Team

President & CEO

Castillo is a Native Latine woman, an activist, feminist, national strategic leader, and renowned speaker in diversity & inclusion, digital rights, hate speech, media, civil rights, and social justice. She is an expert in alliance building, authentic storytelling, Latine in entertainment, and women’s issues. Castillo is a big believer that digital rights are a human right, that there is a very real correlation between hate rhetoric and hate crimes, and that tech companies should be held accountable for disinformation on their platforms.

Castillo currently serves as the first woman President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC).

Nominated by Congressman Joaquin Castro, Brenda was appointed to the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress in 2021. She is an Executive Committee Member of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda; Steering Committee Member of Latino Voices for Boardroom Equity; a member of the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights; and leads the Spanish Language Disinformation Coalition.

Castillo is an L.A. Emmy award-winning producer and media production director with decades of C-suite experience in the private, government, and nonprofit sectors for BP America, ABC, and KTLA 5 Television. She is the executive producer of the 10 year old Latinx Stream Showcase, and runs one of the oldest (20 years) diversity writers programs in the industry, the Series Scriptwriters Program. Her recent short, “You’ll Be Happy Here”, won Best Horror short at the LIFE Film Festival along with multiple nominations.

Strategic Legal Advisor & Policy Counsel

Daiquiri Ryan is a Tejana and first-generation lawyer with a passion for social justice and technology. As NHMC’s Strategic Legal Advisor and Policy Counsel, she is a new type of advocate, emphasizing movement-building, storytelling, and strategic policy outcomes. Daiquiri is a subject matter expert in broadband access, net neutrality, platform accountability, and other telecommunications and tech policy issues. Throughout her time with NHMC, Daiquiri has been a featured speaker at conferences and events such as Civil Rights x Tech, LULAC’s State of Latinx Summit, Latinx Tech Summit, and The Lawyer’s Committee’s Online Hate and Privacy Symposium. She is also a distinguished author with publications like Lack Of Internet Access Threatens 2020 Census Success And The Future Latino Voting Power and features in Forbes, Rolling Stone, Gizmodo, and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

In addition to her role at NHMC, Daiquiri is the Co-founder at Neta Collab, a digital-first branding and marketing agency dedicated to social justice, the Vice President at the Joey Ryan Foundation, and Chairwoman for the Latinas in Tech DC Metro Chapter. A proud alumna of Arizona State University and The George Washington University School of Law, Daiquiri enjoys lazy Sundays with her partner, José, and her dog Lupita.

Director of Programs & Special Events

Felicia Mora delegates the planning and logistics of the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s events from inception to completion. Over the past six years she has assisted in rebranding and improving the structure and coordination of NHMC’s events. From casting and producing the Latinx Stream Showcase, to coordinating multiple timelines and schedules for the 20+ year old Series Scriptwriters Program, to connecting and coordinating directly with A-List talent for the Impact Awards Gala.

Felicia is a fourth-generation Angeleno. She attended Cal State Fullerton receiving her degree in American Studies with a minor in Art, and is the first in her family to graduate from college. Felicia enjoys ceramics and attending as many local/community events when she can. She is a proud Chicanx/Native/Filipinx-American, human-parent, and cat mom.

Policy Counsel

Randy Abreu, a dedicated lawyer hailing from The Bronx, NY, is passionate about media, tech policy, and social justice. His professional background includes serving as a Legislative Assistant and Policy Director for U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and working as an advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy under President Barack Obama. Randy’s expertise in media and tech policy first took root during his summer fellowship with NHMC and has since flourished through his numerous publications on vital topics such as the digital divide, race and ethnic inequality, and critical information needs.

With fluency in both Spanish and English, Randy is exceptionally skilled at connecting with diverse communities and effectively communicating narratives and messaging points to the public.

External Relations & Digital Media Manager

Cruz Castillo is a part of the team’s external affairs, creating networks and building bridges with organizations, individuals, and the community. He helps coordinate and strategizes NHMC’s social media to serve Latinx and all POC best and promote all the team’s hard work.

Before joining NHMC, Cruz has worked various jobs ranging from NBCUniversal to CTV Canada. He has years of experience in the entertainment industry ranging from production crew to social media.

Cruz grew up in Whittier, California, and is one of many in his family to graduate from a university; the bar is set high with the Castillos. Cruz advocates for the underdog, fighting for those not often thought of or given the opportunity.

Cruz is a graduate from Cal State Los Angeles, where he earned his B.A. in Interpersonal Communication and a graduate from Institute of American Indian Arts where he received his Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. He is a proud Indigenous Native living on stolen land. When not at NHMC, he enjoys spending his time reading, being active in the community, and filmmaking.

Administrative Manager

Arianna Rodriguez is the Administrative Manager at NHMC, joining the team in February 2023. She is third generation, born and raised in the Los Angeles area. She is also the first to graduate from college in her family. Arianna received her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management with Cum Laude honors from the University of Phoenix. She is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Management from the University of Phoenix. 

Arianna, being of Mexican and Salvadoran descent, is passionate about breaking down barriers for Latinx people in their communities. In her free time, she enjoys attending classic cars events, going to concerts and festivals, and spending the day with her dog.

Digital Equity Policy Fellow

Victoria Gonzalez is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University. She was a full time student athlete that graduated Summa Cum Laude with a double major in Political Science and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. Victoria, as a Mexican-American and a first generation student, is passionate about making the world a better place for future generations of marginalized communities.

In her previous role at the Government Accountability Office, she engaged with stakeholders and conducted thorough investigations into legislative programs. Drawing from her tenure with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), she delved deeply into the complexities of gerrymandering and actively campaigned for fairer electoral maps, particularly in states facing oppressive practices. Serving as an advocate for inclusive democracy, she passionately worked towards ensuring that every voice is heard and every vote counts.