López-Wagner Strategies: 2024 Year in Review

Written By López-Wagner Strategies

As February begins and we settle into 2025, the López-Wagner Strategies team is taking a moment to reflect on the past year – our work, our impact, and the lessons that continue to guide us forward. Recognizing the tumultuous time we are in and the threats to causes we hold dear, we know that reflection is a powerful tool for growth and resilience. While the world around us remains in flux, one thing remains constant: our dedication to advancing anti-oppressive and powerful strategies and storytelling on behalf of our client partners.

2024 was a year of movement. 

We gathered in person for the first time as a team since our founding, expanded our partnerships, and deepened our work in impact strategy, science and social justice communications, media relations, and award-winning advocacy. 

As we look ahead, we carry the momentum of these efforts with us, prepared to meet the challenges of 2025 with resolve and vision. Below, we highlight some of the key moments that defined our year.

López-Wagner Strategies’ principal, Betsy López-Wagner, CIVIL Strategies’ founder Midy Aponte-Vargas, and Mukuyu Collective’s Taishya Adams stand alongside Chela Garcia Irlando, Next 100 Coalition’s executive director, during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Voyage to Justice: Equity and Climate Justice Forum on February 14, 2024, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Strategic Communications: Shaping the Field for Justice

As an Equitable Communications Agency®, we specialize in ensuring that strategic actions and messaging is aligned holistically with broader justice movements. In 2024, we worked with client partners movement-wide to develop and implement communication strategies that supported their advocacy work and strategic direction – in service and alongside their communities. This included critical plan development, training, and facilitation support – essential tools that inspire organizations to amplify their voices, navigate complex policy landscapes, and drive meaningful change. 

Through tailored strategies and hands-on guidance, we work with mission-driven individuals, organizations and companies to develop – and execute – equitable and inclusive strategies, to strengthen our collective impact for social good.

Some of our key collaborations and client support highlights included, but are not limited to: 

  • Next 100 Coalition: The Next 100 Coalition invests in leadership and bridge strategies for thriving, healthy nature-grounded communities for the next 100 years and beyond. In February 2024, our principal and founder Betsy López-Wagner co-led and facilitated an inclusive language training with Mukuyu Collective and CIVIL Strategies in support of the Next 100 Coalition's Ocean Equity Collective. This training, a program highlight within NOAA’s Voyage to Justice: Equity and Climate Justice Forum, provided NOAA’s staff, partners, community members, and field practitioners with essential tools – including inclusive language strategies and historical context – to foster more equitable ocean conservation efforts while enhancing unbiased community consultation and engagement. Training breakout sessions were supported by Next 100 Coalition’s executive director Chela Garcia Irlando, with members of the Ocean Equity Collective alongside our facilitation team. 

  • Azul: Azul is a Latinx-led and serving grassroots organization working to protect the ocean and coasts in its home state of California, nationally and internationally. Founded in 2011 by ocean justice advocate Marce Gutiérrez- Graudiņš, who serves as the organization’s founder and executive director, Azul is the first U.S. organization devoted to elevating Latinx voices in marine conservation. We have been working closely with Azul since our inception to develop and implement strategic communications strategies, while offering advice and guidance to advance its programmatic priorities and to grow voice and profile opportunities for their leadership to be elevated, inclusive of media, awards and panel participation. In 2024, this included bilingual support for its 30x30 work, Deja el Plástico campaign and advocacy communications for a Global Plastics Treaty, Semana Azul, and other initiatives inclusive of partnership engagement support on its newest 2024 National Azul Poll and California Ocean Day.  

  • Wonder Strategies for Good: Wonder's strategists represent an evolution in social-change communications as experts in messaging, storytelling, psychology, and public-opinion research. We provided field coaching, seminar break-out group facilitation, and landscape analysis and interviews in support of select special projects – as an extension of Wonder’s team – offering field strengthening, mentorship and work to advance equitable narratives.

  • Community Catalyst: Community Catalyst believes that a health system rooted in race equity and health justice is essential to a world where we are all more free and healthy. Alongside their team, we supported the development of a health justice language guide, available in both English and Spanish, to be used by their staff and field partners. Our team continues to provide translation support for their annual health consortium – advancing quality translations from presentations and field materials to convening announcements.

  • DarkSky International: DarkSky International restores the nighttime environment and protects communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy, and conservation. Our DarkSky partnership centered on thought leadership, facilitation and engagement strategy development with a group of international DarkSky movement leaders, and presentation support ahead of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly 2024, which was held in Cape Town, South Africa.

