Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet (he/they) is the Executive Director of Hope CommUnity Center in
Apopka, FL. In addition to managing day-to-day operations, leading 30 staff members,
overseeing the management of seven programs, and increasing financial support for the 50-
year-old organization; Felipe collaborates with community advocates, supporters, leaders, and
organizations throughout Central Florida to drive the interconnectedness and synergy of Hope’s
programs.
Prior to joining Hope, Felipe was the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Senior Specialist for the Office
of Multicultural Affairs at the City of Orlando. He began his career for the City as the Manager of
Collaborative Partnerships, where he served as the point of contact with all issues focused on
the long-term recovery from the Pulse tragedy.
A proud immigrant from Brazil, Felipe came to Miami when he was only 14 years old. His lived
experience as an undocumented immigrant and LGBTQ+ person has been the guiding light in
his advocacy for equity. He most recently co-chaired Orlando’s WorldPride 2026 bid, and
served as Co-Director of GetEQUAL, a national social justice LGBTQ+ organization. He also
was Deputy Managing Director at United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth network in the
country. Felipe worked at ThoughtWorks, a multinational software company, and at
Presente.org, an organization seeking to solve some of the most pressing issues impacting the
Latine community through communication strategies.
A graduate of Miami-Dade College with an Associate of Arts in International Relations and a
bachelor’s degree in Business Studies with a Minor in Economics from St. Thomas University,
Felipe is currently a Florida Immigrant Coalition board member, and the chair of the One Orlando
Alliance Board of Directors. He is happily married to Luis Sousa-Lazaballet (he/him) and they
have two beautiful puppies, Cosito and Papito.