High Tide Global Board of Directors
HAZEL ORTEGA
CEO
Hazel Ortega is a psychologist, a vocational expert, a successful entrepreneur, and an acclaimed public speaker for her course The
Mastery of Miracles.
Born into poverty and raised with her four sisters in a one-bedroom apartment in then gritty Echo Park, L.A., Hazel grew up seeing her
parents go in and out of the justice system and identified with the local Eighteenth Street gang that ruled her block.
Hazel was a high-school dropout working in the Los Angeles court system when the judge who was her supervisor became the first of the
“Pushy Angels” she credits for inspiring her to achieve and encouraging her to complete her Associate’s degree, then her Master’s Degree.
HEIDI STANGELAND
Secretary
Heidi is a multi-optioned screenwriter and has worked in the field of Wilderness Therapy as a Family Coordinator.
As a single mother of three, Heidi realizes the value of a healthy mindset and empowerment, set to remove the stigma around mental health.
Ernie Gritzewsky
Education Program Director
Ernie G is a Multicultural Award-Winning Youth Empowerment Performer, a 2-time TEDx Speaker & a Certified Mental Health Coach! A graduate of Loyola Marymount University w/ his degree in Psychology & a minor in Chicano Studies, Ernie has developed his own unique form of Comedic Performance he calls “Latino Edutainment – Educating and Entertaining with a Latino Flavor!” He has spoken for the country’s top National Orgs & Corporations, including Disney, PepsiCo, General Mills, Warner Bros, the U.S. Armed Forces, NASA: Langley Research Center, UnidosUS, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, Lockheed Martin, Altamed, & St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Ernie was honored with the 1st-ever Mario Moreno “Cantínflas” Award by the City of Los Angeles for “…representing the L.A. community with the same humor & distinction. as the legendary Mario Moreno “Cantínflas!” He also received the Nix Financial “Father of the Community” Award & the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s “Influential Leader” Award for his Empowering work in the Latino Community. He appeared along. side numerous Global Leaders such as The Dalai Lama, Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith & Tony Robbins in The Most Inspirational Film of 2020 – “WeRiseUP,” and he currently serves as the Educational Program Director for High Tide Global. (Visit ErnieG.com or Social Media #ErnieGhaha)
Berke Brown
Director of Behavioral Science
Berké is a leading motivation and behavior change expert, with a track record of creating sustainable cultural changes for Fortune 500 companies, organizations, and municipal governments. As the founder of Internal Gym Enterprises and a partner with Fogbreak Justice, Berké specializes in team building, diversity and inclusion consulting, authentic brand development, and pitch delivery. He has also founded two startups and served as a board advisor for five businesses, with experience in building rapid-growth startup cultures and resetting unhealthy business cultures.
Berké’s research on internal motivation and the psycho-motivational forces of personal and group behavior change at UC Berkeley, where he also taught a course on the subject, earned him the highest honors. Drawing on his research and consulting experience, Berké designs powerful behavior change programs that increase human motivation and engagement in work, mental health, business, and life. His expertise in fostering transformational change makes him an invaluable asset to any organization seeking to create positive, impactful change
