DeAnna Bear is from northeastern Pennsylvania and is of Lenape and Shawnee Descent. She has previously served as the Grants and Social Enterprise Director at RSAIY, the Director of Program Development & Fundraising at Boys & Girls Club of America-Bethlehem, and temporarily as her local Refugee Community Coordinator where she helped refugees seeking asylum. DeAnna is also a freelance grants management consultant for national nonprofits and has brought in close to $40M throughout her career. DeAnna has spoken at various health convenings and with academic institutions nationwide on the social determinants of health and their impact on Indigenous communities throughout time and space. She received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology (Magna Cum Laude), is a Master of Public Health-Indigenous Health student, and is a certified Biomedical Research Investigator.