April 30, 2025 • 31 mins
Christina Shapiro's journey from Mexico City to Chief Strategy Officer at UNICEF USA exemplifies how financial innovation can transform humanitarian aid. Witnessing inequality firsthand and inspired by her father's medical service to all income levels, Christina developed a deep commitment to creating economic opportunity for vulnerable populations.
After building crucial skills at firms like L'Oréal and Goldman Sachs, Christina now leads UNICEF USA's innovative finance initiatives, including the groundbreaking Bridge Fund. This revolutionary financing mechanism solves a critical timing problem in humanitarian response by providing immediate capital when emergencies strike, before donor funds arrive. Since 2011, it has fast-tracked nearly $700 million in impact, supporting emergency responses from Afghanistan to Ukraine.
One powerful success story demonstrates the fund's life-saving potential: during the Ukraine war's global wheat shortage, the Bridge Fund facilitated advance financing to manufacturers of ready-to-use therapeutic food, enabling treatment for 6.5 million severely malnourished children at just $66 per child.
Christina is also pioneering "Child Lens Investing," challenging the financial sector to recognize children as key stakeholders in investment decisions. This approach provides investors with frameworks to reduce harm and maximize positive impacts for children across various asset classes and investment strategies.
As UNICEF USA's Chief Strategy Officer, Christina focuses on mobilizing Americans to improve outcomes for vulnerable children worldwide, despite the "poly-crisis" of funding cuts, climate events, and global instability. Her approach leverages innovative financing tools like sovereign debt refinancing and forward financing solutions to complement traditional philanthropy.
Join this movement to support the world's most vulnerable children. As Christina powerfully states, "Children are one-third of our world, but they're 100% of our future." Visit unicefusa.org to learn how you can help create financial solutions that save lives.
#catalyzeimpact #ideagen #UNICEF
Learn more about UNICEF here: www.unicefusa.org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Welcome to the IdeaGen Catalyze Impact podcast
Today.
I am thrilled to have with usChristina Shapiro, chief
Strategy Officer at UNICEF.
Christina, welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, George.
It's a pleasure to be heretoday.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
You know, christina, you've amazed me over the years
with your leadership, the impactthat you're having, and so I
want to, for our global audience, go right into our interview
and talk a little bit about you.
You had an interestingupbringing in Mexico City and
you've had what I would say, andeveryone else would say, is
(00:48):
just an incredibly impressivecareer, spanning finance,
philanthropy and impactinvesting.
Christina, what inspired you toshift from the highest level of
the corporate world, includingyour time at Goldman Sachs and
(01:08):
L'Oreal, to UNICEF USA?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
George, thanks for that question and for the praise
.
I feel like I'm at thebeginning of the impact that I
hope to achieve over my life, soappreciate the praise, but so
much more to do.
As mentioned, I grew up inmexico city, and when you grow
up in mexico city you have adirect window into income
inequality, but at the same time, you also have a direct view on
(01:34):
on the importance of economicdevelopment opportunities to
create a growing middle class,to to really allow people to
rise from poverty into betteropportunities for them and their
children, and so that motivatedme to be a very active citizen.
Some people call it being anerd, but I thought of it as
(01:54):
being a good citizen.
I regularly led volunteerinitiatives in my school to
reach low-income schools andcommunities in Mexico City.
The other thing that reallymotivated me is that my father
was a cardiologist.
He passed away when I was veryyoung, but he really believed in
serving patients of all incomehigh income, low income, it
(02:17):
didn't matter.
I mean, his goal was to reallysave as many people as he could,
and I had the privilege ofoften accompanying him on these
visits to see patients in theirhomes on the weekends, and I was
able to evidence both thedisparity and access to shelters
and homes, but also in terms ofmedical care, because he would
see them.
But in terms of follow-up Imean the difference in the
(02:39):
follow-up access that they hadwas starkly different.
So that really grounded me in afocus of me existing in a
broader world and wanting tomake an impact that was broader
than what I could achieve formyself.
And so, as you noted, I thinkof my first phase of my career,
which was in consulting and inmarketing at L'Oréal as really a
(03:02):
way to access key skills and inmarketing at L'Oreal as really
a way to access key skills.
So in consulting and marketingI was able to learn financial
analysis and Excel and productdevelopment.
And perhaps I was a bitopportunistic because when I
graduated from UPenn, all thesefirms were hiring and I figured,
you know what, let them trainme and give me skills that I
don't have so that I can thenuse those skills to focus on
(03:23):
that economic development that Icare so much about.
And so that was really thesecond phase of my career, and I
think of the economicdevelopment, finance for good
phase of my career as spanningthe public sector, starting with
the city of New York, workingfor Mayor Bloomberg, then going
to Goldman and then ending up atUNICEF USA.
(03:45):
And so you mentioned Goldman,and I was recruited there after
working for the city of New York, where I led the division of
small business services and hadrealized the power of connecting
businesses with financing, andspecifically, businesses that
are the cornerstone of theircommunities but that don't have
access to financing from banks.
(04:05):
And so, at Goldman, I wasafforded the opportunity to use
their balance sheet for good,capitalizing small businesses
and low and middle incomecommunities that did not meet
the credit standards oftraditional banks, and this was
a few years after the financialcrisis.
And then I had the opportunityto go to the foundation to run
10,000 women for the last yearand a half of my time there,
(04:26):
which is this incredible programthat provides women
entrepreneurs in emergingmarkets with the education and
the connections and the skillsand access to financing that
they need.
And we know that when we do that, women ultimately reinvest in
their communities and itimproves the GDP of their
countries the GDP of theircountries.
So, having done that work andbeing so proud of it realized,
(04:47):
you know I want to be in anorganization where I can wake up
every single day and focus onimpact, and while Goldman was a
phenomenal opportunity and itafforded me the ability to
impact so many businesses in theUS and internationally moving
to UNICEF USA to run the ImpactFund for Children and
internationally moving to UNICEFUSA to run the Impact Fund for
(05:07):
Children, which is theirinnovative finance affiliate,
granted me the opportunity towake up every day and think
about how I could use finance topositively impact children, and
I can't think of something thatis more worthwhile than that.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
And you said it so well.
There really isn't anythingmore worthwhile than that,
christina, and so would you beable to explain how the UNICEF
Bridge Fund works and why justwhy is it such an innovative
financial tool?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Absolutely so.
I run the Impact Fund forChildren.
That's the innovative financeaffiliate of UNICEF USA, and the
one fund under management thatwe've had for probably over 12
years is called the UNICEF USABridge Fund, and it exists to
address a very simple problem,and that is the problem of
timing of cash.
