Cristi is the President and Founder of the Press Institute for Women in the Developing World, an international nonprofit organization and citizen journalism initiative. The institute was founded on the belief that journalism is an empowering tool that can bring voice, strength, and light to issues that are hidden and people who are oppressed. It is in this vein that the institute trains people in developing countries to serve as reporters in their own communities.

The institute recognizes the unique social position and distinct advantages of providing education and skills training to women in developing countries. In addition to its journalistic pursuits, it also establishes free literacy centers in every community where it operates.

Prior to her work with the institute, Cristi worked as an investigative reporter for some of the world's premier magazines and weekly newspapers, covering stories from New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Nepal.

In 2007 she received a Clarion Award and a Lifestyle Journalism Award for her reporting on global AIDS policy, immigration, and social justice issues. In January of 2008, she was awarded the Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism and was named one of the 21 Leaders of the 21st Century.

Cristi holds a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University, where she is now an adjunct professor teaching journalism. She also earned a Master's degree from New York University. Cristi was a writing fellow in residence at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2003. She now resides in Oakland, CA.