Maria Lopes
Operations Manager
Maria supports Lafiya’s operations across systems, people, and processes, helping ensure the organisation runs efficiently as it scales. Her work spans recruitment and onboarding, internal systems, compliance, and cross-team coordination. She also supports Lafiya’s Growth team by translating financial and programmatic data into clear, compelling donor reports and communications.
Maria brings a background in nonprofit operations, fundraising, and global program coordination. Prior to Lafiya, she worked at Stanford Law School on the Major Gifts team, supporting donor strategy, prospect research, and financial processes, and at the Brookings Institution, where she supported grant management and program implementation for a multi-country education initiative. She is also the co-founder of English for All, a nonprofit that has connected over 700 students and 200 teachers across 20+ countries through virtual exchange programs.
Originally from Brazil, Maria holds a Master’s in Public Affairs and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Missouri, as well as a Bachelor of Laws from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa.