Cris is Founder & CEO of GrantAnswers, an NYC-based strategy, data, and product consultancy founded in 2013 to help workforce development, education, nonprofit, and tech startup ventures scale, pivot, and communicate impact.

Cris earned a BA in Psychology from The City College of New York and ascended as a 21-year-old Ph.D. Candidate in Criminal Justice at the CUNY Graduate Center. His speaking engagements for the likes of Columbia Business School, Teach for America, and the US Chamber of Commerce encompass career strategy, entrepreneurship, and tech.

As a nonfiction writer, Cris Mercado has been featured in PEN America’s World Voices Festival and the 2025 DREAMing Out Loud Anthology, Vol. 7. His journey from immigrant child to award-winning entrepreneur and immigrant rights advocate has been highlighted in outlets such as NYT, WSJ, MTV, and Forbes.