Julián Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014-2017. Before that, he was Mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas — the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city at the time. In 2012, he gave a rousing keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, during which he described the American Dream as a relay to be passed from generation to generation. After his historic campaign for president in 2020, Secretary Castro launched People First Future in May to help elect bold, progressive candidates whose campaigns are focused on improving the lives of all people they hope to represent. In September, Secretary Castro launched "Our America with Julián Castro," a podcast with Lemonada Media that puts a spotlight on vulnerable communities and takes a humanizing and hopeful look at how drastically the American experience shifts from one person to the next.
She is a Coolspeaker (a youth engagement company) and works with thousands of students around the country each year.
She has collaborated with Aspen Challenge, Aspen Youth Leadership Forum, Bezos Scholars,, Write About Now, Public Poetry, Tintero Projects, WITS (Writers in the Schools) and Poets & Writers.