  • Earthjustice: Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit public interest environmental law organization. It wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. Our support of Earthjustice and their field partners focused on rapid-response bilingual communications support and translation for a special project related to Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice. Azul, the Center for American Progress, and Urban Ocean Lab hosted the in-person and an online symposium on the rising tide of justice and equity in ocean policy, with support from Earthjustice and other non-profit partners. 

  • Resources Legacy Fund: Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) advances bold, collaborative solutions to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature. They partner with philanthropy, advocates, government, academia, and business to catalyze action for conservation, environmental equity and justice, and climate solutions. We worked with our RLF partners in support of capacity strengthening initiatives for their on-the-ground partners, including designing and facilitating the 2024 Workshop: Effective Advocacy for Ocean, Coasts and Fisheries Campaigns, providing in-person movement leader training and panel sessions across two days – paired with virtual communications coaching opportunities. Our work also included strategic communications and media relations support across a number of issues. 

  • Sea Grant: The Knauss Fellowship, established in 1979, provides a unique educational experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean and coastal resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. 2024 marked the second time in recent years our agency has proudly offered individualized learning and coaching to a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship participant. Our professional development support via Connecticut Sea Grant included training in voice leadership and spokesperson development to advance marine and coastal education. 

Securing the Benefits of Environmental Learning and Access to the Outdoors for Youth

The right to a healthy environment should be universal, yet too many communities – particularly youth and families in communities of color – face systemic barriers attaining equitable access to the outdoors. López-Wagner Strategies is continuing to support an informal collective of funders who are working with movement leaders to advance philanthropic investments in environmental education + equitable access to the outdoors. Some of our work, under this effort, includes impact strategy and facilitating virtual spaces and in-person gatherings in Denver and San Francisco, where movement leaders connect, ideate, and foster community to advance shared strategies. More to come in 2025!

Credit: Luke Johnson for López-Wagner Strategies

Celebrating Our Four-Year Anniversary in 2024

For the first time since our founding, the López-Wagner Strategies team gathered in person to celebrate four years of impact. California is our birthplace – it’s where the dream of starting an Equitable Communications Agency® and offering holistic Communications services – from impact strategy and design to multifaceted advocacy campaigns – to elevate social good began. Together, we reflected on our journey, strengthened our bonds as a team, built community, and reaffirmed our commitment to equitable communications and social change. (And, we missed Gabriela and Raul, who weren’t able to join us!)

During our celebration, we were joined by photojournalist Luke Johnson who documented a small portion of our retreat. We heard from him, as he led a Q&A session with our team to share about his "keen interest in documenting the intersections between culture, environment and community." Our weekend included a visit to the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica – some 12 miles south of San Francisco, along the scenic coast of the Pacific Ocean. The Sanchez Art Center's mission is to create community through art. Together, we viewed their newest exhibitions during a private hour to revel in the inspiring creativity of its artists. On site, it was our privilege to make a donation in support of the Center's programs which make art accessible to people of all ages and identities in a space that has roots in anti-racism, art access, and belonging. 

Labor Rights: Listening to the Voices of Puerto Rican Workers

Throughout 2024, we partnered with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) to listen to and amplify the voices of Puerto Rican workers. Through a series of community listening sessions in Puerto Rico and Florida, held throughout the summer, and a comprehensive online survey, we gathered both qualitative and quantitative data in English and Spanish to better understand their priorities, challenges, and aspirations – whether living on the island or within the diaspora. Hundreds of workers shared their experiences, concerns, and solutions for improving their quality of life. These powerful insights will continue to shape advocacy efforts and inform policy recommendations in a LCLAA-commissioned report, ensuring that their voices drive meaningful change and policy priorities for labor rights and justice.

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap: SolveIt 2024

Members of our team were in Chicago this summer for Interise's💡#SolveIt2024. What an extraordinary opportunity to be invited to this 20th anniversary conference and celebration — focused on closing the racial wealth gap and creating an inclusive economy. Thank you, Interise, and to the DuSable Museum for this inspiring experience.

Lilian Toto, Climate Mobility Youth Delegate from Tanzania, speaks during the inaugural Climate Mobility Youth Day at COP29.
Photo credit: Jaclyn Licht | Global Centre for Climate Mobility

Training and Mentorship: Inspiring Storytelling for Climate Justice, Mobility, and Ocean Advocacy

One of the most rewarding aspects of our work continues to be mentoring and supporting young people and advocates of all ages in their fight for climate and ocean justice.