Then there's a gap that emergesbetween when there's a
(05:59):
commitment of funds to UNICEF byall these incredible generous
donors around the world, whetherthey're governments or whether
they're individuals orfoundations, and when that cash
actually gets received by UNICEF.
And so what we realized is thatoften UNICEF needed to be able
to put in an order for suppliesbefore a health outbreak, an
(06:19):
outbreak of polio, or beforemosquito breeding season to
prevent malaria, but the donordollars to support those
equipment and those healthcommodities maybe hadn't arrived
.
And so we created the BridgeFund so that they could ask us
for money and we could send thatmoney before the donor money
(06:40):
arrived, and in essence it's areally simple revolving debt
fund.
Donor money arrived and inessence it's a really simple
revolving debt fund we raised apool of grants that it
collateralizes, a pool of fixedterm, fixed rate loans from
individual lenders,institutional lenders and banks
and insurance companies, andthen when UNICEF needs to
respond to an emergency in days,we can send that money and then
(07:01):
get repaid as a donor moneycomes in.
When they need to put in anorder for health commodities, we
can send the money and then getrepaid as a donor money comes
in.
When they need to put in anorder for health commodities, we
can send the money and getrepaid when the donor money
comes in, and that acceleratesimpact and saves lives saving
lives, and that is absolutelycritical here in the work that
you're doing.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And so, christina, what are some of the biggest
challenges in securing anddeploying these impact
investment funds for children?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So, george, if I ask most investors if they care
about children I mean, and Ihave they will all say they do
care about children.
But they'll also say, well, butwhy is that my problem?
Children are not mystakeholders.
They don't take on loans, theydon't take on mortgages, they're
not heads of household, they'renot economic agents, if you
(07:53):
will, and so investors simply donot see children as key
stakeholders.
And so that's the firstchallenge, and that's why we
created Child Lens Investing.
It is an approach to investingthat seeks to reduce harm to
children and maximize positiveimpacts for children, and it is
(08:13):
asking investors to considerchildren as stakeholders in
investment processes andinvestment strategies, and the
way that we designed it was tobe a really broad umbrella.
So it's relevant.
If you're an investor in publicequities, where children are
affected stakeholders, if you'reinvested in like probably you
and I are right we have ourinvestment portfolios and likely
we have stock and we'reinvesting in publicly traded
(08:35):
companies, well, children areaffected by those companies, and
so we could choose to activelyengage as active investors, or
we can screen in companies intoour portfolio, based on those
companies that are activelyconsidering child rights.
So that's an example if you'reinvested in public equities.
If you are in private equity ora private capital investor,
(08:57):
you're likely impacting childrenindirectly, or children could
be discrete beneficiaries ofyour strategies.
And so if you're doing realestate or consumer goods
companies or energy investments,children are being impacted and
we're inviting investors inthose private capital strategies
to realize that.
And certainly if you're animpact investor, where children
are the direct beneficiaries andachieving impact for children
(09:18):
as your North Star, then you'regoing to be more proactive and
you're going to be incorporatinginvestments that directly
impact children positively.
So that's what we've done withChild Lens Investing.
But back to it.
You asked me what thechallenges were.
So the first one again is thatchildren are not considered
stakeholders, and that's becausemost investors simply don't
(09:38):
know how they impact children orhow children are showing up in
their impact measurement data.
So that is a key first stepthat we would need investors to
start to think about.
Some other challenges are thatthey're often not always, but
often is a longer term horizonfor child specific outcomes, and
we know that investorstypically prefer shorter term
outcomes and returns.
(09:59):
And then another challenge isthat there are few financial
instruments that focus onchildren directly or that
actively consider children.
So if you're an investor todaylooking to allocate money to
positively impact children,there aren't that many financial
instruments that are availableto you.
So those are some of thechallenges to answer your
(10:19):
question.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
That's just amazing to hear, and it's also
impressive to hear how younavigate those challenges right.
So I mean, there's thechallenges and the approach to
that and, um, it goes back toyour leadership.
Again, christina, can you sharefor our global audience a
success story where the bridgefund and there I know there's
(10:43):
many and it's hard to figure outwhich one- I asked me to pick
my favorite, my favorite child.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
I can't Right.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Sorry for that, but I think it's important to nail it
down to one.
If we can where the Bridge Fundmade a tangible difference in a
child's life or in a community.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Absolutely so.
Just starting with the broadernumbers, since its inception in
2011, the Bridge Fund hasfast-tracked and enabled nearly
$700 million in impact, as Imentioned already, accelerating
delivery of emergency support ina range of humanitarian
settings, from Afghanistan toUkraine, but also investing in
(11:21):
solutions that strengthen thehealth supply system.
So the example that reallystands out for me is that a
couple of years ago, during theUkraine war, as you know, the
price of wheat really went up.
There was a significantshortage of wheat.
It impacted the malnutritioncrisis in the Sahel and in other
(11:44):
areas, and there was a reallyacute malnutrition crisis.
And we partnered with UNICEFand other investors to create
this really novel facility wherewe provided those suppliers
that make ready-to-usetherapeutic food.
It's like a peanut paste thatseverely malnourished children
can eat.
If you give a severelymalnourished child bread and
(12:06):
water, they might throw it up.
They can't digest it.
But this miracle food calledRUTF, or ready-to-use
therapeutic food, is a cure forsevere acute malnutrition and in
six weeks, at a cost of about$66 per child, you could cure
that severe acute malnutrition.
And so what we did is thisnovel facility provided those
(12:28):
suppliers of RUTF advanceddollars to scale up their
production and to meet increaseddemand.
So that way they had theflexibility to address
challenges in their labor, theirinput costs and equipment to
respond to the malnutritioncrisis that was happening
globally.
And this is risky rightProviding loans to RUTF
(12:49):
manufacturers.
They're in thanks to UNICEF'seffort.
These are suppliers that areclose to the countries.
They're in the countries wherethe RUTF is most consumed.
They're subject to outbreakssalmonella outbreaks which could
shut down the facility for sometime.
They're in complex environmentswhere often there is conflict,
(13:10):
but through that partnership,alongside with other investors,
as of February of this year, wehave enabled UNICEF to
distribute six and a halfmillion cartons of malnutrition
treatment enough to treat sixand a half million children.
So that, to me, feels like weleaned in at a moment of great
need.
There was definitely risk, wesized the risk and we went all
(13:31):
in to ensure that thesesuppliers had what they needed.
We leaned in at a moment ofgreat need.
