about us

Mari D. González

Professional Interculturalist/Interpreter

Mari is a graduate student in Intercultural Relations at the University of the Pacific, School of International Studies. Her research interest is in Latinos/Hispanics as consumers of digital media; language and culture in online communication;  ethnic identity, and acculturation.

Mari presented findings from her ethnographic research on bilingual digital media use at the 2009 U.C. Berkeley Globalization Conference (LISA). She authored the academic research paper “Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing: Targeting Latino Youth in the Digital Age” published by the Journal of Internationalisation and Localisation (JIAL). In 2010, she received the MAIR, Masters of Arts Intercultural Relations, Pacific Fund Grant to research cross-cultural indicators in social-network sites.

She earned a B.A. in Social Sciences and Humanities from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional in Jalisco, México, and graduated with honors from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, where she majored in Business Management and Communications.

In 2005, she founded Ixmati Communications, a consulting firm that conducts cross-cultural market research and specializes in the U.S. Latino/Hispanic market. Ixmati also provides translation services. Ixmati’s clients include John Muir Medical Center, The Contra Costa Times, The City of Concord, Chevron, and U.C. Berkeley, Labor and Occupational Health Program. The same year, she was a featured consultant with the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) at Georgetown University.

Mari received the Schiku Weininger Memorial Award for designing a highly effective Latino/Hispanic outreach program and was nominated for the City of Concord Human Relations Commission’s annual award for her exemplary work in the community. She volunteers her time to facilitate leadership and development groups for Latinas.

Martha Potts

Interpreter/Translator

Peruvian born Martha Potts has been living in the United States since 1993. She studied Business Administration at the Universidad San Martin de Porres in Peru and was the Executive Secretary to the Presidents for Marubeni Corporation and Japan Oil Company in Peru and Venezuela.

Martha designed a training curriculum, “Do’s and Don’ts of Living in America,” for foreigners coming to work and live in the US. She has worked for Chevron Corporation as a relocation consultant, Spanish tutor, interpreter and translator. She is a consultant with the City of Concord and coordinates its Welcome Packet program.

Her time is spent managing sustainable community development programs, providing translation, training, supporting immigrants adapting to a new culture, and being with her husband and two children.

Advisory Board

Monique Limón

Monique Limón is the Assistant Director of the federally funded TRIO- McNair Scholars Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Ms. Limón holds a M.A. in Education from Columbia University and a B.A. from UC Berkeley.

Prior to her role with the McNair Scholars Program Ms. Limón served as the Director of Diversity, Recruitment, and Retention for the UCSB Graduate Division, where she engaged in long-range planning in support of diversity, outreach, recruitment and retention efforts for all graduate departments on campus.

Monique Limón has a strong record of involvement in the university and the local Santa Barbara community, currently serving on the Board of Directors of Hermanas Unidas Inc., New Beginnings Counseling Center, PUEBLO Action Fund, as a Commissioner of the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women, and as former Katherine Harvey Fellow of the Santa Barbara Foundation.

Gabriela Castillo

Youth Adivisor

Gabriela Castillo is a 21 year old, bilingual and bicultural college student majoring in communications and social sciences. She was born in Guatemala and moved to Fremont, California with her parents when she was 11 for which she is considered a 1.5-generation Latina/Hispanic in the U.S.

Gaby, as her friends call her, has been part of the Mecha Club since high school and of the award-winning Puente Program at Ohlone College. Both programs promote higher education, diversity, and cultural awareness. She feels passionate about supporting and promoting those principles with other students and plans to become a school counselor after college.

When she is not in school or doing homework, she can be found online. Her favorite pastime is communicating with her friends and family in the U.S. and around the globe using social network sites. For her, “internet is a fantastic way to get things done and to explore new knowledge.” She enjoys nature and going out with friends and family.