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Catalyze Impact Ep. 12: Christina Shapiro on UNICEF USA's Mission to Save Children
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Christina Shapiro's journey from Mexico City to Chief Strategy Officer at UNICEF USA exemplifies how financial innovation can transform humanitarian aid. Witnessing inequality firsthand and inspired by her father's medical service to all income levels, Christina developed a deep commitment to creating economic opportunity for vulnerable populations.
After building crucial skills at firms like L'Oréal and Goldman Sachs, Christina now leads UNICEF USA's innovative finance initiatives, including the groundbreaking Bridge Fund. This revolutionary financing mechanism solves a critical timing problem in humanitarian response by providing immediate capital when emergencies strike, before donor funds arrive. Since 2011, it has fast-tracked nearly $700 million in impact, supporting emergency responses from Afghanistan to Ukraine.
One powerful success story demonstrates the fund's life-saving potential: during the Ukraine war's global wheat shortage, the Bridge Fund facilitated advance financing to manufacturers of ready-to-use therapeutic food, enabling treatment for 6.5 million severely malnourished children at just $66 per child.
Christina is also pioneering "Child Lens Investing," challenging the financial sector to recognize children as key stakeholders in investment decisions. This approach provides investors with frameworks to reduce harm and maximize positive impacts for children across various asset classes and investment strategies.
As UNICEF USA's Chief Strategy Officer, Christina focuses on mobilizing Americans to improve outcomes for vulnerable children worldwide, despite the "poly-crisis" of funding cuts, climate events, and global instability. Her approach leverages innovative financing tools like sovereign debt refinancing and forward financing solutions to complement traditional philanthropy.
Join this movement to support the world's most vulnerable children. As Christina powerfully states, "Children are one-third of our world, but they're 100% of our future." Visit unicefusa.org to learn how you can help create financial solutions that save lives.
#catalyzeimpact #ideagen #UNICEF
Learn more about UNICEF here: www.unicefusa.org
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By IdeagenSend us a text
Christina Shapiro's journey from Mexico City to Chief Strategy Officer at UNICEF USA exemplifies how financial innovation can transform humanitarian aid. Witnessing inequality firsthand and inspired by her father's medical service to all income levels, Christina developed a deep commitment to creating economic opportunity for vulnerable populations.
After building crucial skills at firms like L'Oréal and Goldman Sachs, Christina now leads UNICEF USA's innovative finance initiatives, including the groundbreaking Bridge Fund. This revolutionary financing mechanism solves a critical timing problem in humanitarian response by providing immediate capital when emergencies strike, before donor funds arrive. Since 2011, it has fast-tracked nearly $700 million in impact, supporting emergency responses from Afghanistan to Ukraine.
One powerful success story demonstrates the fund's life-saving potential: during the Ukraine war's global wheat shortage, the Bridge Fund facilitated advance financing to manufacturers of ready-to-use therapeutic food, enabling treatment for 6.5 million severely malnourished children at just $66 per child.
Christina is also pioneering "Child Lens Investing," challenging the financial sector to recognize children as key stakeholders in investment decisions. This approach provides investors with frameworks to reduce harm and maximize positive impacts for children across various asset classes and investment strategies.
As UNICEF USA's Chief Strategy Officer, Christina focuses on mobilizing Americans to improve outcomes for vulnerable children worldwide, despite the "poly-crisis" of funding cuts, climate events, and global instability. Her approach leverages innovative financing tools like sovereign debt refinancing and forward financing solutions to complement traditional philanthropy.
Join this movement to support the world's most vulnerable children. As Christina powerfully states, "Children are one-third of our world, but they're 100% of our future." Visit unicefusa.org to learn how you can help create financial solutions that save lives.
#catalyzeimpact #ideagen #UNICEF
Learn more about UNICEF here: www.unicefusa.org