LA MIKIA CASTILLO

Senior Consultant

La Mikia Castillo is a native Angeleno whose roots are firmly planted in Los Angeles, CA, but whose career has taken her from coast to coast developing leaders, cultivating partnerships, and engaging elected officials in critical policy change initiatives.

In her most recent role, La Mikia served as the National Organizing Director of the National Foster Youth Institute, where she developed and implemented the organization’s strategic plan for building a national movement of foster youth leaders and who were empowered to advocate for the transformation of the child welfare system. In her role, La Mikia engaged Members of Congress representing over 100 congressional districts in efforts to improve outcomes for foster youth and families across the country. She also designed and implemented leadership development trainings for hundreds of youth and young adults.

Prior to joining the National Foster Youth Institute, La Mikia was the Associate Director, Western Region, of Education Pioneers, a national education management organization that identified, recruited and trained individuals to become leaders and managers in the education sector. During her time at Education Pioneers, La Mikia managed the team responsible for recruitment, selection, admissions, placement, partner cultivation and program implementation for the Graduate School Fellowship Program across the region. She helped place and develop nearly 300 Fellows throughout her tenure. Additionally, she co-managed the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group, with a focus on increasing diversity among the organization’s staff, as well as the talent that the organization recruited for their partner organizations across the nation.

La Mikia earned her Master of Public Policy and Master of Urban Planning degrees, and received Certificates in Public Management and Political Management from the University of Southern California, where she teaches as an adjunct professor. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Ethnic Studies and Urban Studies & Planning from the University of California, San Diego.

La Mikia is an active member of Fountain of Life Church in Long Beach, CA, where she served as a founding board member and volunteer in the church’s Family Center tutoring program. She enjoys writing, traveling, and vegan cooking with her husband, Daniel and their dog, Ginger.