Salvador Lopez – West Michigan 25 most influential Latinos
Salvador Lopez
President
KConnect
Salvador Lopez has a lot of irons in the fire when it comes to advancing opportunities for Latinos in Kent County.
At KConnect, Lopez develops system-level strategies to address racial and economic disparity gaps and improve outcomes for all. The organization in 2023 developed the nation’s first Spanish Prenatal to Career Data Dashboard.
“This publicly accessible tool empowers people in Kent County to access vital information and opportunities, driving informed decision-making and fostering community growth,” Lopez said.
In 2021-22, Lopez spearheaded the creation of Housing Kent, a backbone organization for the Housing Stability Alliance, which is a network of nearly 130 community stakeholders committed to ensuring housing stability for everyone in Kent County.
Born to a family of farmworkers, Lopez is the first person in his family to graduate with a bachelor’s and a masters’ degree. He achieved great academic success despite struggling in high school, he said.
Lopez said he is “deeply committed” to nurturing the next generation of Latino leaders. As co-chair of Advocates for Latino Student Advancement in Michigan Education, he collaborated with Latino leaders across the state to organize the annual ALSAME Latino Youth Conference and brought the conference to West Michigan for the first time.
“Each year, our dedicated team works tirelessly to raise funds that provide scholarships to Latino youth throughout Michigan,” Lopez said. “ALSAME, led by a volunteer board, ensures that nearly 100% of the funds raised directly support our scholarship initiatives.”
While working at Grand Valley State University, Lopez played a key role in creating several transformative programs such as Laker Familia, the Latino Alumni Chapter and the DACA Undocumented Taskforce. He also co-founded the West Michigan Latino Network, further contributing to the empowerment and support of the Latino community in the region.
