Chrystel Cornelius is the President & CEO of the Oweesta Corporation, a national Native CDFI intermediary.
Ms. Cornelius has worked with Native communities the entirety of her professional career, with more than 26 years of direct experience working within the Native economic development field. She is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians located in North Dakota.
Chrystel Cornelius is a founding steering committee member for the Native CDFI Network (NCN). Ms. Cornelius is also a former board member of Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), is a current board member of the Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF) and holds the position of Board Chair for the Red Feather Development Group. She is a BALLE Fellow, Skoll Fellow, and recipient of the 27th Heinz Award for the Economy.
Ms. Chrystel Cornelius attained a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.