Partial List of Latina Speakers & Trainers

ANA NOGALES, Ph.D., is a psychologist, columnist, and television personality who has dedicated her professional career to helping women and men in the Latino community with their unique concerns about family, marriage, intimacy, and “living between two cultural worlds’. Mrs. Nogales is a regular columnist for Para Ti She has also hosted daily call-in shows for television and radio and makes frequent guest expert appearances on The Cristina Show, Padre Alberto and other programs.

ELLEN CASTRO is the author of Spirited Leadership, 52 Ways to do Better on the Job. Up on completing her master’s degree in business administration at SMU, Ellen Castro worked with Exxon Company, USA for the next eleven years in various marketing and management assignments. Ellen then chose to redirect her career. To accomplish this transition, she attended Harvard University where she earned a master of education degree. She has assisted many national and international companies in individual and organizational effectiveness, leadership development and communication.

LT. COL. CONSUELO CASTILLO KICKBUSCH rose to be the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field in the U.S. Army. In 1996, she retired and established Educational Achievement Services Inc., a training/consulting firm. With her powerful messages and dynamic presenting style, Lt. Col. Kickbusch speaks nationwide on leadership and is one of the most influential Latina women in America.

Betty Ramirez Swinners is the owner and CEO of Diversity Speakers and a motivational speaker who has dedicated her life to sharing her story of success and survival to encourage others to believe in themselves. A survivor of abuse, she was raised as a homeless child, living in an abandoned house. Education was not a priority to her family, so Betty only attended the second and the fifth grade of elementary school. But adversity did not stop Betty from becoming a success. Her message is "If you believe, you will achieve. It does not matter where you come from, what matters is where you are going."

Betty has over 14 years experience and has developed presentations and trainings targeted toward leadership and improving understanding of the cultural differences of Hispanics and other ethnicities.

BELEN B. ROBLES is the history-making first woman president of the nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization LULAC. She has been recognized as an outstanding leader in helping Hispanic Americans obtain civil rights and social justice for themselves and for their families. Throughout her four decades of community involvement, Ms. Robles has played an active role in ensuring that the culture, history, and economic conditions of her constituents are not overlooked in the corridors of power.

EVAGELINA RANGEL spent the first 14 years of her life in a violent home, and was thrown out in the streets to fend for herself. Through the help of many caring and wonderful women, she grew up with a burning desire to give back to women that which sometimes gets lost somewhere along the way—dignity and respect. As a noted speaker, Eva spreads messages of hope and empowerment to women. She is recognized as a leader and role model for women all over the world.

NORMA E. CANTÚ Award winning Author and Professor, her scholarly interests include folklore, Chicana literature and borderlands studies. Her most recent work, forthcoming from the Texas A&M University Press, is a study of the Matachines de la Santa Cruz, a religious dance tradition in Laredo. She teaches a number of courses including linguistics, creative writing, Chicano/Chicana literature and is active in numerous organizations and community endeavors such as Literacy Volunteers of America--Laredo and Amnesty International.

ROSANNE ORTEGA is an award winning community and education advocate, has over 16 years experience in the communication's arena. This multi-talented woman has extensive public relations and marketing skills with direct work experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. She is committed to serving her community and vigorously pursues her passion for assisting women and Hispanic youth obtain higher education. She has served on over 23 local and state boards, and believes strongly in giving back to her community her most valuable asset … her time.