Target Audience: Educational Institutions, Nonprofit Organizations, Women’s Conferences, Corporate Events. 

Keynote Topics: Motivation, Youth Empowerment, Personal Development, Intimate Partner Violence, Women’s Empowerment, Entertainment, Substance Abuse Issues

Services: Keynotes,Workshops, Parenting Programs, Mentoring, and Corporate Development

Best known for her riveting performance as “Eva” in the hit movie Freedom Writers, starring Hilary Swank, April Hernandez Castillo lived the Hollywood dream. She starred in tv shows such as; Person of Interest, Law & Order: SVU, Dexter, and New Amsterdam, to name a few. However, behind the glitz and glamor was a woman dealing secretly with a traumatic past.

April’s inspirational story of resilience, overcoming adversity, and choosing to move forward no matter what happens in life is a message that resonates with audiences across the globe. In her keynote, Moving Forward, April intimately describes how she was able to take her tragedies and turn them into triumphs. From growing up in the tough streets of the Bronx during the Crack Epidemic Era to being in an abusive relationship as a teenager to almost taking her own life, April truly understands what it feels like when the odds are up against you. To move forward in life, we must first choose to do so.

“My life dramatically changed when I made two critical decisions during my abuse. I chose to leave, and I made a choice to live.”

April’s platform as a Hollywood actor has allowed her to grace an array of audiences from juvenile detention facilities to some of the most prestigious stages, TEDx, Harvard, and Microsoft, to list a few.

Her message has reached thousands in schools, conferences, and corporations, nationwide and internationally. April is also an author who is set to release her highly anticipated work, her memoir, Embracing Me. One of her favorite quotes is from the movie “Rocky Balboa.”

“It’s not how hard you hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward; that’s how winning is done.” – Rocky