• David Hurtado was born and raised in Bogota, growing up during turbulent times in Colombian history.
• He moved to the US in 2008 for graduate studies in public health at Harvard University.
• He lived in the Boston, MA area until 2015, when he then moved to Portland, where he works as an associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University, researching occupational stress and workplace health and safety.
• He is married to a Colombian educator, and they have two kids born in Portland in 2018 and 2022.
• His immigrant story involves science, academia, and rock music.

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.