Eleazar Ruiz is a Dominican-born, award-winning brand strategist, creative director, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience across in-house design teams, agencies, and innovative startups. His expertise bridges brand strategy, branding, user experience design and social impact, culminating in the successful launch of brands that tell powerful, culturally relevant stories.

Ruiz is the founder of Odd Notion, a studio focused on meaningful, purpose-driven brand development. His approach centers on strategic clarity and visual storytelling, guiding organizations from concept formation to confident, distinguished brand identities. Under his leadership, Odd Notion has grown into a creative hub known for its empathetic and principled design ethos, serving start-ups, established companies, and nonprofits alike.

Throughout his career, Eleazar has collaborated with major global clients—including Nike, The Oregonian, Lyft, Microsoft, and Xbox—as well as dozens of emerging ventures, applying both creative intuition and business acumen.

In addition to leading creative projects, Ruiz is active in promoting community-driven design and championing the role of design equity in brand building. His work regularly explores themes of identity, culture, and positive social impact, reflecting his belief that design is a transformative force for good.

Ruiz has earned numerous prestigious accolades, including Webby Awards, Anthem Awards, and recognition from Indie Agency for his outstanding contributions to the design field. His thoughtful, innovative approach has been celebrated in leading creative publications and recognized for elevating brand experiences with both artistic distinction and strategic vision. He continues to be sought after as a thought leader for his principled methodology and commitment to advancing design that matters.

Whether launching new ventures or guiding established brands, Eleazar Ruiz brings clarity, empathy, and outstanding craftsmanship to every brand journey—making him a valued partner for any organization seeking to stand out and connect meaningfully with its audience.
OddNotion.com

Leda Garside is a bilingual/bicultural Latina professional with 42 years working experience. Her career interests center around nursing education, research, health policy, cultural competencies, health promotion, early interventions, best practices in language interpretation services, community health workers initiatives, and health careers mentoring.

Being an active member in professional organizations, coalitions and boards are ways to give back to the community and provide a voice on how to work towards eliminating disparities, how services are delivered, assuring best services experienced to the patient.

After 10 years of bedside nursing in neurology and cardiology, her nursing career led her to occupational health, outpatient care, and management. Her lived experiences as a clinician have centered in minority health, focusing working with the Latino/a/x and Mesoamerican indigenous communities and other BIPOC population during the last 32 year, this  have provided her with a solid foundation for understanding and connecting to the various communities that make up Oregon.

Leda is an excellent resource to ensure that -- no matter the project – the work will be grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Leda has recently retired from direct patient care but continues her work as an advocate and nurse consultant.

Zhou Fang (she/tā/她)

Intersectional Group, LLC (COBID certified)

Intersectionality Practitioner, Leadership Consultant, Intersectional Living Coach

Zhou Fang is the founder and principal consultant of Intersectional Group LLC, a leadership, people and culture practice with a focus on intersectionality, empathy, compassion, intentionality, as well as curiosity. 

Zhou is also an Intersectionality Practitioner (IG: @intersectionalliving). She works with folks who are willing, excited, and ready, to learn about and practice intersectionality, intentionality, restoration, and healing. 

Zhou is a passionate advocate for pay transparency and equity, mental wellbeing, immigration reform, and climate justice, as well as a committed ally for the LGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities.

Currently, Zhou serves on the board of Portland HR Management Association, as well as a thoughtleader for the Policy Committee at Women’s Foundation of Oregon. She is also the producer and host of The Intersection, a podcast program about intersectionality, identity, leadership, and personal journey.

Outside of work, Zhou is a proud dog and plant parent and a comedy and horror movie enthusiast. She appreciates good food and loves to travel. 

Zhou can be reached at [email protected]. You can connect with her on LinkedIn as well. 

Intersectional Group is a leadership practice that uses the framework of intersectionality, as well as the help of technology, empathy, compassion, and curiosity. It emphasizes on the importance of making EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) part of a company's business and strategic planning, instead of an add-on or stand-alone function. Intersectional Group builds relations and works with clients based on their needs.

Intersectional Group is a COBID Certified Business in Oregon.

