Our Mission is to build positive relationships between clients and communities.

We design innovative programs that inform, support and empower residents through the public engagement process. Our firm acts as a liaison between clients, partners and communities to bridge diverse stakeholders. We incorporate culturally inclusive practices that builds trust between our clients and the communities they serve.

Our goal is to ensure that all individuals, particularly residents traditionally left out of the conversation, have spaces to engage and give input in meaningful ways on projects taking place in their communities. We utilize innovative and forward-thinking community engagement techniques in our outreach efforts because we believe to make a difference in a community, we have to do things differently.

Our Founder & CEO

Laura J. Cortez, M.B.A., Ph.D.

Laura is from the Rio Grande Valley and came to Austin in 1999 as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from Drake University, and later went on to earn her MBA from St. Edward’s University and PhD in Higher Education from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2012, Laura served the Director of Public Engagement for the University of Texas at Austin. In this role, she led one of Austin’s most comprehensive public engagement projects known as the Colony Park Sustainable Community Initiative. Laura credits this experience with changing her professional trajectory and after completing the project she launched Cortez Consulting.  

Today, Laura is designing new ways to effectively engage the public, particularly those individuals who are traditionally left out of the conversation. Cortez Consulting is certified as a Women and Minority-Owned Business (MWBE) and Historically Underutilized Business (HUB). The organization is a member of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) and involved with an array of projects across the City working to build positive relationships within the community. 

During her free time, Dr. Cortez stays active in the community. She is a graduate of Leadership Austin Essential Program and served on the board of the Austin Parks Foundation and Leadership Austin.  

Nirali Thakkar, MSSW-MPH Community Engagement Consultant Design and Methods Training Certified, International Association of Public Participation (IAPP)

Nirali will serve as our new Community Engagement Consultant, leading our work with the City of Austin and the University of Indianapolis Quality of Life Study on Aging.

Thakkar earned her Masters of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Masters of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. She brings a wealth of experience supporting diverse communities to our team. Nirali co-authored and coordinated the implementation of a pilot grant to create a “How-To Guide for Texas Psychiatric Advance Directives” at her time with the DISRUPT Lab in Dell Medical School, and has experience working in healthcare service settings such as Ascension Seton Medical Center, Georgetown Behavioral Health, and Little City Residential.

Nirali is passionate about aging and caregiving populations. During her time at the University of Texas at Austin, she supported a research team with the care partners of older adults living with dementia in managing fall risk during. Earlier this year, Nirali conducted a photovoice project with the Asian American Resource Center to identify how the City of Austin can best create an age-friendly environment for older adults.

Personally, Nirali enjoys dancing traditional Indian styles, reading memoirs, and cooking with friends. She is currently completing her training to foster with Austin Pets Alive and often visits her family back home in Chicago.