Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder

Bianca Sofia Lopez

Senior Associate, Insights and Evidence, Financial Security Program

Bianca Lopez is a Senior Associate with the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program where she works to advance person-centered research with the goal of surfacing the primary financial challenges households face today. Bianca has conducted research on a wide range of topics including public benefits access, wealth building, and climate. Prior to joining Aspen FSP, she gained experience in a variety of roles such as interning with members of the United States Congress, volunteering with Arriba Juntos and the San Francisco Living Wage Coalition, and helping with gubernatorial and congressional campaigns in California. 

She first joined Aspen FSP as a Graduate Fellow while pursuing her Master of Science in Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Development from the University of California, Los Angeles. She serves on the Board of the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA).

Authored by Bianca:

From Band-Aids to Stepping Stones: How We Can Rebuild Young Adults’ Trust in Public Benefit Systems
Blog Posts

From Band-Aids to Stepping Stones: How We Can Rebuild Young Adults’ Trust in Public Benefit Systems

Young adults today are coming of age in a volatile economic and political environment. We spoke with 12 young people about how they are navigating the transition to adulthood and what it means for public trust more broadly.

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Publications

OBBBA’s Impact on Young Adults and 5 Strategies to Support Them

Young adults are grappling with sweeping changes to the U.S. benefits system under OBBBA. This paper illustrates these impacts and offers recommendations that can help young adults.

Wealth Building at Work: How Canary’s Emergency Relief Fund Helps Workers Maintain Assets and Avoid Debt
Publications

Wealth Building at Work: How Canary’s Emergency Relief Fund Helps Workers Maintain Assets and Avoid Debt

Aspen FSP partnered with Canary, a provider of employee emergency relief funds, to explore how workers used this workplace offering when faced with financial emergencies, as well as how it impacted their financial security and experiences at work.

Members of Aspen FSP's Community Advisory Group speak onstage at an event.
Blog Posts

Why Current Solutions Fail Our Most Painful Financial Shocks: Insights from our Community Advisory Group

Recently, Aspen FSP hosted a workshop to identify the financial shocks that most impact our Community Advisory Group. Here’s what we learned.

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Publications

Surviving the Storms: How Severe Weather Hazards Challenge the Financial Security of Small Businesses

Severe weather hazards are an increasing threat for small businesses. This report offers a framework to understand the challenges faced by small businesses, as well as opportunities to support their recovery.