Leadership Team

Leadership Team

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Leaders with Distinguished and Broad Experience

AVANCE-Austin’s leadership team offers a rich blend of experience with a collaborative team spirit to propel AVANCE’s mission of helping families scale new heights and achieve future success.

headshot GARZA Cristina

Cristina Garza

Executive Director

Prior to being the Executive Director at AVANCE-Austin, Cristina served as Director of Social Impact for the Mission Economic Development Corporation (EDC) where she curated and lead all STEAM and entrepreneurship initiatives for this EDC, and through this work committed herself to improving the financial mobility of area residents, and fostering progressive and equitable economic development practices. She was named Code.Org’s 2019 Champion of Computer Science. She is also a 2017 Next City Vanguard and named by CityLab Latino one of the Top 20 Young Civic Leaders of 2017. Before her career in economic development, Cristina worked in education at museums in New York City including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rubin of Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and the Brooklyn Museum. She holds a BA from New York University, an MA from Syracuse University where she received the Florence Graduate Fellowship.

View the AVANCE-Austin strategic plan in more detail. Download file.