Creator

Combining higher education

with real world entrepreneurship

and a passion to help others succeed

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Joni Roberts, Founder & Chief Evolution Officer (CEO)

With a passion for empowering people through education, Joni combines her unique experience in entrepreneurship, higher education, and corporate training and development with a mission to create a more joyful, prosperous, and sustainable world.

In 2020, Joni was honored by being selected as a "Top 100 Leader in Education" by the Global Forum for Education and Learning.

As founder of one of the first software outsourcing companies in Romania in the early 2000s to a recent role as Chief Strategy and People Officer and cofounding team member of U.S. based AI startup Polar Controller, and today with Evolution University, her work has woven in themes of creating a better world through people, processes, and products. For Polar Controller, she led the strategic planning process and social responsibility programs, bringing the company to its first successful round of $500K pre-revenue seed funding in 2019.

As a MBA and undergraduate professor for 12 years, she has taught over 80 courses across a wide range of topics including entrepreneurship, global strategy, international business, innovation, sustainability, leadership, management, marketing, organizational behavior, integrated business strategy (capstone), and more. In 2015 she helped Kean University in New Jersey launch Kean Online as a course creator and is currently an adjunct faculty member. In addition to teaching, she has developed competency based and open education courses for Saylor Academy in Washington, D.C., Southern New Hampshire University, and Western Governors University.

With her deep expertise in education, Joni was hired by Acosta in 2016 to lead a North American team tasked with designing leadership, professional development, and engagement programs in collaboration with C-suite executives, VPs, HRBPs, directors, and SMEs. As the Talent Development and Organizational Effectiveness Advisor, she spearheaded the transition to a virtual learning environment and led the development of a growth mindset program to support enterprise wide change and transformation.

Joni shares: "Evolution University represents the culmination of my lifelong work and the beginning of the rest of my life. With the many problems facing our planet, I feel a great sense of urgency to bring Evolution University courses to as many people as possible and empower changemakers everywhere to evolve our world."

Education
University of South Carolina Moore School of Business / Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien — International Master of Business Administration (IMBA), Dual Degree
Michigan State University — Bachelor of Arts (BA), Advertising

Fun Facts

Backpacked solo around the world before websites and mobile phones, traveling through the South Pacific, Asia, Africa, Egypt, and Europe.
Lover of the outdoors, hiking and camping, observing nature and wild animals, beach walks and open water swimming.

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Recommendations

"Joni and I collaborated together in founding a new organization. Joni's expertise proved to be an invaluable contribution in getting the organization up and running. Joni is a true visionary with great strategic ideas and she she also has the ability to see these ideas through to execution. She has a keen sense of the market and is very creative in branding and marketing!"

Jeff Bailey, MBA

CEO, North America, ORTEC

"Joni is gifted at delivering penetrating insights with grace and encouragement. With her help, I was able to step back and see my customers' needs and resolve conflicts I had between my company's values and the industry it is in. As a result, I'm developing a marketing strategy that feels right for my company, gives it more personality and sets it apart from others. This is just what I needed. Thanks so much Joni!"

Caren Burmeister

Founder, Second Nature Skin & Caren Tells Your Story

"I first met Joni while she was working for the US Ambassador in Bucharest, Romania. Later we had a chance to collaborate on several events we organized in the tech sector under the "First Tuesday" banner in Bucharest. Joni was a regular speaker at the events as her company Kaleidotek was one of the first tech outsourcing companies set up in Romania. I was impressed with Joni's credentials regarding international business and entrepreneurship and I look forward to working with her again in the future."

Bill Avery, MBA, MA

Executive Director, Alianta & Founder and Former Publisher, Business Review Romania

"Professor Roberts is a dynamic presence on campus, well loved by her students, administration, and her colleagues. She is more than a friendly face or easy to work with colleague. She is proactive and works to find solutions to improve all aspects of higher education. Thoughtful and eager, I have witnessed Professor Roberts turn her classroom into a truly interactive experience for students transforming even sluggish or shy performers into engaged learners. In addition, she's just a lovely person who cares deeply about her students and coworkers."

Cathleen Jensen-Gall, MA

Visiting Professor, Humanities, Ethics, Social Studies, Keller Graduate School of Management

"Joni designed one of the most interactive and successful educational experiences a student could ask for. The extensive professional knowledge that Joni has was demonstrated during every session of class. Her willingness to share her experiences, to work with students to learn and mentor so they may display their talents was proven time and time again. Joni displays the talent of a great leader, amazing mentor and most importantly she has the compassion to share her experience to help others grow. "

John Lasch, MBA, MAFM

Analyst, Deusche Bank

"Joni Roberts is a visionary with the knowledge and skills to be a powerful influence for good. Her style is warm and heart-centered as she informs and inspires. She has the gift of being able to plant seeds of possibility into the minds of those she encounters. We are blessed to have her as a guide and mentor on our path to "living our bliss.""

Dolph Kiser, RScP

Certified Spiritual Practitioner

"Joni is an inspired voice for transformation of the global economy into something much more human and democratic. Thank you, Joni!"

Paul B.

Teacher, Educational Collective

"Joni is masterful at eliciting your heart's purpose and helping you create a business from it."

Carolyn Messere, MD

Founder, Soul Deep Wellness

Combining higher education

with real world entrepreneurship

and a passion to help others succeed

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