Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexia Lopez.
Hi Alexia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Dress for Success Austin (DFSA) started in 2003 and in the last 23 years we’ve grown to serve over 19,000 women. As Senior Communications Manager at Dress for Success Austin for the last 3+ years, I’ve seen us transform into such a special haven for women to feel safe and seen. My career started as a publicist after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015, but my interest in nonprofit work came when I recognized rather quickly that my passion for philanthropy outweighed my passion for PR. I realized I needed to be on the ground within an organization to make an even bigger impact so I traded in that occupation for the one I have today, one that keeps me fulfilled and motivated. As a minority woman myself, I knew the mission at DFSA was a special one. As a mother raised by a single mother, I knew how valuable these resources can be for other women with families of their own. I’ve since published my own children’s book and continue to carry the mission of DFSA everywhere I go in hopes of empowering other women the way this organization has empowered me.
At DFSA, it’s simple: We help women in Central Texas find new or better jobs. Our purpose is to empower women to achieve economic mobility by providing a global network of support, workplace attire, and development tools for success. We’ve seen the impact firsthand: when a woman walks through our doors she knows she is valued from the first step and when she leaves, she has a newfound sense of confidence. We’ve continued to expand and perfect our services to go beyond styling and general career support with other programs including HER Valor, a program dedicated to women Veterans; EmpowerHER, workshops designed to inspire confidence and leadership skills; Financial Wellness, workshops that help achieve economic mobility; Professional Women’s Group, a space. where employed women can continue to grow their skills and network; and Path to Employment (P2E), an in-depth 6-week course that pairs women with a 1:1 mentor who covers all aspects of job readiness. We also have a resale boutique called Impact Apparel where 100% of every purchase goes back to our mission, open Thursdays 12pm-6pm and Saturdays 11am-3pm.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My road to nonprofit work took almost a decade and it really was just trial by error. Like many graduates out of college, I had to do some harder jobs to land the one that brought me joy. I had to find ways of overcoming struggles like anxiety to pave my own path and find my true passions. When I landed at DFSA, it was the first time I felt truly content with where I worked. I was a new mom and looking for a different lifestyle, one that provided stability and less travel. I wanted to be rooted in a mission I believed in and to one day show my son that mom was there for all his big moments.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As Senior Communications Manager at Dress for Success Austin, I manage all of our content including our website, e-newsletters, social media channels, branding (we recently rebranded back in February), media opportunities and any other forms of messaging. We are small, but mighty team of 9 staff members with more than 300 volunteers who complete 97% of our services each week. I specialize in communications, marketing and digital media. As mentioned, my background is in public relations which has helped connect our mission to much of the local community and reporters. I published my first children’s book in January 2025 called Read a Bug a Book which stemmed from my role as a mother to my son who is now turning 5 next month. The book inspires children to explore the outdoors while being friendly to the bugs around them and tells the story of how my son wanted to read books to bugs since he was 2. I operate two Little Free Libraries including one at Dress for Success Austin and it’s been a great way to provide the women we serve with access to books during their appointments.
How do you think about happiness?
My family makes me happy and inspires me everyday. My role has a mother has transformed me these last 5 years and showed me how valuable quality time is and how important work life balance is as well. My role at Dress for Success Austin has allowed me to be a fully present mother and dedicated team member all in one and coming from a fast-paced totally different work dynamic, this balance means more than anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dressforsuccessatx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DFSAustin
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexia-lopez-164a6396/
