Compañeros Team
Matt Karkut, Co-Executive Director
Matt holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) from Pomona College in California. He has previously worked in English-Spanish interpretation and translation in the U.S. and South America, English as a second language (ESL) instruction in Europe, outdoor guiding in Central America, and international money transfer technology. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, his experience growing up as a mixed-race Asian-American in the intermountain west informed his world views and motivations to advocate for positive social change and racial equity. Matt is also an avid polyglot, enjoys learning new recipes to cook, and loves spending time with family and friends.
Enrique A. Orozco-Perez, Co-Executive Director
Enrique leads Compañeros with a deep commitment to immigrant rights and community empowerment. A proud son of Colombian immigrants, he brings lived experience, global perspective, and a strong grounding in social justice. He is a fellow of both the Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing (supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) and the Boettcher Foundation’s Doers & Difference Makers program. Outside of work, Enrique finds balance through cycling and soccer, believing in the power of movement to build community and well-being. Enrique also holds a B.A. in Anthropology, plus a B.S. in Biology, from the University of Delaware.
Carolina Diaz Ovalle, Immigration Legal Assistance Program Coordinator
A political asylum seeker from Colombia, she has been involved in advocating for others ever since her father was kidnapped when she was only 15 years old which led her to fight to protect other Colombians affected by armed conflict. Eventually, she fled the violence in her country and in 2016 arrived in Durango, where she has lived ever since. Today, Carolina continues to be committed to helping others, whether raising her family or fighting for the rights of her community.
Ayelen Maldonado, Immigration Legal Assistance Program Specialist
Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Ayelen pursued a degree in Economics and Business Administration at the National University of Córdoba. Deeply passionate about human and minority rights, Ayelen was an active participant in social movements in Argentina before moving to Durango in 2020. Her own experiences with migration, filled with considerable challenges and obstacles, have profoundly motivated her to assist others through her role at Compañeros. Ayelen relishes the summer days, spending her time paddleboarding on Lake Nighthorse, doing yoga, and and hiking.
Heleny Zacamolpa, Community Advocate
Heleny brings a deep commitment to community advocacy, inclusion, and accessible healthcare. A proud bilingual first-generation college graduate from Fort Lewis College, she holds degrees in Exercise Physiology and Public Health. Heleny’s lived experiences as a language broker for her family and as an advocate for individuals with disabilities have shaped her passion for service, equity, and empowerment. She currently supports families across Southwest Colorado through resource navigation, interpretation, and outreach initiatives that bridge language and cultural gaps.
Brenda Gutierrez-Ruiz, Youth Education Expansion Coordinator
Brenda was born and raised in Colorado to immigrant parents from Mexico. Currently pursuing a degree in Education at Fort Lewis College, she is deeply committed to social justice and dedicated to creating enriching opportunities for the kids in our community. Being the child of immigrants has given her a unique view of the challenges faced by the immigrant community and profoundly shaped her values instilling a strong sense of family, community, and a passion for equity. Brenda loves being outdoors, making art, and spending time with her partner and family.
Lola Dettling, Immigrant Services Assistant
Originally from Guatemala, Lola was raised in Colorado by a single mother. Currently working towards a degree in Spanish and psychology at Fort Lewis College and is deeply interested in working with minority groups in the future using both Spanish and psychology to provide those groups with more support and resources. Striving to become a psychologist, her experiences and the support she has been shown motivates her to help others as best as she can in the future. Lola loves any outdoor activity, spending time with loved ones and reading.
Board of Directors
Tirzah Camacho
Tirzah Camacho (they/she) is a long-standing community organizer, activist, and visual artist who’s been living and working in Southwest Colorado for the past 25 years. They have a formal background in the arts, southwest studies, health equity, intersectional justice, and prevention methodologies. In more recent years they’ve worked for philanthropic, financial, and civic systems-change initiatives mobilizing intentional inclusion tactics and equitable, trust-based resource redistribution. They’ve held fellowship positions for the Smithsonian and the Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing via the National Collaborative for Health Equity. Camacho is most happy when connecting people, ideas, and resources to build power - that, and hanging out with their beloved teenager and mini-schnauzer.
Silvana Torres
Silvana is originally from Piura, Peru and like many people she has gone through an immigration process, which is why she identifies with the problems and needs of the Latino immigrant community in the USA. She has a degree in Accounting and Auditing, working in recent years in internal auditing in the banking industry in her home country. In addition to working, she enjoys traveling, learning about new cultures, and helping the community.
Mike Kubicek
Mike has worked with immigrant communities professionally in the Criminal Legal System for years. Seeing how governmental systems and organizations abuse and mistreat immigrant communities has given him a passion to push back against governmental abuse and overreach. Studying in Argentina and living in Chile gave Mike a passion for learning and speaking Spanish. He is proud to serve on the board of an organization like Compañeros that strives to build a safer, more inclusive future for everyone. Mike loves Durango spending time in the deserts and mountains surrounding Durango.
Rachel Boyle
Rachel is an educator, ecological gardener and activist with a passion for systems change and social justice. Rachel has volunteered with immigrant resource organizations in North Carolina and Denver and has worked on farms, permaculture institutes, and nature reserves throughout the Andes Mountains, becoming bilingual along the way. After working in bilingual schools and expeditionary education in the Front Range, Rachel moved to Durango in 2022 to plant roots in a smaller community. Rachel now teaches 1st grade and runs a school garden in Durango, centering liberatory education, multilingual learning, and connection with the natural world in their work. Rachel lives in the hills above Durango with her partner and ever-expanding garden.
Nicole Fortin
Nicole Fortin holds an M.A. in International Relations and an M.A. in International Law. She spent four years in Beirut, Lebanon, working with the Sunni Court’s humanitarian aid organization, where she developed projects and proposals in support of refugee response efforts. She also volunteered as a translator in Lesvos, Greece, assisting various international organizations during the height of the refugee crisis. Upon returning to the U.S., Nicole supported immigrants by helping fill out immigration applications through Mango House in Denver, all while navigating the U.S. immigration system herself on behalf of her then-husband. A Denver native, Nicole brings a deeply personal understanding of the complexities of immigration law and greatly values the work Compañeros is doing in the community.