New York City, New York
Christina Lowery is the CEO of Girl Rising (GR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world in which every girl can grow to be a full and equal participant in society. GR uses the power of storytelling to change attitudes and beliefs that are holding girls back. It works hand-in-hand with partners to empower girls and engage those around them—boys, parents, teachers and community leaders—to create locally led change. Girl Rising is now working in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Guatemala, Nigeria, Kenya and the United States.
Throughout her career, Lowery has pursued two passions, storytelling and international development, though her pursuit of each was admittedly undertaken without much of a well thought out sequence. Despite this, she is now in her dream job—using storytelling as an engine of social awareness and change for both individuals and communities. Her passion for storytelling is founded upon decades of experience in documentary film and television, having contributed to, produced, researched and/or overseen films for CNN, ABC, Bill Moyers, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, among many others.
Lowery is also passionate about environmental conservation, local food economies and connecting young people to nature. She holds a BA in comparative literature from Brown University and a master’s in international community planning from the University of Texas, Austin. She lives in New York’s Hudson River Valley with her husband and three children.