Cris Mercado, founder and CEO of GrantAnswers and an Entrepreneurship Ambassador, reflects on the factors that led him to pursue entrepreneurship.

Cris Mercado is the founder and CEO of GrantAnswers, a data, strategy & product consulting firm for social impact. During his career, he has trained 300+ emerging technologists from diverse backgrounds for tech careers. He has also helped 200+ low-income, 1st generation students ascend to college and earn nearly $2 million in scholarships & grants. His features in WSJ, NBC, and Forbes, along with keynotes and panels for Teach For America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, encompass immigration, workforce development, tech diversity/inclusion & entrepreneurship. Cris is a winner of the inaugural Communitas America Impact Ventures program and Immigrants Rising’s Entrepreneurship Fund award.