“Gen Z’s voices are powerful. They can learn to tell their stories, build their creative talents and expand their financial know-how so they have pathways to success, for themselves and their communities.”
Jasmine Lopez is a creative entrepreneur and community leader.
As owner of Authentic Adventure Co. and co-founder and Executive Director of The Firehouse Dream, she has created brand content for families, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs for more than 15 years. She is passionate about the power of stories and helping the next generation of creatives to thrive.
Driven to address inequities in her community, Jasmine and her husband purchased a decommissioned firehouse just outside Chicago and began The Firehouse Dream—a program that offers BIPOC teens and young adults from communities that have experienced disinvestment a safe space to discover their creative skills as well as have access to other services, like financial education and mental health support.
Jasmine is also working to expand this model to the largely Latino residents of Chicago’s Little Village community, opening access to the creative opportunities for more young people.
Organization
The Firehouse Dream, Maywood, IL
Area of Focus
Creative placemaking/youth services
Fellowship Project
Expand program connecting BIPOC youth to creative arts and life skills through a paid mentorship that also provides financial wellness and mental health support.