Neon text displaying 'Who We Are'
A woman and a man sitting outdoors in front of string lights and a decorated tree at nighttime. The woman has curly dark hair and is wearing a blue shirt over a striped top. The man has a beard, blue glasses, a yellow beanie, and is wearing a light-colored shirt over a striped T-shirt. The woman rests her arm on the man's shoulder, and they both smile at the camera.

Duende Creative House specializes in brand development, asset creation, event marketing, and inclusive communications and community advocacy support.

Our shop is built on strategy, artistry, and the belief that great storytelling has the power to change everything. We help artists, entrepreneurs, and social good enterprises amplify their work so they can better enrich their communities. And we don’t just create—we also teach, sharing simple, ethical, and culturally competent ways for anyone to grow their own storytelling and/or activism capabilities.

Co-founders Miguel Gastelum and Haley White have collaborated for more than a decade—as co-founders of the Fresno-based arts and advocacy collective The Fools Collaborative, as leaders in the Save Tower Theatre Demonstration Committee, and as creative marketers for hundreds of campaigns with United Way Fresno and Madera Counties and other community-focused organizations. When a company-wide layoff ended Haley’s time in her director role at United Way, she saw it as an opportunity. Nonprofits and small businesses increasingly need nimble, values-driven marketing support—and Haley and Miguel knew they could fill that gap. Together, they built Duende Creative House on the community-first values and artistry they both share.

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Duende Creative House helps artists, entrepreneurs, and social good enterprises craft authentic, ethical, and culturally competent marketing that is both comprehensible and visually compelling. Through storytelling, design, strategy, and education, we empower our clients to connect meaningfully with their communities and grow with purpose and intention.

A logo with the word "VISION" in thin, black, stylized letters.

We envision a Central Valley that is not only more vibrant and equitable, but liberated and thriving. A place where small businesses and mission-driven organizations flourish—and where local residents have more than just their fair share of resources and opportunity.

At Duende, we believe liberation means moving beyond bare-minimum equity. It means crafting creative, kind solutions to the complex issues our communities face. It means building systems where people truly hold the power—and choose to use it collectively and consciously.

This is the future we work toward: one where storytelling fuels justice, strategy uplifts artistry, and neighborhoods and communities are free to thrive on their own terms.

The word 'PARTNERS' in large, modern font.
Text reading 'Miguel A. Gastelum' in black letters on a white background.

Co-Founder, Creative Lead

A man with a beard, glasses, and a yellow beanie sitting on stairs, smiling at the camera.

Miguel earned his BA in Theatre Arts from Fresno State, and since 2017, has been the Communication Specialist for the university’s Department of Theatre and Dance—handling everything from marketing campaigns to show promotions and public engagement.

In addition to this, he’s spent over a decade as a freelance marketing consultant, working with arts organizations, nonprofits, and socially conscious businesses to help them tell their stories in thoughtful, impactful ways. These brands include United Way Fresno and Madera Counties, Encore Theatre Company, The Rogue Performance Festival, The Sojourner Group, and The Creek Fire Recovery Collaborative, among others. Miguel is a co-founder and board member of The Fools Collaborative, an arts advocacy group here in the Central Valley that’s all about community-driven creative work. His theatre and arts background plays a big part in how he approaches design, messaging, and storytelling. He likes to bring a little drama (the good kind), a lot of heart, and a clear sense of purpose to everything he creates.

Stylized text that says 'HALEY WHITE' in thin, uppercase font.

Co-Founder, Strategy Lead

A woman with short curly hair, wearing a leopard print headband, striped tank top, and denim shirt, sitting on stairs indoors.

Haley White is a communications professional with decades of experience in the non-profit, business, and education sectors. She most recently served for five years as the Director of Marketing at United Way Fresno and Madera Counties. Prior to that, she worked as a producer and casting director for local video house, Windsong Productions, and as a media technician for Tulare County Office of Education.

A multi-hyphenate talent with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College, Haley is a strategist, writer, producer, and director. She has consulted for businesses like the Fresno-Clovis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Marketing Plus, and Duncan Enterprises. Haley comes to her marketing work with a strong background in theatre, film, and other creative-focused storytelling. She uses her experience as a community advocate to lead her work and, as such, purposefully crafts equity-centric campaigns and culturally competent, ethically considerate products. Along with Miguel, Haley is one of the co-founders of The Fools Collaborative, a multidisciplinary arts and advocacy collective that produced creative events for the express purpose of bringing awareness to, and raising funds for, an assortment of community, charitable, environmental, and social justice-orientated causes.

• THIS IS YOKUTS LAND

• THIS IS YOKUTS LAND

It is with deep appreciation for the land and people we share Fresno with that we acknowledge we live in the middle of the great San Joaquin Valley, a place rich in the traditions and cultures of many indigenous peoples and immigrants from all over the globe. We are grateful to be in the traditional homelands of the Yokuts and Mono peoples, whose diverse tribal communities share stewardship over this land. We encourage our friends and partners to follow these social media accounts and seek out knowledge from those who are gracious enough to share their art, history, language, and culture with us : @yokutsland, @valleynatives4change, @valleyvisionscollective, @faihp_community, and @ndncollective, among others.