Cristina Leos, PhD, is Strategy & Impact Manager for the City of Raleigh’s Office of Strategy & Innovation, where she leads citywide strategic planning and advances resident-centered innovation across departments. Through the Raleigh Impact Lab, she oversees a portfolio of human-centered design initiatives that equip staff to diagnose service challenges, test new approaches, and improve how residents experience government. Cristina works at the intersection of behavioral science, systems thinking, and public sector strategy, helping the City translate bold ideas into practical, scalable improvements. Her approach strengthens collaboration, accelerates learning, and ensures innovation efforts generate measurable public value. Prior to her work in government, Cristina co-founded a nationally recognized tech startup that scaled a mobile platform delivering health education to youth nationwide. She holds a PhD from UNC Chapel Hill and brings a cross-sector perspective shaped by experience in startups, academia, and public institutions.
Cristina Leos, PhD, is Strategy & Impact Manager for the City of Raleigh’s Office of Strategy & Innovation, where she leads citywide strategic planning and advances resident-centered innovation across departments. Through the Raleigh Impact Lab, she oversees a portfolio of human-centered design initiatives that equip staff to diagnose service challenges, test new approaches, and improve how residents experience government. Cristina works at the intersection of behavioral science, systems thinking, and public sector strategy, helping the City translate bold ideas into practical, scalable improvements. Her approach strengthens collaboration, accelerates learning, and ensures innovation efforts generate measurable public value. Prior to her work in government, Cristina co-founded a nationally recognized tech startup that scaled a mobile platform delivering health education to youth nationwide. She holds a PhD from UNC Chapel Hill and brings a cross-sector perspective shaped by experience in startups, academia, and public institutions.