There was definitely risk, wesized the risk and we went all
in to ensure that thesesuppliers had what they needed
to meet the demand and meet themoment.
So that's my example.
I'll stick to that.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Speechless.
I mean it's incredible to hear,I mean to reverse or to save or
to address.
You know, use any of the wordsthat I mean it's.
I'm not typically at a loss forwords, christina, but that's
just incredible what you'redoing, you can change the
trajectory of a child's life andthere's no greater reward, as
(14:06):
we all know, and so how do Ipivot from that as Chief
Strategy Officer?
What are your main prioritiesfor USA in the coming months and
years?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Thank you, george, and I'm really honored that I,
in addition to my role leadingthe Impact Fund, I've moved into
the role of chief strategyofficer over the last year, and
so, before I tell you ourpriorities, I think it's
important to ground youraudience in in the context that
we're living in, and so, if youthink about children and the
world that unicef exists in,it's really a point in time
(14:43):
where there's there it's a polycrisis.
Children are being impacted notby one, but by many crises.
You you know, still coming outof COVID.
There are significantclimate-related events impacting
over a billion children aroundthe world.
There is now a funding gap andcrisis that's been further
rendered acute.
We're also in a world wherethere's more misinformation and
(15:05):
polarization, so that is thecontext that we exist in.
We've also, if you look at thereports that GivingUSA has
published, we have seen a bit ofa decrease in philanthropy and
how philanthropy is committingto causes around the world, and
so we do see that there are morenonprofits contending for
(15:26):
private sector resources,especially as governments around
the world are pulling back forprivate sector resources,
especially as governments aroundthe world are pulling back from
humanitarian and developmentaid.
However, within all of this.
We are not falling into thegloom.
We see hope and we have seenremarkable gains in the last few
decades, and so our keypriority, based on that context,
(15:48):
our key priority and our keystrategy as UNICEF USA is to be
the most influential force,mobilizing Americans to
radically improve outcomes forthe world's most vulnerable
children and youth.
And note that is our rolevis-a-vis UNICEF, where we exist
in the United States, to rallythe American public to drive
(16:12):
outcomes for children, and byAmericans, by mobilizing
Americans.
I'm specifically referring tothree key audiences the American
public, you and me, people whoare consuming media and who may
not know about UNICEF or knowUNICEF, but we need to bring
them more into the fold, buildtrust with our brand and bring
(16:32):
them through.
We refer to another keyaudience as the public sector,
and that's certainly federal,state and local government that
have both the resources but alsothe ability to influence policy
and make policy that impactschildren, both in the United
States and abroad.
And absolutely the privatesector in all of its forms,
whether that's individuals,whether that's institutions like
(16:55):
foundations, corporations andfaith-based organizations.
And the reason that we'releaning into being this
compelling force is that we havethe results to prove, george,
that if we do rally around thecause that unites us and that is
children which you know,children are not political we
can bend the curve to improveoutcomes for all of the world's
(17:16):
children.
So, very clearly, ourpriorities over the coming years
are going to be to leverage ourcompelling brand, the UNICEF
brand, to catalyzetransformative growth in our
supporter base in all of itsforms.
That will allow us to achievethe second key priority, which
is to increase flexible supportfor critical programs that
(17:36):
UNICEF delivers to children allover the world, and flexible
funding is the most valuablefunding because it allows UNICEF
delivers to children all overthe world.
And flexible funding is themost valuable funding because it
allows UNICEF to pivot when ahealth outbreak occurs.
If all of the funding isrestricted, they may not have
the funding to revert andrespond to that crisis.
The third thing is to drivepositive policy and practice
(17:57):
changes that elevates children'swell-being and that will allow
us to then deliver on impact.
And just some examples of theareas that we're leaning into in
the coming three years, whichis the term of our strategic
plan, is to intentionally investin program emphasis areas, and
those are it links to my BridgeFund.
Example is to end deaths fromsevere acute malnutrition.
(18:21):
And I don't know if you saw, butrecently we announced a
partnership with the Bezosfamily, who committed an
incredible $500 million towardsthis effort, as matched to
hopefully get to a billiondollars, and it's the largest
single gift that UNICEF USA hasreceived.
The second program emphasis areais to drive digital
transformation to meaningfullyimpact learning outcomes, and
(18:44):
that's simply because we can'tsit here and not react when
there's a learning povertycrisis and where 70% of children
cannot process a simple text bythe age of 10.
And then the last two programemphasis areas are to equitably
safeguard children in crisis anddisplacement, and that's
because, if we just take UNICEFas an example, unicef responds
(19:04):
to over 400 emergencies onaverage in a given year, but in
any given year, 66% of fundinggoes to really top three
emergencies that break the presscycles in the US.
So we really need to make suremore funding is going to
chronically underfundedemergencies.
And because we're anorganization that exists to
drive youth action and youthvoice, we are really focused on
(19:24):
driving a child-centeredgovernance, and that's just
simply saying that helping youthshape the policies, the budgets
that impact them.
So there we are.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
And so, christina, as we look at this, how do you
feel that the role of impactinvesting is evolving, when you
look at it from a globaldevelopment effort perspective?
Speaker 2 (19:53):
I think of the role of it's not just impact
investing.
I'm going to zoom out and thinkof innovative finance as a way
to grow the pie of resourcesthat are available to achieve
impact for children.
We need to complementphilanthropy and government
support through ODA.
Those are critical, will remaincritical.
I see innovative finance as away to unlock, leverage and
(20:16):
align billions in dollars incapital for sustainable and
innovative financingtransactions that are directly
and or indirectly contributingto child outcomes.
So I'll be brief, but someexamples and strategies that
we're leaning into in support ofthat are sovereign debt
refinancing, recognizing thatover 400 million children live
in debt burdened countries.
(20:37):
We're leaning into forwardfinancing solutions for programs
, and that's examples like thebridge funding, which I talked
about, but also bond issuancesthat can use the proceeds to
invest in programs or revenuegeneration for UNICEF.
We're leaning into impactinvesting and the funding for
our UTF suppliers is an exampleof that and certainly, as I
(20:59):
started at the beginning, reallythis concept of getting more
investors to align withincorporating children as key
stakeholders and incorporatingchildren's well-being into their
investment strategies andprocesses.
So those are some of the waysthat we are seeing the potential
for innovative finance to shapeand complement the efforts that
UNICEF and others are playingin the international development
(21:22):
space.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And, as you're working through all these
innovative financial solutions,you're looking at the gaps, like
you talked about, in fundingfor children's programs.
