Tom Roberts came to college from “a small town in upstate New York—Hopewell Junction.” At Princeton he found “more opportunities, intellectually, socially, and athletically, than I ever dreamed possible. Princeton changed my life.”

He believes Princeton can change other lives as well. Given success in the current campaign, he says, “The University can offer students the opportunity to attend Princeton without incurring substantial debt: this is a great service to the students and the country.”

Also appealing to Roberts is Aspire’s focus on science and engineering. As a managing director of Summit Partners, a Boston private equity and venture capital firm, he sees “how important it is today to synthesize an understanding of technology with an understanding of public policy.” Princeton’s emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to studies, he says, “better prepares students for today’s world.”

Roberts graduated magna cum laude in economics, and went on to Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. Within Summit, he describes himself as a generalist, and an enthusiastic one: “We invest in privately held, rapidly growing companies—the people we meet are bright, hardworking, and a lot of fun.”

Roberts, who was a record-holding goalie on the men’s soccer team, and his wife Kristen, were lead donors in the effort to raise funds for Princeton’s new soccer stadium. Under construction now, the facility, which will be named Roberts Stadium, is “a dream come true for anyone who has participated in or supported Princeton soccer,” says Roberts.  

In addition to serving as regional co-chair for Aspire, Roberts has been special gifts solicitor for his class; he is also a former treasurer of the Princeton Association of New England. Further volunteer commitments have claimed his time. He is on the board of the Fessenden School, for boys grades K-9, in West Newton, Massachusetts; he has twice chaired his Harvard Business School Class of 1989’s reunion; and he is a former co-chair of the private equity fund-raising committee for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

The Roberts family, which includes young Emma, Jack, Harry, and Abigail, live in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Soccer continues to be a big part of Tom Roberts’ life; he currently coaches both Emma’s and Jack’s town soccer teams.