  • Global Center for Climate Mobility Youth Delegate Programme: Our team supported 35 youth delegates from communities across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean via the Global Center for Climate Mobility Programme ahead of and during COP29 (the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11-22, 2024. Our work, led virtually, offered Climate Mobility & Rising Nations Youth Programme Delegates group storytelling and spokesperson training and individualized coaching to help them amplify their messages on a global stage during panels, events and consultations. We invite you to learn more about these extraordinary young people, “who are either directly affected by climate mobility or actively working to address its challenges” and their stories, here. 

  • Azul Rising Leaders Initiative: Launched in 2023, Azul Rising Leaders builds on Azul’s organizing and policy successes and focuses on leadership development to equip community members from across the U.S. with tools and opportunities to be ocean justice leaders. This Azul-powered initiative has now successfully graduated two cohorts of multigenerational Latinx leaders in its #LatinosMarinos movement. Our team’s work included providing #AzulRisingLeaders with an in-depth Spokesperson and Strategic Messaging Training and Voice Workshop for leaders during Semana Azul – a week of action in Washington D.C., for World Ocean Day, where participants met with Congressional offices and federal agencies to advocate for ocean justice and marine conservation policies. We also participated in La Mesa Azul, an intergenerational roundtable discussion between experienced and rising ocean  advocates to inspire honest conversations about the issues we face and, more importantly, how we can collaborate on solutions.

In the Media, Panels, and Publishing: Elevating Justice-Centered Voices and Stories

Our voice and profile + media relations work in 2024 centered on elevating the voices of leaders, advocates and organizations fighting for climate and ocean justice. From drafting press releases and commentary to securing high-impact media placements, supporting opinion editorials in English and Spanish, to securing event, panel and radio opportunities, our team worked tirelessly to build visibility on these critical issues and those who champion them to ensure they receive the attention they deserve.

Here are some of our favorite voices and stories elevated in 2024:

Azul's Senior Policy Associate, Roland Gonzalez Pizarro, joined invited EarthEcho International panelists in the Plastic Action Zone for this Youth Advocacy for Ocean Justice to End Plastic Pollution event in April 2024.

Supporting client partner communications at the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4) in Canada was another 2024 highlight. Our work, alongside Azul’s delegation of observers for an ambitious, legally binding global plastics treaty, was inclusive of partner engagement, media relations and strategic advice and counsel. It mirrored our partnership and on-the-ground support alongside the organization’s leadership at INC-3, held at the UN Environment Programme’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya in late 2023.

Beyond Service: Our Agency’s Pledge

We pledge to support individuals, organizations, and entities leading in progressive causes and acts of service and care.

2024 Michigan State University graduates, members of the school’s Latino Law Society, pose for a photo together on campus.

Through our pledge, we teamed up with our friend Kathryn Robertson at Artsy Rooster Studio to host a photography day at Michigan State University. This event provided professional photography sessions for graduating and returning law students affiliated with the school’s Latinos Unidos Law Students Association and the Native American Law Society. This collaboration, in partnership with One Michigan for Immigrant Rights – an immigrant youth-led organization – was a celebration of community and kindness.

A special thanks to Samantha Magdaleno, executive director of One Michigan, for her leadership in action and her legal studies to support our nation’s immigrant youth.

This year, our agency contributed through donations to:

Black in Marine Science

St. Walter-St. Benedict School

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Critter Crossing Rehabilitation

West Michigan Wildlife Center

Old Town School of Folk Music

Hispanic Access Foundation

BIPOC Outdoors Twin Cities

Northern Illinois Radio Education Service

Youth ALIVE!

Glenwood Dance Studio

Humane Indiana

School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza

Water Education Colorado

West Michigan Environmental Action Council

Stop Soldier Suicide

Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Latino Outdoors

Southern Poverty Law Center

Sanchez Art Center

Inside Climate News

LIAM Foundation

PGM One Summit - Earth Island Institute


Support through purchase or membership:

National Butterfly Center

Friends of the Wildlife Corridor

Frederik Meijer Gardens

Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ

Sea Turtle, Inc.

LCLAA


Through leadership in action, board and council service, our principal and founder serves:

The Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Communications Network SF

We invite you to learn more about all of their missions and programs.

Looking Ahead: A Future Fueled by Purpose

Reflecting on 2024, we are filled with gratitude – for our incredible team, for our client partners who trust us, and for the movements that inspire us daily. The road ahead in 2025 will be filled with radical hope and love. We’re ready to continue to fight for justice. Ready to amplify more voices that need to be heard. And, we’re ready to continue growing a more equitable and sustainable world – together.

"Our profound love for the betterment of humanity, our world, and in pursuit of ocean-climate justice continues. The need for our work, on the biggest issues of our lifetime, has never been greater."

López-Wagner Strategies
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