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.

Saamiya Seraj, PhD is co-founder and CEO of A Better Force, where she coaches young professionals, and consults with companies on their equity and management issues. She also co-facilitates ABF’s course on racial trauma called ‘Find Your Voice’. Previously, she was a Director at Sheltech, helping to improve safety and quality standards on construction sites. Saamiya grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh and now lives in Austin. She graduated from UT Austin with a PhD in Civil Engineering in 2014 and is a recent cancer survivor. Among her volunteer roles, she serves as chair for the GAACC Women’s Club and has organized the Annual Eid Celebration in Mueller for the last 4 years. She is a part of the 2025 Leadership Austin Essential Cohort.

 Sarah Seraj, PhD is co-founder and CTO at A Better Force, where she conducts workshops and consults with companies on improving workplace culture by using the latest findings from the social sciences. In her data consultancy work, she uses computational language tools to answer social psychological questions and come up with best practices for companies. As a woman of color and an immigrant, one of the main goals of her work is to have more inclusive spaces for women, BIPOC, and other underrepresented groups by tackling systematic inequalities in organizations. Sarah got her PhD in Psychology from UT Austin in 2021. She also serves on the board of the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative (AACHI). Sarah is part of the 2025 Leadership Austin Emerge Cohort.

Larry Schooler, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Communication Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. He teaches courses in conflict resolution and facilitation in Communication Studies, the Communication and Leadership degree program, and the Plan II Honors program.  He also serves as a mentor for students in the Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies Bridging Disciplines Program.

Dr. Schooler’s research interests include restorative and transitional justice, truth and reconciliation commissions, dialogue and deliberation, mediation, and public participation in public policymaking. He is the author of a forthcoming book on North American truth and reconciliation commissions and a manual on facilitating public meetings. Outside of teaching, Dr. Schooler is a senior director at the conflict resolution consulting firm Kearns & West. Dr. Schooler has been married to Jolie (Spergel) Schooler since 2008, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Sammy and Robby.

Jim Pacey  enjoyed a 38-year career with the YMCAs of Houston, Austin, St. Louis, and Seattle. He helped start four YMCAs in previously unserved areas. In each case, he led a grassroots process within those communities to assure support from individuals, organizations, and municipalities. Jim revamped the YMCA of Austin’s financial development department and, in 2010, raised over $1 million for the first time in the organizations’ history. He led the YMCA of Austin’s 2020 strategic planning process. Jim was also a National Trainer for YMCA-USA and has trained hundreds of YMCA staff and volunteers during his tenure.  

Jim, along with his colleague, Dr. Kirsten Bradbury, developed the Emotional Intelligence for Leaders course at University of Texas’ Human Dimensions of Organizations. Jim was recently certified by Daniel Goleman in Foundational and Relational Skills in Emotional Intelligence. Jim has also developed and delivered trainings on change management, strategic planning, decision making and board development. Additionally, Jim has a certification from Optimind Neuroscience Coaching & Training Institute in Neuroscience Coaching & Leadership with a specialization in Neuro Health.  

Jim has his own consulting and coaching company, which has focused primarily on improving small nonprofit organizations in Austin. His areas of expertise are board governance, strategic planning, community development and engagement, and fundraising.  

STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Since 2015, Student Interns have played a critical role with our company. Each semester, we hire students to serve in various roles and expose them to the field of community engagement, marketing, communications, and outreach. Students can apply for positions for-credit, non-credit, paid or non-paid. Over the years, we have employed students from Austin Community College, Huston-Tillotson, St. Edward’s University, Texas State University, and the University of Texas at Austin. In 2025, we launched our high school internship program and brought on students to support the Texas Youth 7v7 State Championship Tournament and the City of Austin Quality of Life Study on Aging.

This summer, we were selected as a host site for EcoRise Green Careers Academy. We will host a local Austin high school student for six-weeks while providing professional and personal development. In the fall 2025, we will continue to work with Health Leadership Apprentice Program at UT-Dell Medical School exposing undergraduate students majoring in the health professions to work we are doing in the community.