Elaine Lopez was born in Miami, Florida to recently-arrived Cuban immigrants. Shortly after earning a BFA in graphic design from the University of Florida in 2007, Elaine moved to Chicago. There she began her career as an art director at full-service agency Leo Burnett. She then shifted gears towards the human-centered design field, accepting a position as a communications designer at Gravitytank where she helped design new products and services for global clients. Later, as Design Lead at Greater Good Studio, she helped mission-based organizations address challenging social issues like childhood literacy and education reform. In 2017, Elaine collaborated with Thirst Design to revive designer Paul Rand's brand for Columbus, Indiana. Outside of work, she served as the Diversity and Inclusion Lead for AIGA Chicago to combat inequality in the design field. Currently, Elaine is an MFA candidate in Graphic Design at RISD where she explores the intersection of research, design, and cultural diversity. As a leader for the Graduate Student Alliance, Elaine facilitates networking and community among the graduate student population. In 2018 she received scholarships from AIGA Worldstudio and the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation and was recognized as a 2019 Designer To Watch by GD USA.