Client Types:
Statewide Coalition (CABC) · Housing Startup (OpenDoor) · National CDFI (LIIF)
Scope of Work:
Community-Centered Research · Internal Equity Assessment · Recruitment & Culture Strategy · Participatory Survey Design · Policy Alignment
Context & Challenge
Equity work can’t be abstract — it must be measurable, participatory, and embedded in both external strategy and internal practice. Across three distinct projects, a statewide housing coalition, a values-driven co-living startup, and a national financial institution. I designed and implemented community-informed research initiatives that clarified organizational values, shaped policy direction, and created conditions for trust-based recruitment and retention.
The challenge: how to turn equity intentions into strategic infrastructure that communities and staff alike could see, feel, and build upon.
My Role
Research Strategist · Equity Survey Architect · Internal Culture Advisor
- At the California Asset Building Coalition (CABC):
- Led the design of a member-informed policy platform, using digital surveys and co-created iconography to capture values like housing justice, anti-racism, and lived-experience leadership
- Facilitated community input through narrative-based polling and town halls, embedding language accessibility and visual tools into the process
- Developed a strategic framework that translated member input into legislative priorities and statewide funding asks
- At OpenDoor, a social impact housing startup:
- Designed and implemented a company-wide Racial & Gender Equity Assessment, blending demographic surveys with open-ended reflection and real-time Menti polling
- Advised leadership on aligning recruitment practices, internal culture, and resident engagement with expressed values of inclusion and safety
- Surfaced gaps between brand identity and operational behavior—creating actionable steps for greater alignment
- At a National CDFI:
- Interpreted and synthesized findings from an organization-wide racial equity and employee experience survey (126+ staff across multiple departments)
- Mapped recruitment, retention, and internal capacity building gaps by disaggregating data by race, tenure, and role
- Delivered a set of equity-centered recommendations for refining career advancement pathways, addressing pay perception gaps, and building long-term psychological safety within teams
Tools & Methods Used
| Tool / Platform | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Jotform, Qualtrics, Google Forms | Custom survey logic, multilingual access, equity benchmarking |
| Menti Polling | Real-time emotional pulse checks and workshop engagement |
| Power BI | Synthesized findings into dashboards, infographics, and icon sets |
| Airtable / Notion | Research management and pattern tracking |
| Facilitated Listening Spaces | Cross-functional feedback loops and decision-making alignment |
Outcomes & Impact
| Milestone | Result |
|---|---|
| Member-informed policy platform at CABC | Informed funding strategy and legislative priorities with equity framing |
| Equity assessment at OpenDoor | Created actionable recommendations for recruitment and team culture shifts |
| 80%+ staff participation in CDFI survey | Surface-level analysis turned into strategic roadmaps for internal change |
| Icon-based visual language (CABC) | Increased accessibility and engagement across community partners |
| Data-to-decision bridge built across all sites | Recommendations directly informed internal equity and external advocacy |
Why It Matters
Equity is not a feeling—it’s a framework. Through participatory research and deep listening, I helped teams move beyond vague commitments toward concrete, community-informed strategies. Whether shaping public policy or internal HR systems, my work makes equity legible, trackable, and durable—so inclusion isn’t just an intention, it’s a shared infrastructure.
Azul Cortez 