Krista Tuomi is a professor in the School of International Service, American University. She is also a well-known author and policy expert in the field of entrepreneurial eco-systems and small business finance. At American, she teaches courses on non-profit fundraising, political economy, finance and entrepreneurship. Krista also publishes regular articles for her column at Bizwomen (the women-focused section of the country’s Business Journals). She is also responsible for personal finance content for the blog at Greenwood Bank. Greenwood is a mobile banking platform for Black and Latinx people and business owners. It was started by former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, rapper-activist Killer Mike, and Ryan Glover of Bounce TV, as an innovative way of giving back to the community.

For the last ten years Krista has conducted workshops on many aspects of startups, both for small business and non-profits. Much of this is with transitioning military, especially on their Boots-to-Business Program and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. She is a frequent speaker at VWISE events where she focuses on women’s empowerment and small business advice. Other regular pro-bono work includes being a member of the market team at DC’s Marthas Table, and a pitch coach and judge for Black Girl Ventures.