What are those gaps Like?
What are you doing?
What are the many things thatyou're doing?
Let's go back for a second.
What are the many things you'redoing to help address those
(21:45):
gaps in funding?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
So I'll give you some examples of what we're doing in
the innovative finance space.
Certainly, in the philanthropicand private sector space, we're
absolutely focused onincreasing awareness of the
impact of the funding cuts onchildren and there are many and
then inviting those audiences,both those that already know
UNICEF and those that don't, towork with us and to allocate
(22:09):
resources at whatever level theycan to address the gap.
So that's on the philanthropicand government side.
On the innovative finance side,I mentioned debt swaps, and
certainly those are not new.
I mean, you can look them up In2024, the World Bank did a debt
swap for Cote d'Ivoire, wherethey executed a debt for
development swap targetingnearly 400 million euros to
(22:33):
allocate towards education.
And so UNICEF is activelyexploring debt sops that would
create the fiscal space forgovernments to invest in
programs that benefit children.
So, by refinancing a portion oftheir debt bilaterally with
private investors, for example,they can then reduce their costs
and allocate the savings ininterest expense towards
(22:57):
programs for children, whetherthat's education or health,
whatever the priorities of thatcountry are.
And so you know again why isUNICEF focused on refinancing
debt for countries?
Because, as I mentioned, 400million children live in
countries where those countriescan't allocate their own budgets
towards programs becausethey're paying such a
significant amount in debt.
(23:18):
So that's one example.
The other one is continuing tothink of solutions, like the
partnership that UNICEF launchedwith the World Bank several
years ago, where the World Bankissued a $100 million note.
50 million of it was providedto UNICEF through an agreement
and that went to fundraisingactivities in 18 UNICEF country
(23:39):
offices that have a burgeoningprivate sector.
And that's important, becausemy own country, mexico, if you
think about it, it has an activeprivate sector and you want to
make sure that you're raisingmoney for programs in Mexico
through the private sectorthat's there and for every
dollar that's invested infundraising, typically you are
able to get two to three dollars, you know, within a year, a
(23:59):
year and a half, so you can payback the note and still invest
in UNICEF programs.
So those are two examples thatwe're actively involved in and
that we hope to increase overtime.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
You know, christina, you never cease to amaze me, and
and speaking speaking ofamazement, let's talk about you
again, because this is, for me,it's about defining leadership
and your leadership at GoldmanSachs, specifically with the
10,000 Women Initiative, which Isaw up close and personal when
(24:32):
you were running.
It helped many, so manythousands of female
entrepreneurs, and so youlearned a lot.
Obviously, what lessons did youtake from that initiative, that
incredible initiative, andapplied to your current work at
(24:53):
UNICEF USA?
Speaker 2 (24:55):
I mean the first thing you should know because
that's how you lead is these arenot my results.
These are the results of a teamand effort and those who were
before me and then certainly theteams that were there once I
left.
So that's the first thing, buta couple of important lessons
are the and this might soundtrite, but the importance of
public-private partnerships.
So what enabled the 10,000Women Program to really work?
(25:17):
It was certainly on the capitalfront.
If you think about it.
It was Goldman outlining thatthis was a key opportunity and
allocating its own resources.
We invited others to join usand mobilize with us, and then
we partnered with the IFC tolaunch the lending component of
10,000 Women and they reallyleaned into it and we were able
(25:38):
to bring in other investors andthen that really started to
shape and took force in and ofitself.
So public-private partnershipsand I saw that at Goldman and
I'm certainly I mean that's howUNICEF works.
I mean I was just in UNICEFZambia, a little bit over three
weeks ago, and it is UNICEFworking with the government,
(26:01):
with local NGOs, with the localcommunities, with private sector
support to ensure that theseprograms can come to life.
So I think that's the firstlesson and I hope my entire
career will be ripe withpublic-private partnerships
powering impact.
The second is that investing inwomen and children is not just
(26:21):
the right thing to do, but it'sa smart solution.
And women I think there'splenty of research that shows
that when you invest in women,you are investing in a community
and it is also lifting not justthe family and the community,
but it is resulting in positiveGDP growth for those countries
in the community, but it isresulting in positive GDP growth
(26:42):
for those countries.
So UNICEF really believes thatit's something that we do, not
because we're pursuing adiversity strategy, but because
women are incredibly powerfulanchors of communities and
investing in programs thatelevate them we know will have
an impact on children.
And then the third thing I wouldsay and I really learned this
not just through my work in10,000 women, but also in 10,000
(27:03):
small businesses that wasfocused in the US is that
investing in local companiesstrengthens local communities.
Right, they hire and theysource locally, they're
improving the tax revenues ofthose communities, they're the
cornerstone of those communities, and we did that in investing
in small businesses across theUnited States, investing in
women entrepreneurs in emergingmarkets.
(27:24):
And then what we're doing atUNICEF right now right,
providing those advances to RUTFmanufacturers that are small,
medium-sized enterprises inNigeria and in Burkina Faso and
in Ethiopia are really poweringimpact in those communities.
So those are three importantlessons that I've taken with me
here, but I expect I'll takethem with me wherever I go.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Christina, you know I've done a lot of interviews,
as you know, and you've done alot, and I've got to tell you I
am so incredibly inspired by you, personally and professionally,
and to see and hear yourpassion and that, combined with
your leadership, which I thinkis the recipe for massive
(28:11):
outsized impact, and that's theresults that you just
articulated today.
It's just for me, it keeps thecup full.
You know what I mean.
It's just for me, it keeps thecup full.
If you know what I mean, it'sunderstanding why it is that we
do what we do every day, and Ican't thank you enough for
sharing all of the insights andperspectives that you're working
(28:33):
on at UNICEF USA to change theworld.
Thank you, george, and so I'dlike to ask you sadly, we're
concluding, you'll be back, okay?
Thank you, george, and so I'dlike to ask you sadly, we're
concluding, but you'll be backwhat is your final call to
action for our global audience?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
So my call to action is to learn, donate and advocate
, and I want to explain why.
I said it before, but I want tostate it Funding cuts are and
will continue to impact children, so I'm asking your audience to
be part of the solution.
We estimate that more than 213million children in over 146
(29:13):
countries will requirehumanitarian assistance.
That's in addition to all ofthe development work that we
want to do to continue to moveoutcomes for children forward.
And so if we halt UNICEF'slifesaving activities, millions
of children's lives are alreadyat risk and will continue to be
more at risk.
And I just want to inspire you.
(29:35):
Right together with the Americanpublic, with its institutions,
certainly with the Americangovernment, we have nearly
eradicated polio right.
