About Intercultural Talent
Our ambition is to achieve a global workforce where people across cultures cultivate effective workplace relationships driving positive change in today’s interconnected digital world.
Our purpose is to educate visionary leaders and mission-driven organizations by bridging their people in diverse workplaces and equipping them with the skills to navigate cultural complexities.
From international NGOs to local nonprofits in human rights, social justice and environmental protection; to entrepreneurial organizations, public service agencies, social enterprises, global corporations in tech, tourism, manufacturing; workforce development and higher education; many women, BIPOC and global leaders hire Intercultural Talent because they share the vision of people working effectively across cultures for greater global collaboration.
We aim to bridge cultural divides; fostering diverse, inclusive, and effective teams that work harmoniously across borders.
Through talent development consulting, customized training workshops, engaging facilitation, and Strengths-based coaching in different languages, we aim to foster deeper knowledge, awareness and respect among diverse global teams.
Marisa Ortiz
Founder and Principal Consultant
Top 5 Strengths: Connectedness , Input , Learner , Positivity and Empathy
Marisa brings a deep understanding and experience training culturally and generationally diverse workplace teams since the late 90’s.
Born and raised in Mexico, migrated as a student to Texas studying in Mexico City, France, and Kuwait, worked in El Paso and Washington DC. Completed her French, Political Science and International Relations studies while working professional roles since 1997, forging a successful 25 plus-year career in the fields of Human Resources, International Business, and NGO nonprofit work.
plus-year career in the fields of Human Resources, International Business, and NGO nonprofit work.
Academic Experience
2007 - St. Mary's University, MA International Relations, Marianist Development Scholar
2002 - National Council on US Arab Relations, Washington DC, Trip to Kuwait City
2002 - University of Texas at El Paso, BA French and Political Science, Honors Cum Laude
2001 - Organization of American States, Internship, Sustainable Development, Washington DC
1999 - L'Alliance Francaise, Fall Semester Internship, El Paso Texas
1999 - Université Catholique De L' Ouest, French Summer Intensive, Angers France
1998 - Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Anthropology Summer Intensive, Mexico City
Marisa was trained in talent development during this time while facilitating for over a thousand employees in onboarding, systems, soft skills and being the Strengths program manager company wide during her last year and completing her Gallup Certification on Strengths in 2015. She is a native Spanish-speaker, fluent in English with advanced French and Brazilian Portuguese language skills.
Starting as an entrepreneur in 2015, Marisa has been training and coaching local, regional, national, and global clients in private, public, and nonprofit sectors given the intercultural nature of her service. Remotely, she has served across the US, Mexico and Brazil; with team members connecting from the UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland and Greece. In Asia, Marisa has served remotely to South and North Asia, facilitating in person in India, Vietnam and Japan; Mexico, Portugal and Spain.
Her intercultural awareness and vast global workplace knowledge comes from years of talent development experience landing her first full-time role as a facilitator in 2002 serving people with disabilities until late 2006.
In early 2007 she was recruited by global IT company Rackspace to serve the Asia Pacific region, with an emphasis on South Asia. In the 8 years she worked in IT, she also founded the Latin America division of the company and worked as a Corporate Trainer for over 5 years in the HR department.
CONSULTANTS
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Sean Attwood
Top Five Strengths: Individualization, Input, Futuristic, Connectedness and Learner.
STRENGTHS CONSULTANT
Sean Attwood is a native Texan who from an early age is fascinated with the role of leadership in leveraging human potential. Growing up in San Antonio, TX, Sean pursued his undergraduate in Marketing at the University of San Antonio ‘06 while beginning his career in the technology field, holding positions in team building and leadership, key account management, recruiting, and workforce and economic development.
Sean was introduced to the Gallup Strengths method in 2005 and pursued his Gallup Certified Coach training in 2017 while building an information technology career skills training program at Alamo Colleges in San Antonio. In 2018 he transitioned to the former San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (now greater>SATX Economic Regional Partnership) as Vice President of Business Development for 4 years. Followed by a pivot into Talent Acquisition as Business Development Manager for VIP Tech Consultant for another 2 years, and continuing his recruiting service as current Client Executive in Technology sector for Kforce, Inc.
Sean joins Marisa as fellow Gallup Strengths coaches to serve Intercultural Talent clients on a project basis. He co-facilitates and coaches on CliftonStrengths as his schedule permits. During his free time, Sean enjoys discovering new outdoor adventures, local art, music, and comedy scenes, and any books or film projects which celebrate the human spirit & all of its elements, as well as its potential of transformation.
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Lesya Krasnikova
Top Five Strengths: Connectedness, Intellection, Relator, Developer and Learner.
