Quinny Sanchez Lopez

Quinny Sanchez Lopez (she/they) is an engagement specialist and advocate focused on cultivating networks of care and resilience among people of Latin American descent. Drawing from personal experience, she understands the impact of internalized racism and assimilation in keeping Latinx people from acknowledging injustices and perpetuating harm. She believes that Latinx communities are better positioned to overcome shared hardships when they jointly explore their complex history, embrace the nuances of their racial, ethnic, and national identities, and celebrate their cultural richness.

Aware of the relationship between personal identity, social drivers, and political involvement, Quinny co-founded Somos Durham to catalyze Latinx residents towards civic engagement. Somos is a spoke and wheel organization that recruits, educates, and connects community members new to civic engagement with mutual aid and advocacy opportunities across the city. They also foster the healing of collective trauma through programming that centers community building with art, fitness, and indigenous practices. In her role she convenes local leaders to unpack the way lived experience impacts civic duty, communally address emerging social and political challenges, and develop strategic partnerships.

Beyond her community work, Quinny collaborates with stakeholders across the country to ensure that tech-enabled social care interventions both equitably reach and meaningfully improve the health of underserved populations. She formerly served on the North Carolina Andrea Harris Equity Task Force (2020-2024) and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s Task Force on the Future of Local Public Health (2021-2022).