Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz

Fabiana is a Venezuelan-American communications expert and strategic storyteller serving as the founder and CEO of Refuerzo Collaborative. She grew up with her mother repeating one daily mantra “cada cabeza es un mundo,” which roughly translates to “everyone’s head is their own world.” As a result, Fabiana has always been interested in why people think the way they do. Fabiana uses her industry expertise and passion to educate clients on marketing and PR processes while developing in-depth strategies and brand awareness. She loves immersing herself in the world of her clients, from James Beard Award winning restaurants, to well-known B2B tech companies, non-fiction authors, and everything in between. She has secured coverage for clients in Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Texas Monthly, etc. In addition to her media relations skills, she is an expert in micromedia strategies, an occasional event planner, an influencer master and so much more. Her work has been recognized by Reagan and PR Daily, Women Communicators of Austin, and The Association for Women in Communications.

Ashley Alaniz-Moyer

Ashley is a wearer of many hats despite claiming she doesn’t have a head for them. She has 15 years of experience working in nonprofits with roles focused in operations, fundraising, program development, marketing, communications, and events. Ashley believes in combining communication and collaboration for maximum impact. She has successfully planned major events that have launched regional campaigns and led organizations through rebranding efforts and strategic planning processes. Ashley is a strong advocate for racial justice and DEI in the Austin community, specifically with her leadership on the Austin Mayor's Task Force on Institutional Racism. Ashley is a native Tejana who resides in Austin with her partner and son. Her leadership has been recognized by the Austin Business Journal, Austin Under 40, Austin Woman Magazine, KVUE, American Red Cross, The Excellence and Advancement Foundation, Texas Christian University, and Concordia University Texas.