Christina Sass is a lifelong champion of youth and a fierce advocate for women and diverse leaders across the globe. She brings a wealth of experience in global development and youth employment as the President and Chief Executive Officer of IYF.

Prior to joining IYF, Christina co-founded Andela in 2014, an on-ramp to the digital economy for thousands of young technologists across the globe. Christina served as Andela’s COO and President, where she played a pivotal role in scaling Andela to six countries in Africa, selecting, training, and placing developers as full-time team members in growing tech companies around the world. Together with her co-founder, she raised over $181M in venture capital, growing from two people to over 2,000 employees and acquiring 200+ clients, achieving a $50M annual revenue run rate in six years. Today, Andela is the world’s largest private marketplace of skilled technical talent, operating in over 150 countries. Christina has demonstrated her commitment to driving positive change and fostering innovation as an active investor in impact-oriented, early-stage Future of Work companies, both as an angel and through Dive In, a fund which invests and offers extensive executive coaching to founding teams. 

Christina has also held pivotal positions at renowned organizations dedicated to advancing education and employment opportunities for youth. Notably, she directed the Program department of the Clinton Global Initiative and provided strategic counsel to the President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation, a $30B global foundation committed to enhancing education and financial inclusion for African youth.

Christina's dedication to youth empowerment extends beyond her professional endeavors. She has built education and employment programs in diverse regions, including China, Gaza and the West Bank, Kenya, and Nigeria, reflecting her commitment to expanding opportunities for young people worldwide. Christina serves on the Advisory Council of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights and the board of Global Give Back Circle, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering at-risk adolescent girls.

Christina holds a BA in Ancient Philosophy from the University of Georgia and an MA in International Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Connect with Christina on LinkedIn!