Hernan Lopez Family Foundation
A 501(c)3 Organization
Our Mission
The Hernan Lopez Family Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to advancing the careers of rising professionals and entrepreneurs through grants, training and mentorship.
We are proud to collaborate with esteemed organizations such as GLAAD, The Latino Donor Collaborative, Point Foundation, Opportunity Network, City Year, The Latino College Access Fund, Endeavor, Prep for Prep, Literacy Partners and more—supporting
their efforts in community enhancement through grants, advocacy and direct assistance. Through the Lopez Fellowship, we offer targeted support to rising professionals by providing career coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities.
We do it through
MENTORING & MODELING
Prepare the professional for the road.
TRAINING & NETWORKING
Skills are learned. Connections matter.
STORYTELLING
Visibility drives inspiration; inspiration drives achievement.
PARTNERING
With other organizations, leaders, mentors, and authors to achieve our larger goal.
Want to learn more?
See Lopez Fellowship
Hernan Lopez
HERNAN LOPEZ
FOUNDER AND CHAIR
Hernan Lopez, the founder of Wondery (acquired by Amazon in 2021), is a trailblazing entrepreneur, advisor and mentor best known for revolutionizing podcast storytelling with hits like Dr Death, Dirty John and WeCrashed. He recently founded Owl & Co., a management consulting company servicing media, tech, and the attention economy. Before Wondery, he scaled and ran Fox International Channels, a $3b division of Fox (now Disney). Recognized as a visionary leader, Hernan has been a prominent speaker at Cannes Lions, CES and SXSW. He actively supports emerging leaders and entrepreneurs through is Foundation, as well as his board role with StartOut. Hernan earned his MBA from the University of Miami and resides in Los Angeles with his family.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
Every day, talented professionals hit invisible barriers in their careers. Whether it's landing that next role, securing funding for a new venture, or advancing to senior leadership - the path forward isn't always clear. This challenge particularly affects professionals who may lack access to the networks, mentorship, and opportunities that often drive career advancement.
As a gay Latino immigrant, I've encountered many of these barriers firsthand. What made the difference in my journey were mentors who provided honest feedback, opened doors, and showed me how to navigate complex professional environments. Their guidance helped me break through, and that's exactly what our Foundation aims to provide for others.
Since 2020, we've pursued this mission through two complementary approaches. First, we partner with established organizations that excel at helping students and celebrating the achievements of individuals whose contributions aren't always recognized.
Second, we provide direct support through our Fellowship program, offering practical tools for professional advancement: executive presence training, strategic networking, business education, and candid mentorship. We believe in giving participants exactly what they need to succeed, even when that means having challenging conversations about professional development.
My own career trajectory was transformed by forthright feedback. Years ago, when my Argentinian accent was way stronger, a senior executive suggested I take accent reduction classes. Rather than take offense, I embraced the opportunity to grow. While my accent didn't completely go away, I learned to communicate more effectively in business settings. That kind of honest, constructive guidance is rare today, but it's exactly what many rising professionals need.
Looking ahead, our Foundation remains committed to expanding opportunity through practical, results-oriented programs. We measure success not by words or gestures, but by the number of Fellows who advance to senior roles, launch successful ventures, and go on to mentor others. To date, 28 talented professionals from the worlds of consumer and b2b tech, healthcare, finance, media, energy and non-profits have graduated from the Lopez Fellowship.
Together with our partners and growing network of alumni, we're building lasting pathways to leadership that will benefit generations to come. We invite you to join us in this vital work.
Hernan Lopez
