Mission
Our focus is to empower clients in optimizing opportunities and support them in addressing emerging challenges pertaining to strategy and partnerships, communications/marketing, organizational management, leadership transformation, mergers & acquisitions, and sustainability across all industries.
Meet the Consultants
Dr. Argelis A. Ortiz (he/him/his) Founder & Principal Consultant
Dr. Ortiz is a compassionate executive leader passionate and eager to move into a progressive higher education institution to apply his two decades of direct social work experience, four years of graduate teaching experience, and ten years in organizational development, direct management, and fiscal oversight. Cultivator of strengths-based and outcomes-oriented team culture to achieve the largest community and organizational impact.
Dr. Ortiz obtained his Bachelor of Arts, Creative Arts from San José State University (1999), an MSW (2010), and Education Doctorate (2018) from the University of Southern California.
Ricardo Lopez, MSW (he/him/his) Founder & Associate Consultant
Since 1995, Mr. Lopez has held various clinical, administrative, and consultant positions with non-profits. Mr. Lopez has worked for Bienvenidos Family Services for 12 years under various positions (case manager, program, manager, and development; California and the Department of Children and Family Services for one year as an Emergency Response Children’s Social Worker.
Mr. Lopez currently works for Los Angeles Unified School District since 2007 as a Psychiatric Social Worker and Organization Facilitator. As an Organization Facilitator, Mr. Lopez oversees community partnerships for over 160 school sites and 80,000 students. Mr. Lopez has been a field instructor for USC, UCLA, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Long Beach, and Cal State Dominguez Hills and has trained over 30 MSW interns in interviewing children and best practice techniques. Additionally, Mr. Lopez has served as a non-profit consultant for over 25 agencies. Mr. Lopez has provided consultation from grant writing, program design, developing community needs assessments, and providing technical assistance.
Ricardo Lopez holds a Bachelor of Arts, Psychology from Whittier College (1994) and a Master’s degree in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach (2004).
Evelyn Casimiro, ACSW, MSW (she/her/hers) Organizational Development Consultant
Evelyn is a dedicated bilingual (English & Spanish) social worker committed to providing services in communities most impacted by unjust disparities. She has a wide range of experience providing behavioral health services and conducting needs assessments for community-based organizations looking to increase their range of services. Evelyn finds joy in the balance of supporting individuals directly and helping organizations increase their reach of services to people most in need.
Evelyn Casimiro holds a Bachelor of Arts, Sociology (2012) and a Master’s degree in Social Work (2017) from California State University, Long Beach.
Michelle Zaragoza, ACSW, MSW (she/her/hers) Clinical & Community Health Consultant
Michelle is a committed social worker with experience providing comprehensive community mental health services to children, adolescents, adults, and families in Los Angeles County, with an emphasis in LGBTQ+ affirming, CBT, and strengths-based therapies. She has experience in promoting LGBTQ+ advocacy within organizations, completing community needs assessments, data/research analysis, and shares interest in community capacity building.
Michelle Zaragoza holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Social Behavior (2016) from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Social Work degree (2018) from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Kristopher McLucas, LCSW (he/him/his) Clinical & Community Health Consultant
Kristopher is bilingual in Spanish and English and has been a practicing Social Worker for the past 13 years. He has worked in a variety of clinical and administrative capacities in the greater South Los Angeles and Long Beach communities. Kristopher McLucas has led several consulting projects with Friends Outside in Los Angeles County (FOLA), Southern California Crossroads, and the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.
Kristopher currently provides ongoing consultation and supervision to organizations team that work with trauma-impacted community members (e.g. survivors of gun violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, etc.) Kristopher has facilitated trauma-informed trainings to enhance their staff’s capacity to work effectively with survivors of trauma. Some of the training topics have included wellness, trauma-informed case management, engagement with challenging clients, etc. Kristopher’s work led to him being invited to present at a gang conference in San Salvador, El Salvador, and while in El Salvador he provided training to front-line first responders that work closely with communities impacted by gang violence.
Additionally, Kristopher is an Adjunct Professor at the Smith College, School for Social Work in Northampton, Massachusetts. Kristopher teaches the first-year practice course for graduate-level social work students. Kristopher McLucas obtained his Bachelor of Arts, Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2006), an MSW (2011) from the University of Southern California.
Stephanie Mesones Alvarado, MPA (she/her/hers) Fund Development Strategist Consultant
Stephanie specializes in cultivating relationships and expanding organizations’ reach, visibility, and fundraising capacity. Stephanie draws on her experience working with various public, social, and philanthropic sector organizations to implement programs that integrate strategic thinking and innovation while achieving mission-related impact. With a background in public administration and storytelling combined with research and communication capabilities, she helps raise critical funding for progressive organizations. For nearly two decades Stephanie has worked in every capacity of nonprofit management from database management to strategic and event planning. Stephanie is bilingual in Spanish and English and also has extensive experience translating and transcribing in both languages.
Stephanie Mesones Alvarado holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an Emphasis in International Relations and Spanish (2008) from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management degree (2014) from California State University, Northridge.