NVC CONSULTANT
Born and raised in Sevastopol Ukraine, Lesya migrated to the US to study at Trinity University in San Antonio Texas where she earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Business in 2004; working as a Consultant at the North American Development Bank. In 2005 she started Graduate school at St. Mary’s University, which she self-sponsored by also working as an International Account Manager at Rackspace Hosting for almost 6 years. She obtained two graduate degrees: her MBA ‘07 and her MA ‘10 in International Relations.
In 2014 she co-founded Sova Artisan Goods, handmade custom leather and ceramics business where she was able to combine her business education with her artisanal talents in pottery and crafted arts. In 2015 she joined AmeriCorps as a volunteer, moving to the mountains in Mancos Colorado and serving the rural non-profit organization Medicine Horse for more than 4 years.
On her journey, Lesya found herself fascinated with the practice and application of reconciliation through a lens of non-violent and compassionate communication. She is in the process of certifying as a Non-Violent Communication (NVC) practitioner, based on Marshal Rosenberg’s method of Conflict Resolution. She gets thrilled to witness a dynamic group effort in which participants transform their unmet professional needs of others and themselves that result in conflict and suffering, into tremendous personal growth by building a compassionate dialogue within self, work teams, organizations or communities, fostering resilience without compromise.
Lesya returned to live in Ukraine for extended periods of time before the 2014 conflict in Crimea that led to the current Ukraine war. She still holds her Ukrainian citizenship to this day and lives her life with a compassionate mindset and worldview. She joins Intercultural Talent as an NVC Consultant incorporating awareness of habit thought patterns through NVC remote and in-person facilitated sessions in partnership with Marisa Ortiz. Lesya is thrilled to offer opportunities to Intercultural Talent’s clients to gain a renewed perspective on conflict, our role in it, and choices we have to claim our power through it.
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Eva Rivas De Miguel
Top Five Strengths: Relator, Learner, Harmony, Empathy and Input.
LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR
Born and raised in Madrid Spain, where she worked for the Ministry of Education and Culture in various museums; Eva has served as a bilingual teacher for 26 years and supports Intercultural Talent Development through professional translation, interpretation and localization of learning content from English to Spanish. She holds an AA from Palo Alto College and a BA from UT San Antonio, both in Spanish language and literature.
INTERNS
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Melissa Peña
Top Five Strengths: Relator, Individualization, Learner, Responsibility, Analytical.
MARKETING INTERN
Born in San Antonio and raised in Monclova, Mexico, Melissa Peña is currently majoring in Marketing at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as an Honors student. With a passion for intercultural connections and innovation, Melissa combines a deep interest in sustainability and artificial intelligence with a commitment to creating meaningful marketing strategies. She has gained valuable experience through internships and study abroad programs, including a transformative experience in sustainable living in Costa Rica, a business internship in Florence, Italy. Starting in the summer of 2022, Melissa joined Intercultural Talent as a Marketing Intern, which she finds quite culturally enriching.
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Sergio Martinez
Top Five Strengths: Analytical, Learner, Individualization, Intellection and Deliberative.
ACCOUNTING INTERN
Born and raised in San Antonio’s southside, Sergio started as an intern at Intercultural Talent in the summer of 2022 while still finishing his Bachelor’s in Accounting. Having graduated with Honors in 2024, he still supports the bookkeeping and accounts receivable areas of the business. He is an aspiring CPA at UTSA, where he is working on his Master's in Accounting. He thrives on learning and serving local communities, small businesses, and nonprofits. He enjoys spending his free time with friends, playing video games, catching up on TV shows, and running.
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Valerie Arroyo
Top Five Strengths: Analytical, Learner, Individualization, Intellection and Deliberative.
OPERATIONS INTERN
Valerie is a double major in Anthropology and International Studies at Trinity University, with concentrations in Forensic Anthropology and Public Health. She started working with Intercultural Talent in the Spring of 2024 in office operations. Her passion lies in contributing to social justice through the identification of the unknown descendants. As a first-generation college student and a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Valerie is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment in academia and beyond. Outside her academic work, Valerie enjoys watching movies, shopping locally, and baking. Valerie is a proud daughter, sister, and mother to a sweet, cuddly cat. She values empathy and trust and hopes to be a lifelong learner.
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Our cultural and ancestral backgrounds carry valuable gifts of who we are and support the strengths of our characters, our values and our choices. That individual, unique colophany or a mix of experiences also highlight our diverse strengths that Marisa has an inherent way of touching, supporting and revealing. It is hard to know it and not be a changed self with that awareness.
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— Lesya Krasnikova