There used to be three and ahalf million cases globally in
the mid-1980s, and there wereseven cases in the first half of
2024.
So I just want to leave youwith a call that it is possible
(29:58):
to achieve these outcomes, it ispossible to end polio for good.
It is possible to cut childmortality by 60% since 1990.
We've done that together withall the support of thousands and
thousands of Americans, and sowhat I leave you with is to
those who have been given much.
Much is expected in the world,and I think that generous spirit
(30:20):
makes us better people, abetter culture, a better country
, and I hope all of you willreally help to bring to life the
opportunity that childrendeserve, knowing that children
are one third of our world, butthey're 100% of our future.
So please join us.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Incredible Well said, and what is the website that
they can go to to find moreinformation?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
unicefusaorg.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Love it.
Christina Shapiro, changing theworld, leading the way.
Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Thank you.
Thank you so much, george,bye-bye.
Welcome to the IdeaGen Catalyze Impact podcast
Today.
I am thrilled to have with usChristina Shapiro, chief
Strategy Officer at UNICEF.
Christina, welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, George.
It's a pleasure to be heretoday.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
You know, christina, you've amazed me over the years
with your leadership, the impactthat you're having, and so I
want to, for our global audience, go right into our interview
and talk a little bit about you.
You had an interestingupbringing in Mexico City and
you've had what I would say, andeveryone else would say, is
(00:48):
just an incredibly impressivecareer, spanning finance,
philanthropy and impactinvesting.
Christina, what inspired you toshift from the highest level of
the corporate world, includingyour time at Goldman Sachs and
(01:08):
L'Oreal, to UNICEF USA?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
George, thanks for that question and for the praise
.
I feel like I'm at thebeginning of the impact that I
hope to achieve over my life, soappreciate the praise, but so
much more to do.
As mentioned, I grew up inmexico city, and when you grow
up in mexico city you have adirect window into income
inequality, but at the same time, you also have a direct view on
(01:34):
on the importance of economicdevelopment opportunities to
create a growing middle class,to to really allow people to
rise from poverty into betteropportunities for them and their
children, and so that motivatedme to be a very active citizen.
Some people call it being anerd, but I thought of it as
(01:54):
being a good citizen.
I regularly led volunteerinitiatives in my school to
reach low-income schools andcommunities in Mexico City.
The other thing that reallymotivated me is that my father
was a cardiologist.
He passed away when I was veryyoung, but he really believed in
serving patients of all incomehigh income, low income, it
(02:17):
didn't matter.
I mean, his goal was to reallysave as many people as he could,
and I had the privilege ofoften accompanying him on these
visits to see patients in theirhomes on the weekends, and I was
able to evidence both thedisparity and access to shelters
and homes, but also in terms ofmedical care, because he would
see them.
But in terms of follow-up Imean the difference in the
(02:39):
follow-up access that they hadwas starkly different.
So that really grounded me in afocus of me existing in a
broader world and wanting tomake an impact that was broader
than what I could achieve formyself.
And so, as you noted, I thinkof my first phase of my career,
which was in consulting and inmarketing at L'Oréal as really a
(03:02):
way to access key skills and inmarketing at L'Oreal as really
a way to access key skills.
So in consulting and marketingI was able to learn financial
analysis and Excel and productdevelopment.
And perhaps I was a bitopportunistic because when I
graduated from UPenn, all thesefirms were hiring and I figured,
you know what, let them trainme and give me skills that I
don't have so that I can thenuse those skills to focus on
(03:23):
that economic development that Icare so much about.
And so that was really thesecond phase of my career, and I
think of the economicdevelopment, finance for good
phase of my career as spanningthe public sector, starting with
the city of New York, workingfor Mayor Bloomberg, then going
to Goldman and then ending up atUNICEF USA.
(03:45):
And so you mentioned Goldman,and I was recruited there after
working for the city of New York, where I led the division of
small business services and hadrealized the power of connecting
businesses with financing, andspecifically, businesses that
are the cornerstone of theircommunities but that don't have
access to financing from banks.
(04:05):
And so, at Goldman, I wasafforded the opportunity to use
their balance sheet for good,capitalizing small businesses
and low and middle incomecommunities that did not meet
the credit standards oftraditional banks, and this was
a few years after the financialcrisis.
And then I had the opportunityto go to the foundation to run
10,000 women for the last yearand a half of my time there,
(04:26):
which is this incredible programthat provides women
entrepreneurs in emergingmarkets with the education and
the connections and the skillsand access to financing that
they need.
And we know that when we do that, women ultimately reinvest in
their communities and itimproves the GDP of their
countries the GDP of theircountries.
So, having done that work andbeing so proud of it realized,
(04:47):
you know I want to be in anorganization where I can wake up
every single day and focus onimpact, and while Goldman was a
phenomenal opportunity and itafforded me the ability to
impact so many businesses in theUS and internationally moving
to UNICEF USA to run the ImpactFund for Children and
internationally moving to UNICEFUSA to run the Impact Fund for
(05:07):
Children, which is theirinnovative finance affiliate,
granted me the opportunity towake up every day and think
about how I could use finance topositively impact children, and
I can't think of something thatis more worthwhile than that.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
And you said it so well.
There really isn't anythingmore worthwhile than that,
christina, and so would you beable to explain how the UNICEF
Bridge Fund works and why justwhy is it such an innovative
financial tool?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Absolutely so.
I run the Impact Fund forChildren.
That's the innovative financeaffiliate of UNICEF USA, and the
one fund under management thatwe've had for probably over 12
years is called the UNICEF USABridge Fund, and it exists to
address a very simple problem,and that is the problem of
timing of cash.
Then there's a gap that emergesbetween when there's a
(05:59):
commitment of funds to UNICEF byall these incredible generous
donors around the world, whetherthey're governments or whether
they're individuals orfoundations, and when that cash
actually gets received by UNICEF.
And so what we realized is thatoften UNICEF needed to be able
to put in an order for suppliesbefore a health outbreak, an
(06:19):
outbreak of polio, or beforemosquito breeding season to
prevent malaria, but the donordollars to support those
equipment and those healthcommodities maybe hadn't arrived
.
And so we created the BridgeFund so that they could ask us
for money and we could send thatmoney before the donor money
(06:40):
arrived, and in essence it's areally simple revolving debt
fund.
Donor money arrived and inessence it's a really simple
revolving debt fund we raised apool of grants that it
collateralizes, a pool of fixedterm, fixed rate loans from
individual lenders,institutional lenders and banks
and insurance companies, andthen when UNICEF needs to
respond to an emergency in days,we can send that money and then
(07:01):
get repaid as a donor moneycomes in.
