Presenter Details

01, Director, Mental Health Equity Innovation, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Stephanie Robertson is the inaugural Director of Mental Health Equity Innovation at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), where she leads the Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA), a national initiative advancing community-informed and culturally responsive mental health care solutions. In this role, she collaborates with diverse stakeholders, including NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates, community-based organizations, corporate entities, and mental health advocacy organizations, to address structural barriers to equitable care, particularly for individuals with mental health conditions from Black/African ancestry and other resource-limited communities. Stephanie earned her B.A. in German Language and Literature and International Comparative Studies from Duke University and spent a year teaching in Germany before returning to the U.S. to earn her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2006. She began her career in corporate law in New York City before transitioning to higher education in 2009. There, she focused on admissions and graduate recruitment for business and law programs, developing pathways that expanded access for underrepresented students. In 2019, Stephanie joined Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business as the head of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, where she led institutional culture change by building identity-centered structures that fostered psychological safety and deeper connection. She also advanced stigma reduction and mental wellbeing across the Fuqua community by equipping students, staff, and faculty with tools to more confidently discuss mental health and support one another during mental health challenges and crises. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys jogging, crafting handmade jewelry, and spending time with her mini-Goldendoodle, Indie.