OUR TEAM

Dusti Gurule
President & CEO
COLOR Action Fund

Dusti Gurule has been the President and CEO of the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) and the COLOR Action Fund since 2017. COLOR is Colorado's leading multi-entity reproductive justice organization, with a mission to enable Latinx individuals and their families to lead safe, healthy, and self-determined lives.

Dusti was born into an activist family who instilled the importance of equity, justice, and the dignity of all people. Her upbringing, rooted in the civil rights movements of the 1970s, laid the foundation for her lifelong commitment to advancing various social issues. In 2004, Dusti served as the founding Executive Director for the Latina Initiative, a nationally recognized civic engagement and political leadership organization that amplifies the voices of Latinas across Colorado. Her vision helped launch Colorado’s Latino/a Advocacy Day and Latinas Increasing Political Strength (LIPS), which continue to be important spaces for Latino/a power building. From 2010 to 2017, Dusti was an appointee of President Obama, serving as a Regional Representative for the Secretary of Labor in seven states where she led education and coalition-building efforts, demonstrating her strong leadership skills.

In addition to her work at COLOR, Dusti serves as the board chair for Voces Unidas Action Fund, a community-based advocacy organization in Colorado’s central mountain region. Complementing her professional experience, Dusti's academic journey has significantly shaped her career. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chicano Studies from MSU Denver and a master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Her work and impact have been recognized through various awards, including the City of Denver Mayor’s Award for Diversity & Inclusion, Latinas First Foundation Unsung Heroine, Colorado Common Cause Craig Barnes Democracy Award, the Cesar Chavez Peace & Dignity Award, and the Vanguard Legacy Award from Groundswell Action Fund. In 2024, Dusti had the distinct honor of being inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Aurea Bolaños Perea
Strategic Communications Director

Aurea (she/her/ella) is a Tijuana-native from San Diego, CA. She earned her Master’s in Political Science with an emphasis on legislative behavior and Latinas in politics from CSU Chico in 2019. Aurea’s involvement in political movements and political consulting began during her time in UC Merced as a Campus Organizing Director, where she was in charge of implementing and strategizing the response student activists would take throughout the UC system. From then on, she has trained community members, non-profit organizers, elected leaders, and soon-to-be-elected leaders throughout California and the nation about political organizing, political strategy, effective communication skills, and more.

As someone who cares about the political empowerment of every woman, Aurea believes that all of our hermanes deserve to be involved in every sphere of government. She seeks opportunities where Latinas are the driving force in enacting policy change.