partnerships has enabled us to attract and grow partnerships like Merrell and Express who have been with us for a few years and lead integrated programs across all channels of their business. And their leadership and example has created a framework for engagement of partners like Macy’s and the NBA Foundation who are able to engage our agencies in meaningful mentorship moments while also amplifying the call to action for mentorship across their channels. This year’s NBA Allstar Game lifted our BBBS Utah team and helped to ensure the story and importance of mentorship was center court.
Our goal is to empower every young person on a path to graduate with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact lasts a lifetime. To this end, we have been actively working to expand workplace mentoring. The fastest growing youth population we serve is 18–25-year-olds. Our corporate partners provide youth with internships, scholarships, and job placement. Youth learn real world work skills and employers develop next generation employees. Our vision is every workplace in America should have a youth mentoring program that helps supply more of the workforce for our country, helps engage employees and helps give opportunities to kids and families, particularly underrepresented and underserved communities, at a younger age.
David Hessekiel: BBBSA is being honored with the Golden Halo Award at the 2023 Engage for Good conference for your impressive record of working with corporate partners especially over the last two years. Please share some examples of how you create and nurture win-win relationships with businesses.
Artis Stevens: We believe our partnerships that are rooted in a mutually beneficial shared values model are the most successful. When we do this, our partners are not just engaging their brand, but their workforce, followers, consumers and thought leadership. And we at BBBS are bringing our expertise as the leading authority on mentorship, as an experienced JEDI focused mission with 119 years of practice, and as a network of local grassroots activators across the nation.
Our partners at the NFL are a prime example of this model: The NFL is a champion of social justice in their Inspire Change initiatives, and BBBS was one of the first causes to be selected in this effort. Five years later, we not only base our partnership on our shared values across the 32 NFL markets, we also engage our shared partners and sponsors, and ensure that our youth are receiving access to mentorship experiences and activities that foster youth empowerment, like bringing Bigs and Littles to the Super Bowl, widening their views to experiences and opportunities.
David Hessekiel: Now that you have two years under your belt, what are some of your big objectives for BBBSA in the year ahead?
Artis Stevens: I look forward to taking our brand to new heights, becoming the cause of choice for millions of Americans. This started two years ago with first, positioning how we are a relevant solution to the issues facing kids in our society such as mental health, career readiness, and community and youth violence prevention. And secondly, showing up everywhere people live, work, watch, listen and shop. And as a result, $50 million in media has been generated in national news headlines as well as more than 50 new and renewed national partners who have joined our mission in a two-year span.
We’ve also driven some of the most transformative innovations in our organization’s history. We’ve built a roadmap and platform that is transforming how we program, fundraise, and develop leaders for years to come. We’ve evolved our 100-year mentoring model to meet people where they are today. And we are building the first of its kind volunteer experience strategy to meet the demand of our waiting list and widen the circle of volunteers into our community. All with the end goal to empower all young people on a path for their future with a mentor whose impact lasts a lifetime.
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