2016 Latina of Influence | Bel Hernandez Castillo
2016 Latinas of Influence
Hispanic Lifestyle is pleased to recognize Bel Hernandez Castillo an award-winning journalist and the President/CEO of Latin Heat Media a 2016 Latina of Influence. Ms. Hernandez Castillo along with her fellow Latinas of Influence are invited to participate in Hispanic Lifestyle’s Latina Conference to be held on April 8, 2016 at the Ontario Airport Hotel, Ontario, CA. The complete listing of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2016 Latinas of Influence can be found on Hispaniclifestyle.com
Bel Hernandez Castillo is an award-winning journalist and the President/CEO of Latin Heat Media, LLC, an integrated media and entertainment company. Since 1992 Latin Heat has been publishing the first entertainment trade publication focused on Latinos, now found on the web (www.latinheat.com).
Video Exclusive, Hispanic Lifestyle spoke at a red carpet event with the hosts of HOLA LA.
Always ahead of the curve when it comes to Latinos in media, she is the creator, executive producer and host of HOLA! LA the first TV talk show a Latina POV hosted by four professional Latinas airing on English-language TV station (KCAL9 and KCBS2) (www. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/category/hola-la/). Latin Heat Media also recently launched the multi-channel OTT online streaming platform LatinHeatCinema, the destination for U.S. Latino video content makers of webseries, features, TV shows and short films can be found.
Bel Hernandez Castillo
Ms. Hernandez Castillo was dubbed “The Godmother of Latino Hollywood” by Moviemaker magazine in 2000. She served six years as a member on the prestigious Peabody Awards Board, the last as the first ever Latina/o Chair of the board. Presently she is on the Business Board of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. She has been recognized for her journalist endeavors by the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Latina Style Magazine, La Opinion, National Hispanic Health Foundation, National Hispanic Media Coalition, the City of Los Angeles, the HPRA and Women in Theater Festival and in 2012 received an NCLR ALMA Award for her contributions to visibility of Latinos in the entertainment community.
She is also the board of Latinheat Media Institute, a non-profit organization which utilizes multiple platforms and strategic alliances to inform, educate, connect, and empower Latinos in entertainment by providing the resources and tools, as well as insight into relevant issues that inform and advance Latinos in media.
She is one of the authors of the anthology, ”8 Ways to Say I Love My Life”. Adapted into a theatrical production, Bel produced the play based on the book, which went on to win an Imagen Award in 2009 for Best Theatrical Presentation.
Through her work, Ms. Hernandez fulfills the Latin Heat Media mission of creating content by Latinos and about Latinos for universal audiences. She is married to actor Enrique Castillo and has three grown children Sol, Alma & Karina.
Nominated by Naibe Reynoso
