Cross-Border Initiatives Practice Fellow
- BBA, International Business, University of San Diego
Elise Free is a Practice Fellow with the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, where she is pursuing her Master of Arts in Social Innovation. Her research interests focus on binational economic development and the cross-border dynamics of the San Diego–Tijuana region. A graduate of the University of San Diego with a BBA in International Business and a minor in Spanish, Elise has partnered with organizations such as Talitha Coffee, an anti-human-trafficking social enterprise; AR Books, which delivers education to students affected by war and political instability; and the World Trade Center's Small Business Development Center, supporting Black, female, veteran entrepreneurs. She is passionate about leveraging business as a tool for social change and building sustainable solutions that strengthen communities.