Thoroughly experienced in Corporate Social Responsibility, Alissa began working in the field of ethical PR & marketing with Christie Communications to assist entrepreneurs and companies working to benefit society at the age of 13.   With her degree in Communication, Education, and International Relations from the University of California San Diego, additional studies in international teacher training, experience in international education, studies in Australia, and a commitment to improving conditions in society, at the age of 21, Alissa began working in Northern Sri Lanka helping to develop Sri Lankan-run educational and leadership development programs in the war-torn areas. With the programs still running locally, this has effectively established new models of corporate responsibility, and the cooperation of local and international organizations for the benefit of the communities (please visit www.steaz.com ).

Alissa is the Global Betterment Director and the Director of Business Development at Christie Communications (www.christiecomm.com ), a full service public relations and marketing agency dedicated to serving ethical companies internationally and a pioneer in the field of promoting corporate responsibility and ethics. To advance their social mission even further, Alissa and Gillian (Founder & CEO) pioneered Christie Communications’ Global Betterment Sector, the establishment of the entrepreneurial development wing, a joint green investment summit, and most recently, Christie Communications’ Christie CommUnity Foundation & Think Tank. Through these activities, Christie Communications continues to expand its social, environmental, and philosophical impact through innovative, solution-oriented programs engaging companies internationally to address domestic and international issues of health & nutrition, human rights, access to clean drinking water, the facilitation of local industries & entrepreneurial development, promotion and preservation of environmental resources, and educational development programs. Christie Communications and the partner organizations have programs running throughout America, Rwanda, Sudan, South East Asia, and more. Alissa is a Board Member of Safe Water International and the Chad Relief Foundation and is an Advisory Board Member of Green2Gold, the Playful Planet Foundation, and is active in numerous community groups locally and globally.

“True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.