Adriana Lopez
Adriana Lopez is a communications leader, storyteller, and community advocate based in Denver with more than 15 years of experience spanning nonprofit, education, healthcare, government, and corporate sectors. Her career has been rooted in the belief that every community deserves access to information, representation, and a voice in the stories that shape society. Adriana began her professional journey in multicultural marketing and public relations before moving into digital communications at Children's Hospital Colorado, where she worked on web strategy and communications during major moments of crisis, including the Aurora theater shooting response. She later joined TeleTech, contributing to global employee communications and multicultural engagement initiatives supporting more than 60,000 employees worldwide while also helping oversee philanthropic programs that distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in education-focused community grants.
Throughout her career, Adriana has focused on building bridges between institutions and the communities they serve. At Denver Public Schools, she led efforts to improve language access for students and families across more than 200 communication platforms while supporting district-wide community engagement initiatives and crisis communications during the Denver teacher strike. She later served at the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education, helping strengthen communication and trust between students and university leadership, before becoming Director of Marketing and Communications for the City and County of Denver Human Services Department. There, she oversaw communications related to Denver’s newcomer response efforts and public services during a period of significant community need. Today, Adriana serves as Director of Communications for Prosperity Denver Fund, an independent nonprofit connected to the City of Denver’s Office of Children’s Affairs that supports nearly 62,000 students through scholarships, career training, apprenticeships, and educational support programs. Under her leadership, the organization continues to amplify opportunities for Denver’s youth while helping distribute millions of dollars to local nonprofits advancing educational equity.
A fifth-generation Denverite and lifelong volunteer, Adriana’s passion for community engagement extends far beyond her professional work. She has been deeply involved with organizations such as AmeriCorps, Impact Denver, United Nations Denver, and numerous local neighborhood and cultural associations, while also mentoring students through Denver Public Schools. Her love for storytelling carries into her personal passions, including photography, the arts, and preserving untold community voices through visual and written narratives. Adriana also enjoys interior design, spending time outdoors with her dog Gracyella, and cherishing moments with her family and partner, who remain at the center of her life. Guided by values of integrity, equity, authenticity, and inclusion, she continues to use communications as a tool to uplift communities, strengthen connections, and ensure every voice has the opportunity to be heard.
• Certificate in Women's Studies
• University of Denver
Master's Degree, International and Intercultural Communication, International Studies, Strategic Communications
• Colorado State University
Bachelor's Degree, Journalism and Technical Communication, Computer Mediated Communication and Women's Studies
• First-Generation Scholarship
• Colorado State University
• Board Member
• Museo de las Americas (7.5 years)
• President
• Valverde Neighborhood Association
• Chair
• West East Neighbors United Committee
• Former Board Member
• United Nations Denver Chapter (Communications Director
• 1 year)
• AmeriCorps Leadership Program
• Mile High Youth Corps (1 year)
• Impact Denver Leadership Program
• Denver Metro Chamber (2012)
• Mentor
• Denver Public Schools (4 years
• 8 months)
• TeleTech Community Foundation Committee (distributed $300
• 000 in grants globally)
• Negotiated Community Benefits Agreement with Denver Summit Football Club for community investment fund
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my parents, my family, and especially my grandma, who was an activist in Denver during the Chicano movement. That care and intention that she had for the Denver community has really carried its weight to my parents and the values that they have taught me and my sisters about the power of community voice. In addition to that, other Denver leaders in our community have also carried that weight forward in their own ways, and being able to work with some of those leaders to really add momentum and support to the work that we're doing in Denver for the community has also been really inspiring to me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say to be authentic to who you are and to listen to your inner voice. Sometimes there's a lot of noise and competing priorities in bringing projects forward or giving certain projects visibility, and I think, again, just listening to yourself, trusting yourself, and making sure that you're always listening to that is really important.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to always, once you know what your values are that you want to guide your career, to really lean into those, especially during hard times. For me it's integrity, always doing the right thing, especially when nobody's looking. And especially working in the nonprofit or government sector, making sure that once you know what your true north is and what your values are, to really lean into those. There may be situations where some people may not agree, and that's okay, it's okay to agree to disagree too, but just knowing what your values are from an early age and staying true to those to guide you throughout your career is really important. You may have the opportunity to take on new projects, take on new titles throughout your career, but knowing who you really are as a person and what you stand for, especially as things are rapidly changing and evolving all the time around us, that will really keep you grounded. And the people who support you along the way and partner with you along the way because of that will really shine amidst all the change that you may encounter and journey through throughout your career.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think when you work for large, complex organizations, the challenge can be getting all the right information from diverse stakeholders out into the community in a timely manner to make sure it's accurate and timely.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is very important to me, which means always doing the right thing, especially when nobody's looking. Equity is another big one for me, and that means making sure that when you are given opportunities in this world, you're conscious and thoughtful about maybe who may be missing from those conversations and those rooms. It's not necessarily being the person to speak for those who are not there, but reaching out to those groups and seeing how things land with them, and how would they see things differently, or what's missing from the conversation to include others.
Locations
Prosperity Denver Fund
104 N Broadway, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80203