Meet Christina Elia, Technology Innovator and 2023 Rising Stars Cover Winner
Christina Elia | Age 29
Director of Business Development at The Shower Door Guy
When the pandemic threatened to shutter the family business, Christina Elia stepped up to save the day. A graduate of The Georgia Institute of Technology, Elia used her degree to get right to work, bringing her father’s trusted business into the future. She implemented customer relations management software that would allow The Shower Door Guy to scale with the growing demand for home remodeling services through better customer service and improved efficiency. She also raised awareness about job opportunities for tradesmen. Profit margins tripled almost overnight, making her a sought-after consultant today and a leader of tomorrow’s tech integration.
How does your degree in industrial engineering support your new role?
My degree introduced me to a wide variety of subjects including economics, supply chain/inventory management, accounting, statistics and computer science, amongst others. I’m not sure that anything can adequately prepare someone for business ownership, but it taught me how to learn and that has been invaluable.
Why was it important to you to create jobs for emerging tradesmen?
Many tradesmen are at retirement age and new generations are encouraged to pursue fields in STEM requiring expensive college educations. STEM fields are wonderful and necessary, but tradesmen require specialized skills that are not being taught in traditional colleges. Our technicians take pride in working with their hands and creating something that makes other people happy, and we want to provide that option to other young professionals.
What advice would you give to others working to make an impact on their industry?
Get involved! Join networking groups, social media pages and community events to grow your personal and professional network. Learning from other people and making connections is the best way to expand your own horizons and make an impact on your community and industry.