In this special IWD 2026 episode of Powerhouse, I’m joined by Daniella Lopez—an inspiring TEDx organizer and marketing communications consultant who supports social enterprises, nonprofits, charities, and impact investors.

We kick things off with the story behind Daniella’s mission: growing up with sisters and a single mother—and how that early experience fueled her drive to lift women’s voices. Then things get even more powerful as she shares her leap from the US to Shanghai without a job, and the long volunteer journey with TEDx that eventually led to co-founding TEDxTin Hau Women in Hong Kong in 2017.

Daniella also gets real about what it takes to build something meaningful: creating a more collaborative, less hierarchical volunteer culture; motivating diverse teams through clear, consistent communication; and reframing volunteering as community-building and networking—not just time given.

And to top it all off, Daniella is also launching TEDxHongKong in June! We talk about her vision for inclusive dialogue with a gender lens, welcoming more male and youth volunteers, and a commitment to paying service providers to truly value time and expertise.

00:00 Giving Builds Community

01:28 Her TEDx Origin Story

03:11 Moving to Asia

04:13 Women Empowerment Shift

07:04 Give to Gain Meaning

07:54 Volunteering Without BurnouT

11:02 TEDx Hong Kong Vision

16:01 Building a Purpose Company

17:41 Paying Creatives Fairly20:06 Closing Thanks and Wishes

Subscribe to my podcast:https://anchor.fm/powerhouseJYhttps://bit.ly/PowerhouseJYhttps://www.instagram.com/powerhouse.jy/More about Daniella Lopez:https://www.instagram.com/danirlopez/https://www.instagram.com/tedxhongkong.co/More about Joyce:http://www.joyceyung.comhttps://www.instagram.com/yungjoyce/