When they need to put in anorder for health commodities, we
can send the money and then getrepaid as a donor money comes
in.
When they need to put in anorder for health commodities, we
can send the money and getrepaid when the donor money
comes in, and that acceleratesimpact and saves lives saving
lives, and that is absolutelycritical here in the work that
you're doing.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And so, christina, what are some of the biggest
challenges in securing anddeploying these impact
investment funds for children?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So, george, if I ask most investors if they care
about children I mean, and Ihave they will all say they do
care about children.
But they'll also say, well, butwhy is that my problem?
Children are not mystakeholders.
They don't take on loans, theydon't take on mortgages, they're
not heads of household, they'renot economic agents, if you
(07:53):
will, and so investors simply donot see children as key
stakeholders.
And so that's the firstchallenge, and that's why we
created Child Lens Investing.
It is an approach to investingthat seeks to reduce harm to
children and maximize positiveimpacts for children, and it is
(08:13):
asking investors to considerchildren as stakeholders in
investment processes andinvestment strategies, and the
way that we designed it was tobe a really broad umbrella.
So it's relevant.
If you're an investor in publicequities, where children are
affected stakeholders, if you'reinvested in like probably you
and I are right we have ourinvestment portfolios and likely
we have stock and we'reinvesting in publicly traded
(08:35):
companies, well, children areaffected by those companies, and
so we could choose to activelyengage as active investors, or
we can screen in companies intoour portfolio, based on those
companies that are activelyconsidering child rights.
So that's an example if you'reinvested in public equities.
If you are in private equity ora private capital investor,
(08:57):
you're likely impacting childrenindirectly, or children could
be discrete beneficiaries ofyour strategies.
And so if you're doing realestate or consumer goods
companies or energy investments,children are being impacted and
we're inviting investors inthose private capital strategies
to realize that.
And certainly if you're animpact investor, where children
are the direct beneficiaries andachieving impact for children
(09:18):
as your North Star, then you'regoing to be more proactive and
you're going to be incorporatinginvestments that directly
impact children positively.
So that's what we've done withChild Lens Investing.
But back to it.
You asked me what thechallenges were.
So the first one again is thatchildren are not considered
stakeholders, and that's becausemost investors simply don't
(09:38):
know how they impact children orhow children are showing up in
their impact measurement data.
So that is a key first stepthat we would need investors to
start to think about.
Some other challenges are thatthey're often not always, but
often is a longer term horizonfor child specific outcomes, and
we know that investorstypically prefer shorter term
outcomes and returns.
(09:59):
And then another challenge isthat there are few financial
instruments that focus onchildren directly or that
actively consider children.
So if you're an investor todaylooking to allocate money to
positively impact children,there aren't that many financial
instruments that are availableto you.
So those are some of thechallenges to answer your
(10:19):
question.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
That's just amazing to hear, and it's also
impressive to hear how younavigate those challenges right.
So I mean, there's thechallenges and the approach to
that and, um, it goes back toyour leadership.
Again, christina, can you sharefor our global audience a
success story where the bridgefund and there I know there's
(10:43):
many and it's hard to figure outwhich one- I asked me to pick
my favorite, my favorite child.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
I can't Right.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Sorry for that, but I think it's important to nail it
down to one.
If we can where the Bridge Fundmade a tangible difference in a
child's life or in a community.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Absolutely so.
Just starting with the broadernumbers, since its inception in
2011, the Bridge Fund hasfast-tracked and enabled nearly
$700 million in impact, as Imentioned already, accelerating
delivery of emergency support ina range of humanitarian
settings, from Afghanistan toUkraine, but also investing in
(11:21):
solutions that strengthen thehealth supply system.
So the example that reallystands out for me is that a
couple of years ago, during theUkraine war, as you know, the
price of wheat really went up.
There was a significantshortage of wheat.
It impacted the malnutritioncrisis in the Sahel and in other
(11:44):
areas, and there was a reallyacute malnutrition crisis.
And we partnered with UNICEFand other investors to create
this really novel facility wherewe provided those suppliers
that make ready-to-usetherapeutic food.
It's like a peanut paste thatseverely malnourished children
can eat.
If you give a severelymalnourished child bread and
(12:06):
water, they might throw it up.
They can't digest it.
But this miracle food calledRUTF, or ready-to-use
therapeutic food, is a cure forsevere acute malnutrition and in
six weeks, at a cost of about$66 per child, you could cure
that severe acute malnutrition.
And so what we did is thisnovel facility provided those
(12:28):
suppliers of RUTF advanceddollars to scale up their
production and to meet increaseddemand.
So that way they had theflexibility to address
challenges in their labor, theirinput costs and equipment to
respond to the malnutritioncrisis that was happening
globally.
And this is risky rightProviding loans to RUTF
(12:49):
manufacturers.
They're in thanks to UNICEF'seffort.
These are suppliers that areclose to the countries.
They're in the countries wherethe RUTF is most consumed.
They're subject to outbreakssalmonella outbreaks which could
shut down the facility for sometime.
They're in complex environmentswhere often there is conflict,
(13:10):
but through that partnership,alongside with other investors,
as of February of this year, wehave enabled UNICEF to
distribute six and a halfmillion cartons of malnutrition
treatment enough to treat sixand a half million children.
So that, to me, feels like weleaned in at a moment of great
need.
There was definitely risk, wesized the risk and we went all
(13:31):
in to ensure that thesesuppliers had what they needed.
We leaned in at a moment ofgreat need.
There was definitely risk, wesized the risk and we went all
in to ensure that thesesuppliers had what they needed
to meet the demand and meet themoment.
So that's my example.
I'll stick to that.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Speechless.
I mean it's incredible to hear,I mean to reverse or to save or
to address.
You know, use any of the wordsthat I mean it's.
I'm not typically at a loss forwords, christina, but that's
just incredible what you'redoing, you can change the
trajectory of a child's life andthere's no greater reward, as
(14:06):
we all know, and so how do Ipivot from that as Chief
Strategy Officer?
What are your main prioritiesfor USA in the coming months and
years?
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Thank you, george, and I'm really honored that I,
in addition to my role leadingthe Impact Fund, I've moved into
the role of chief strategyofficer over the last year, and
so, before I tell you ourpriorities, I think it's
important to ground youraudience in in the context that
we're living in, and so, if youthink about children and the
world that unicef exists in,it's really a point in time
(14:43):
where there's there it's a polycrisis.
