Luz Lopez

Argentinian educator building digital literacy networks for marginalized girls in Latin America

Luz Lopez is the founder of Coders4Girls, an Argentina-based nonprofit training 10,000+ girls annually in coding and digital skills since 2016. Born in 1990 in Rosario, she recognized the gender gap in tech education early - only 12% of Latin American tech professionals are women. Her organization uses a "teach-back" model where graduates become mentors, creating a sustainable network of female technologists.

Coders4Girls operates in 8 countries across Latin America, partnering with UNESCO and local governments to provide free training in robotics, AI, and app development. Their flagship program combines online courses with hands-on workshops in underserved communities. Notable success stories include 16-year-old Maria from Guatemala who developed an app for indigenous language preservation that won a Google Developer Scholarship.

Lopez's work has been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative and Forbes' "30 Under 30" in 2021. She advocates for policy changes through her role at the Latin American Digital Inclusion Alliance (LADIA), pushing for mandatory coding education in regional curricula. In 2022, she launched the first all-female hackathon in Paraguay with over 500 participants.