Liliam López is the founder of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SFLHCC) and the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation serving as President/CEO of both organizations since their establishment on July 21, 1994, and December 10, 1996, respectively. The Chamber was founded with the mission of promoting the continued growth and development of the Hispanic business community and to serve as a resource center and forum to advocate for Hispanic and Minority owned businesses. It provides a platform where leaders can connect and establish relationships and support. The chamber holds over 20 events annually including monthly luncheons, lunch/learn conferences, and receptions. The chamber’s monthly luncheons are attended by 300 to 400 of Miami’s most influential executives and business owners.

Through Lopez’s leadership, the SFLHCC has become one of the longest running and most robust Hispanic chambers in the U.S. with over 1,650 members. The SFLHCC Foundation has granted over $790,000 in scholarships to financially disadvantaged minority students attending Miami Dade County Public Schools who are seeking to pursue a career in Business or Hospitality. The Education Enhancement Fellowship Program, which is part of the Foundation, has taken students to the headquarters of Microsoft, Facebook, NY Life, Comcast, Coca Cola, and Boeing, among many others as an educational experience and career opportunities for the students. Those efforts led to the SFLHCC Foundation being inducted as a Champion of Miami-Dade County Public School’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.

Lopez was appointed by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado to serve on the County's Economic Recovery Task Force in 2021; she is a Governing Board Member of Larkin Charter School for Health Sciences; serves on the Board of Directors of the Beacon Council; Board Member of the Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Board Member of the Small/Micro and Minority/Women Business Owned Enterprise of Miami Dade County Public Schools, the Advisory Council of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the City of Miami Beach Commission on Women, the Advisory Board of Precision Medicine and Health Disparities Collaborative of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Meharry Medical College and the University of Miami and serves on the President’s Council for Florida International University (FIU). She served on the Entrepreneurial Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Regional Economic Information Network (REIN) as the only Hispanic woman on that board at that time.

She is a past board member of the Alliance for Aging, past board member of WLRN and former Chair of the Hispanic Affairs Committee for the City of Miami Beach.

For 10 years Lopez was the producer and host of a weekly television show, “Panorama con Liliam Lopez” that aired on WLRN Cable-Tap. The program highlighted the career of executives, elected officials, and entrepreneurs at the local, state, and national levels. The pandemic required Lopez to pivot. She launched a digital show, "A Business Minute with Lily Lopez", which is featured on all social media platforms and on her YouTube Channel reaching over 30,000 businesses.

The SFLHCC has also been engaged in international affairs, with emphasis on Latin America and Spain. The SFLHCC’s leadership hosted the Mayor of Murcia, Spain, and his delegation on their visit to Miami Beach in 1996. The former President of Ecuador, the Honorable Lucio Gutierrez, accepted an invitation made by Lopez to speak to chamber members for the purpose of establishing ties with his country. Both the former First Ladies of Panama and of Honduras, respectively, were invited to speak on different occasions at chamber luncheons on business opportunities, women’s issues, and social and charitable programs in their respective nations. His Highness, Prince Abdulaziz bin Ali bin Rashid Al Nuaimi of Ajman, United Arab Emirates, accepted an invitation from Lopez to visit Miami and present a conference at the chamber’s annual Viva Miami Hispanic Heritage Conference on sustainability and its importance to the world. His Highness is best known as “The Green Sheikh” and was received with great respect and admiration. Lopez strongly believes in social causes and giving back to the community. Twenty years ago, she implemented “Help our Children” for the youth of Centro Mater (an aftercare and early childcare school for financially disadvantaged families). The SFLHCC collects over 1,000 toys annually as part of the Christmas/Holiday Toy Drive for them. Currently there is a program with Cigna “Healthier Kids for our Future” where children and families are also receiving information on improving their health through diet and exercise. There are quarterly one day events held with a chef, a nutritionist and a Zumba instructor for the children and families. They also receive live healthy cooking demonstrations and a bag with the foods and recipes presented.

Liliam M. López has been featured in the cover of many magazines and newspapers. She has received numerous awards and recognitions including

• Sixteen (16) Proclamations from various cities and counties

• 2022 Commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by the Honorable Governor Andy Beshear, State of Kentucky

• 2022 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Community Builder Award

• 2021 South Florida Business Journal Influential Businesswoman

• 2021 August 20, Featured in the cover of Miami Today as The Achiever

• September 22, 2020; The 2020 United Homecare's Claude Pepper Award

• 2018 Golden Age Award presented by the Latino Center on Aging

• 2016 NFL/ Hispanic Heritage Foundation Leadership Award

• 2016 Women of Wealth Award presented by the Women of Wealth Magazine

• 2014 Women’s Fund “Woman Giving Back Treasure” Award

• 2014 Thomas Gibson Award

• 2014 Take a Walk in Her Shoes Award: Chapman’s Community Partnership for the Homeless

• 2014 Community Business Leadership Award: presented by UNIDAD’s New Generation Leadership & Workforce Institute

• 2014 Women of Impact Award: presented by Miami Dade County Women’s History Coalition

• Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ 2013 Miracle Maker Award

• 2012 Broward Women of Distinction Award

• 2010 Women Extraordinaire presented by South Florida Business Leader

• 2010 St. Thomas University Global Entrepreneur Award

• 2008 Induction to Miami Dade College’s Hall of Fame

• 2007 Miguel Cervantes Award presented by Nova Southeastern University

• 2006 March of Dimes Award in the Education and Training Category

• 2003 Businesswoman of the Year Award: CEO Non-Profit category presented by the “South Florida Business Journal”

• In the Company of Women award presented by the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department on March, 2003

• Keys to the City of Miami Beach presented by the former Honorable Mayor David Dermer on June 20, 2002.

Liliam Lopez has a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Political Science from St. Thomas University and a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from the University of Miami.

Lopez is married to Architect/Urban Planner, Alfredo Sanchez. They have a daughter, Lillian Karina Sanchez, who has graduated from the University of Miami’s School of Engineering with a presidential scholarship and is currently working at FPL.