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Gladys Gonzalez
Gladys Gonzalez was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, where she obtained her college degree in business, along with 3 years of communication studies. Gladys worked for the Colombian government for 9 years in Ecuador, along with many years of working with multinational companies, and in the banking industry. In 1991 she immigrated to the United States for security reasons while working for the Representative office of “Manufacturers Hanover Trust” in Bogota. Gladys chose Utah as her new home.
Gladys believes in integration and to enrich her life by creating interactions with different communities, sharing her talents and enjoying a total immersion in other cultures. She has served in various board of directors including Envision Utah, Salt Lake Airport Authority Board, United Way of Salt Lake, and many more. In 2001 Gladys funded the “Suazo Business Center,” a non-profit dedicated as a business resource for underfunded, minority communities. With the support of the US Congress Senator from Utah, Robert Bennet; the CEO of Zions Bank, Scott Anderson, and other prominent shareholders from other powerful companies in Utah, the organization converted to a developing economic engine for the State.
At the moment, Gladys is retired and living in North Dallas, Texas. She’s a Life and Wellness coach, and a Meditation Teacher. She has a love for spirituality and nature. At the end of 2018, Gladys united a group of business colleagues who share her values and ideas (2 from Utah) and founded another non-profit organization named “Our Color is Peace” – where she currently dedicates all her time and effort.
Deena Ott
Deena Ott was born and raised in Utah. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Psychology and received her MSW from the University of Utah.
Deena has worked in the field of social work for the past 20 years. Prior to 2016, she worked in the State of Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services. She started with DCFS as a Child Protective Service Investigator. After receiving her Masters, she provided in home services for families at risk of having their children removed from their custody. The last six years of her Child Welfare career, she spent as an Administrator over the Salt Lake Valley Region office, overseeing staff working directly with teenagers in foster care as they prepare to transition out of the Child Welfare system.
Deena currently holds both a Utah and Texas, Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) license and has worked for two non-profit organizations working with families and children. She recently became a certified life coach with niches as a relationship facilitator coach and a goal setting coach.
Claudia Essenburg
Ms. Essenburg has a passion for helping others find their own coping skills for a more peaceful and joyful life no matter where they live nor who they are. She graduated from Baylor University with an MFA and a bilingual education degree from the University of California at Northridge. She has experience as a business owner in advertising and marketing. She has also spent 14 years teaching bilingual children. Her goal in life is to make a difference and an advocate for change for the betterment of one group: humanity.
Edward Bennett
As a seasoned manager, teacher, personal coach and advisor, Edward has spent over two decades in education, leadership, management and the development of systems and human resources. His professional experience is broad-based and has been designed to continually allow for his own personal growth and development, as well as that of his staff and clients. This background has brought him to Our Color is Peace in a role he is excited to fill to help the organization develop.
He graduated from Westminster College of Salt Lake City with a major in Economics and a minor in Psychology. Since then, he has continued his studies focusing on Education, Political Science, and History. He has spent the majority of his career managing within therapeutic programs, academic institutions, and business and real estate companies. Outside his professional career, he has volunteered for dozens of organizations and currently sits (or has formerly sat) on the Board of Directors or Managers for several non-profit and educational organizations.
Stephen Tolpinrud
Stephen Tolpinrud comes from the sagebrush-covered region of northern Utah. He studied Environmental Studies as an undergraduate at the University of Utah; Agroecology as a certificate at the University of California, Santa Cruz; and International Relations and Sustainable Development as a graduate degree at American University and the University for Peace. Over the past number of years he has worked on diversified organic vegetable production farms in the U.S., while also working on projects that promote agroecology in Colombia and Guatemala with the help of multiple non-profits. It is his life’s goal to promote ecological and social wellbeing through the lenses of food and agriculture.
Carlos Cortiñas
Carlos is senior level creative with an advertising background with a passion for bringing ideas to life. For more than two decades, he has brought strategic insight and creativity to global brands within the restaurant, retail, health, and financial industries.
After graduating from Portfolio Center in Atlanta, GA., Carlos moved to St.Louis to work for DMB&B on the Budweiser account. After years of working on broadcast and branding on the Bud account, he decided to take his talents to the slopes of Colorado. In Colorado he helped start up one of the hottest design firms in Denver, Factory Design. More recently he relocated to Dallas/Ft. Worth where he’s worked on brands such as Subaru of America, Nationwide Insurance, Pizza Hut, Sonic Drive-In, Mercedes-Benz, and Chili’s Restaurant Global business.
When he’s not developing ideas for global brands, he enjoys spending time with his wife Mey-Ling, and playing with his two very creative children, Sebastian and Gabriela. Carlos also has an intense desire to unlock the full potential of the human spirit through communication, kindness, and peace.