Children are being impacted notby one, but by many crises.
You you know, still coming outof COVID.
There are significantclimate-related events impacting
over a billion children aroundthe world.
There is now a funding gap andcrisis that's been further
rendered acute.
We're also in a world wherethere's more misinformation and
(15:05):
polarization, so that is thecontext that we exist in.
We've also, if you look at thereports that GivingUSA has
published, we have seen a bit ofa decrease in philanthropy and
how philanthropy is committingto causes around the world, and
so we do see that there are morenonprofits contending for
(15:26):
private sector resources,especially as governments around
the world are pulling back forprivate sector resources,
especially as governments aroundthe world are pulling back from
humanitarian and developmentaid.
However, within all of this.
We are not falling into thegloom.
We see hope and we have seenremarkable gains in the last few
decades, and so our keypriority, based on that context,
(15:48):
our key priority and our keystrategy as UNICEF USA is to be
the most influential force,mobilizing Americans to
radically improve outcomes forthe world's most vulnerable
children and youth.
And note that is our rolevis-a-vis UNICEF, where we exist
in the United States, to rallythe American public to drive
(16:12):
outcomes for children, and byAmericans, by mobilizing
Americans.
I'm specifically referring tothree key audiences the American
public, you and me, people whoare consuming media and who may
not know about UNICEF or knowUNICEF, but we need to bring
them more into the fold, buildtrust with our brand and bring
(16:32):
them through.
We refer to another keyaudience as the public sector,
and that's certainly federal,state and local government that
have both the resources but alsothe ability to influence policy
and make policy that impactschildren, both in the United
States and abroad.
And absolutely the privatesector in all of its forms,
whether that's individuals,whether that's institutions like
(16:55):
foundations, corporations andfaith-based organizations.
And the reason that we'releaning into being this
compelling force is that we havethe results to prove, george,
that if we do rally around thecause that unites us and that is
children which you know,children are not political we
can bend the curve to improveoutcomes for all of the world's
(17:16):
children.
So, very clearly, ourpriorities over the coming years
are going to be to leverage ourcompelling brand, the UNICEF
brand, to catalyzetransformative growth in our
supporter base in all of itsforms.
That will allow us to achievethe second key priority, which
is to increase flexible supportfor critical programs that
(17:36):
UNICEF delivers to children allover the world, and flexible
funding is the most valuablefunding because it allows UNICEF
delivers to children all overthe world.
And flexible funding is themost valuable funding because it
allows UNICEF to pivot when ahealth outbreak occurs.
If all of the funding isrestricted, they may not have
the funding to revert andrespond to that crisis.
The third thing is to drivepositive policy and practice
(17:57):
changes that elevates children'swell-being and that will allow
us to then deliver on impact.
And just some examples of theareas that we're leaning into in
the coming three years, whichis the term of our strategic
plan, is to intentionally investin program emphasis areas, and
those are it links to my BridgeFund.
Example is to end deaths fromsevere acute malnutrition.
(18:21):
And I don't know if you saw, butrecently we announced a
partnership with the Bezosfamily, who committed an
incredible $500 million towardsthis effort, as matched to
hopefully get to a billiondollars, and it's the largest
single gift that UNICEF USA hasreceived.
The second program emphasis areais to drive digital
transformation to meaningfullyimpact learning outcomes, and
(18:44):
that's simply because we can'tsit here and not react when
there's a learning povertycrisis and where 70% of children
cannot process a simple text bythe age of 10.
And then the last two programemphasis areas are to equitably
safeguard children in crisis anddisplacement, and that's
because, if we just take UNICEFas an example, unicef responds
(19:04):
to over 400 emergencies onaverage in a given year, but in
any given year, 66% of fundinggoes to really top three
emergencies that break the presscycles in the US.
So we really need to make suremore funding is going to
chronically underfundedemergencies.
And because we're anorganization that exists to
drive youth action and youthvoice, we are really focused on
(19:24):
driving a child-centeredgovernance, and that's just
simply saying that helping youthshape the policies, the budgets
that impact them.
So there we are.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
And so, christina, as we look at this, how do you
feel that the role of impactinvesting is evolving, when you
look at it from a globaldevelopment effort perspective?
Speaker 2 (19:53):
I think of the role of it's not just impact
investing.
I'm going to zoom out and thinkof innovative finance as a way
to grow the pie of resourcesthat are available to achieve
impact for children.
We need to complementphilanthropy and government
support through ODA.
Those are critical, will remaincritical.
I see innovative finance as away to unlock, leverage and
(20:16):
align billions in dollars incapital for sustainable and
innovative financingtransactions that are directly
and or indirectly contributingto child outcomes.
So I'll be brief, but someexamples and strategies that
we're leaning into in support ofthat are sovereign debt
refinancing, recognizing thatover 400 million children live
in debt burdened countries.
(20:37):
We're leaning into forwardfinancing solutions for programs
, and that's examples like thebridge funding, which I talked
about, but also bond issuancesthat can use the proceeds to
invest in programs or revenuegeneration for UNICEF.
We're leaning into impactinvesting and the funding for
our UTF suppliers is an exampleof that and certainly, as I
(20:59):
started at the beginning, reallythis concept of getting more
investors to align withincorporating children as key
stakeholders and incorporatingchildren's well-being into their
investment strategies andprocesses.
So those are some of the waysthat we are seeing the potential
for innovative finance to shapeand complement the efforts that
UNICEF and others are playingin the international development
(21:22):
space.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And, as you're working through all these
innovative financial solutions,you're looking at the gaps, like
you talked about, in fundingfor children's programs.
What are those gaps Like?
What are you doing?
What are the many things thatyou're doing?
Let's go back for a second.
What are the many things you'redoing to help address those
(21:45):
gaps in funding?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
So I'll give you some examples of what we're doing in
the innovative finance space.
Certainly, in the philanthropicand private sector space, we're
absolutely focused onincreasing awareness of the
impact of the funding cuts onchildren and there are many and
then inviting those audiences,both those that already know
UNICEF and those that don't, towork with us and to allocate
(22:09):
resources at whatever level theycan to address the gap.
So that's on the philanthropicand government side.
On the innovative finance side,I mentioned debt swaps, and
certainly those are not new.
I mean, you can look them up In2024, the World Bank did a debt
swap for Cote d'Ivoire, wherethey executed a debt for
development swap targetingnearly 400 million euros to
(22:33):
allocate towards education.
And so UNICEF is activelyexploring debt sops that would
create the fiscal space forgovernments to invest in
programs that benefit children.