Audio and video work (non inclusive):

1. The Intersection podcast 

2. Profiles in Leadership ft. Zhou Fang

3. Exploring Intersectionality with Zhou Fang

4. Transforming Workplace Mental Health

5. Pioneering the Future of Inclusion

6. Spirituality, Intersectionality, and Doing Good with Zhou Fang

7. Bridging Cultures with Zhou Fang

8. Pay Transparency & The Gender Pay Gap with Zhou Fang

Jack Phan came to the U.S. from Vietnam in 1978 and has built a career as a serial entrepreneur, startup mentor, investor, and entrepreneur-in-residence in the Portland metro area. He’s the former CEO of an AI SaaS company and is currently building EvolveIQ, a platform designed to help early-stage founders launch and grow their startups. Jack lives in Vancouver, WA with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, playing music, and building his digital AI twin.

Lou Radha. 

Grew up in congo from age 2 to 17. Born In Boston, MA on June 30th (Congo 🇨🇩independence day😊) 1976 while Congolese parents were going to school.

He is a consultant, inspirational speaker.

Co founded a school in the congo 🇨🇩 serving underprivileged children…24 years strong 💪🏿

Came back to US in 1993 to Ashland OR

Married  for 18 years

Two boys 17 and 11

Traveling, learning anything and eating good food and mangoes 🥭 

Simon was born in Staffordshire, in the English Midlands and grew up in Germany and SE England. He attended university in Wales, Edinburgh, Durham and later Chicago. Simon was ordained as a priest in the Church of England. In 1995 he got the opportunity to serve an Episcopal Church in Troy, NY. Since then he has served congregations in Tigard, Corvallis and Salem, Oregon. Simon is currently a chaplain and community partnership advocate for Church @ the Park, a religious non-for-profit based in Salem that provides resources, shelter and community for people experiencing homelessness and those on the margins. 

Simon is divorced with three grown up children. He proudly became a naturalized US citizen in 2011

Stefano is the founder of Smile Solution LLC, a company dedicated to enhancing workplace creativity, bonding, and well-being through humor-driven experiential training. With over 20 years of international experience in comedy and facilitation, Stefano has been living in the US for 10 years, has 2 daughters and a wonderful wife, he's cinema freak and loves magic and Martial arts.

https://www.stefanoiaboni.com

In this special episode of Coming to America, we welcome Niisai Botchway, a Ghanaian musician whose life has been shaped by rhythm, resilience, and remarkable journeys.

Niisai first came to the U.S. in 1974 as a member of Hedzoleh Soundz, a groundbreaking Afro-jazz group introduced to American audiences by none other than Hugh Masekela. Before international tours and studio sessions in Nigeria and the U.S., the band was a nightly fixture at the legendary Napoleon Club in Accra.

We talk about:

The early days of Ghana's live music scene

Recording their first album (twice!)

Touring the U.S. with Masekela

Returning to Ghana, and later to Portland in 1991 at the invitation of Obo Addy, another Ghanaian music legend

Finding community and balance as an immigrant, musician, and longtime valet at OHSU

🎶 And for the first time on this podcast—Niisai plays live music! A beautiful reminder of how art travels with us, no matter where we go.

This is more than a story about immigration—it’s a tribute to the global language of music and a life well lived between cultures.

Aida Rivas is an Executive Coach and seasoned Program Management professional with over 25 years in the tech industry.

Parents immigrated from Honduras to the U.S. when she was a little girl. Aida has lived on both coasts and in the heart of the country, but California has been home for most of her life—until recently, when she moved to Portland, Oregon.

Aida loves exploring food from different cultures and has been bringing people together through international potlucks with neighbors since 2001.

linkedin.com/in/aidarivas

I this episode of our  Immigrant podcast, I am interviewing Sonia Collier who immigrated to the US from Stockholm, Sweden in 1987.

She started her advertising career at the Shalek Agency in Los Angeles and was recruited to Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, OR 1991.

1999 she joined Adidas and finished a 22-year career with them end of 2020. She lives with her partner Joe in Portland, Oregon.