Christina Strickland Theodorou has worked in tribal leadership development and an advocate of generating equity, parity and balance for indigenous communities. A graduate of UNC-Pembroke, Christina has 15 years’ experience working in small business development statewide supporting small business owners growing their capacities to bid work. Christina also worked in tribal affairs on state, university and federal levels assisting tribal leaders in building tribal assets and economies. She believes healthy, well and working small business owners and tribal members are the greatest assets North Carolina possesses. Christina joined the NCGrowth team as the program manager with ACIER connecting MWBE businesses with anchor institutions.