So, by refinancing a portion oftheir debt bilaterally with
private investors, for example,they can then reduce their costs
and allocate the savings ininterest expense towards
(22:57):
programs for children, whetherthat's education or health,
whatever the priorities of thatcountry are.
And so you know again why isUNICEF focused on refinancing
debt for countries?
Because, as I mentioned, 400million children live in
countries where those countriescan't allocate their own budgets
towards programs becausethey're paying such a
significant amount in debt.
(23:18):
So that's one example.
The other one is continuing tothink of solutions, like the
partnership that UNICEF launchedwith the World Bank several
years ago, where the World Bankissued a $100 million note.
50 million of it was providedto UNICEF through an agreement
and that went to fundraisingactivities in 18 UNICEF country
(23:39):
offices that have a burgeoningprivate sector.
And that's important, becausemy own country, mexico, if you
think about it, it has an activeprivate sector and you want to
make sure that you're raisingmoney for programs in Mexico
through the private sectorthat's there and for every
dollar that's invested infundraising, typically you are
able to get two to three dollars, you know, within a year, a
(23:59):
year and a half, so you can payback the note and still invest
in UNICEF programs.
So those are two examples thatwe're actively involved in and
that we hope to increase overtime.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
You know, christina, you never cease to amaze me, and
and speaking speaking ofamazement, let's talk about you
again, because this is, for me,it's about defining leadership
and your leadership at GoldmanSachs, specifically with the
10,000 Women Initiative, which Isaw up close and personal when
(24:32):
you were running.
It helped many, so manythousands of female
entrepreneurs, and so youlearned a lot.
Obviously, what lessons did youtake from that initiative, that
incredible initiative, andapplied to your current work at
(24:53):
UNICEF USA?
Speaker 2 (24:55):
I mean the first thing you should know because
that's how you lead is these arenot my results.
These are the results of a teamand effort and those who were
before me and then certainly theteams that were there once I
left.
So that's the first thing, buta couple of important lessons
are the and this might soundtrite, but the importance of
public-private partnerships.
So what enabled the 10,000Women Program to really work?
(25:17):
It was certainly on the capitalfront.
If you think about it.
It was Goldman outlining thatthis was a key opportunity and
allocating its own resources.
We invited others to join usand mobilize with us, and then
we partnered with the IFC tolaunch the lending component of
10,000 Women and they reallyleaned into it and we were able
(25:38):
to bring in other investors andthen that really started to
shape and took force in and ofitself.
So public-private partnershipsand I saw that at Goldman and
I'm certainly I mean that's howUNICEF works.
I mean I was just in UNICEFZambia, a little bit over three
weeks ago, and it is UNICEFworking with the government,
(26:01):
with local NGOs, with the localcommunities, with private sector
support to ensure that theseprograms can come to life.
So I think that's the firstlesson and I hope my entire
career will be ripe withpublic-private partnerships
powering impact.
The second is that investing inwomen and children is not just
(26:21):
the right thing to do, but it'sa smart solution.
And women I think there'splenty of research that shows
that when you invest in women,you are investing in a community
and it is also lifting not justthe family and the community,
but it is resulting in positiveGDP growth for those countries
in the community, but it isresulting in positive GDP growth
(26:42):
for those countries.
So UNICEF really believes thatit's something that we do, not
because we're pursuing adiversity strategy, but because
women are incredibly powerfulanchors of communities and
investing in programs thatelevate them we know will have
an impact on children.
And then the third thing I wouldsay and I really learned this
not just through my work in10,000 women, but also in 10,000
(27:03):
small businesses that wasfocused in the US is that
investing in local companiesstrengthens local communities.
Right, they hire and theysource locally, they're
improving the tax revenues ofthose communities, they're the
cornerstone of those communities, and we did that in investing
in small businesses across theUnited States, investing in
women entrepreneurs in emergingmarkets.
(27:24):
And then what we're doing atUNICEF right now right,
providing those advances to RUTFmanufacturers that are small,
medium-sized enterprises inNigeria and in Burkina Faso and
in Ethiopia are really poweringimpact in those communities.
So those are three importantlessons that I've taken with me
here, but I expect I'll takethem with me wherever I go.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Christina, you know I've done a lot of interviews,
as you know, and you've done alot, and I've got to tell you I
am so incredibly inspired by you, personally and professionally,
and to see and hear yourpassion and that, combined with
your leadership, which I thinkis the recipe for massive
(28:11):
outsized impact, and that's theresults that you just
articulated today.
It's just for me, it keeps thecup full.
You know what I mean.
It's just for me, it keeps thecup full.
If you know what I mean, it'sunderstanding why it is that we
do what we do every day, and Ican't thank you enough for
sharing all of the insights andperspectives that you're working
(28:33):
on at UNICEF USA to change theworld.
Thank you, george, and so I'dlike to ask you sadly, we're
concluding, you'll be back, okay?
Thank you, george, and so I'dlike to ask you sadly, we're
concluding, but you'll be backwhat is your final call to
action for our global audience?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
So my call to action is to learn, donate and advocate
, and I want to explain why.
I said it before, but I want tostate it Funding cuts are and
will continue to impact children, so I'm asking your audience to
be part of the solution.
We estimate that more than 213million children in over 146
(29:13):
countries will requirehumanitarian assistance.
That's in addition to all ofthe development work that we
want to do to continue to moveoutcomes for children forward.
And so if we halt UNICEF'slifesaving activities, millions
of children's lives are alreadyat risk and will continue to be
more at risk.
And I just want to inspire you.
(29:35):
Right together with the Americanpublic, with its institutions,
certainly with the Americangovernment, we have nearly
eradicated polio right.
There used to be three and ahalf million cases globally in
the mid-1980s, and there wereseven cases in the first half of
2024.
So I just want to leave youwith a call that it is possible
(29:58):
to achieve these outcomes, it ispossible to end polio for good.
It is possible to cut childmortality by 60% since 1990.
We've done that together withall the support of thousands and
thousands of Americans, and sowhat I leave you with is to
those who have been given much.
Much is expected in the world,and I think that generous spirit
(30:20):
makes us better people, abetter culture, a better country
, and I hope all of you willreally help to bring to life the
opportunity that childrendeserve, knowing that children
are one third of our world, butthey're 100% of our future.
So please join us.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Incredible Well said, and what is the website that
they can go to to find moreinformation?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
unicefusaorg.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Love it.
Christina Shapiro, changing theworld, leading the way.
Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Thank you.
Thank you so much, george,bye-bye.
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