CRISTINA GARCIA

Cristina’s defines herself as a daughter of immigrants and she makes it a point to bring her grandparents, parents and ancestors to the table with her in all of the work she does. Doing this and even stating this out loud in any space where she is asked to introduce herself or where she is a guest speaker has been a practice that has helped her affirm herself and assert her power unapologetically. Black Indigenous and Women and Femmes of Color have historically been marginalized and their identities have been erased. For Cristina, this is one way that she reclaims her power, reminding everyone in the room of who she is.

Cristina is an advocate for underrepresented communities and has a 15+ year track record in the nonprofit sector working on educational campaigns, program development, and policy advocacy. Her work has been largely focused at the intersection of social justice and leadership development. She has worked with diverse communities always ensuring that we are centering the voices of BIPOC in every space she goes into. Cristina has spoken on issues of racial oppression, identity exploration and healing justice. She has conducted workshops and served on panels for conferences around the country as well as appeared on several media outlets.

For many years, Cristina dreamed of starting an initiative that focused on girls and women, highlighting and discussing unique needs and challenges of Black Indigenous and Women and Femmes of Color which are often dismissed and not centered. She believes that our stories need to be elevated in all corners of society and that the key to reclaiming all parts of who we are is by leading with our own unique voices and staying rooted and grounded in the richness of our lineages and cultures. She Grows We Grow is born out of a passion for women and femmes of color to own all of who they are unapologetically and to revolutionize the way BIWOC show up in the world.

Cristina is the granddaughter of Bracero migrant workers, and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She holds Master’s degree from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Robert Morris University.

To hire Cristina for speaking engagements, to develop and tailor a workshop specifically for your organization or to invite her to speak at your event, you can email her at cristina@shegrowswegrow.com.