Destiny L. Lopez joined the Yale Schwarzman Center as director of development in February 2026. She leads the Center’s fundraising strategy, cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors, advisors, and key partners in support of its mission.
Previously, Destiny was a leadership giving officer in Yale’s Central Development Office, managing portfolios in New York City and Los Angeles. She also worked in development at Wesleyan University, in strategy and planning at Weber Shandwick, and in administration at the Dean’s Office, New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business. Her introduction to fundraising was through JBJ Soul Kitchen of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.
A storyteller at heart, Destiny is passionate about amplifying the complex histories and perseverance of marginalized communities. She was a 2022–2023 Emerging Writer Fellow at GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing and a 2022 Nonfiction Fellow for the inaugural Roots. Wounds. Words. Writers' Retreat. She also participated in the Tin House Nonfiction Workshop, and her writing has appeared in Teen Vogue and Bustle.
Drawing on her own hearing loss, Destiny researched media accessibility for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences while earning a BA and MA in Media, Culture, and Communication from NYU. Her favorite reading buddy and road trip passenger is her senior Boston Terrier, Stitch.