Lisette Lopez

As a Development Associate at The Chicago Public Education Fund, Lisette supports funder relationships and grant management to help ensure Chicago students have access to the strong school leadership they deserve. A Chicago native, CPS graduate, and first-generation college graduate, she brings a personal understanding of the disparities facing under-resourced schools to her work. 

A Posse Scholar, Lisette graduated from Denison University in 2021 with a degree in Political Science and Anthropology/Sociology. 

Lisette’s career has been rooted in equity-driven investment work. She began on the Government Affairs team at Indiana University Health, co-managing the Community Impact Investment Fund to support underserved communities’ access to health and economic opportunity. Most recently, as Community Investment Manager at Latinos Progresando, she oversaw the Excellerator Fund, a five-year, community-led grantmaking initiative supporting local organizations in historically disinvested Chicago neighborhoods. Her work advanced cross-community collaboration and fostered unity across the city. 

Outside of work, Lisette spends most of her time with her family. She also enjoys yoga, reading, social dancing, and watching documentaries. Her favorite thing to do is travel — especially back to her father’s village in Jalisco, Mexico.