Cristina Shapiro

Cristina Shapiro is Chief Strategy Officer and President, Impact Fund for Children & UNICEF Bridge Fund at UNICEF USA, with over 20 years of leadership experience in innovative finance, impact investing, strategy implementation and economic development.

The Impact Fund is the impact investing affiliate of UNICEF USA, created in 2012 to create financial solutions that ensure every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected. In her capacity, she oversees the Bridge Fund, a revolving debt fund that uses private loan capital to accelerate cash to UNICEF to bridge the timing gaps that arise between financial commitments and receipt of cash. As Chief Strategy Officer she is responsible for leading UUSA’s organizational strategic planning, including defining and advancing the organization's strategic and operational goals and incubating strategic cross-divisional initiatives.

Cristina came to UNICEF USA in 2020 from Goldman Sachs, where she led multiple strategic impact investing and philanthropic initiatives over 9 years. She was the global head of the 10,000 Women initiative, a program that fosters economic growth for female entrepreneurs in developing economies. From 2011 through mid-2018 Cristina worked in the Urban Investment Group, as the lead for the Access to Capital program of the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, she worked at the Department of Small Business Services as Assistant Commissioner, and L’Oreal where she ran a $100 million consumer product business. 

Cristina received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in Economic Development from Columbia University. She was born and raised in Mexico City and lives in NYC with her husband and three children.