Speaker

Ana López van Balen is Vice President of Economic Security and Opportunity at Futures Without Violence, where she leads the Center for Economic FUTURES. The Center works to reimagine economic opportunity for all workers, especially women, by breaking down barriers to advancement, safety, and security. She brings more than twenty years of executive leadership to this work, partnering with communities, businesses, and local governments to change the systems that shape the lives of vulnerable women and families. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University School of Social Work and a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University. She is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a Washingtonian of the Year, one of the Daily Record’s Maryland’s Top 100 Women, and a winner of the Meyer Foundation Exponent Award. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and son, and believes in living locally: knowing your neighbors, supporting your community, and helping make it better for everyone.