Gabriel Castillo
Senior Software Engineer, Pandora
Gabriel Castillo comes from a background as a telephone field technician and labor activist. As Contractual Vice President at CWA Local 9415, Gabriel mobilized workers, advocated for worker rights, and took part in international delegations in solidarity with workers who face unsafe working conditions and violence.
Eventually, Gabriel's passion as an advocate for the under-represented took him on a trip across Latin America, where he connected with various non-profits and social enterprises, gaining a deep appreciation for social and economic sustainability. In 2010, Gabriel became a Kiva fellow and spent time in Nicaragua, working with Microfinance institutions and visiting small businesses. Upon returning to the United States he hired on with Kiva as a Software Engineer, eventually also visiting small businesses and microfinance institutions in Bolivia.
Gabriel has witnessed a lot of need outside of the United States but today he's focusing his efforts on the needs of his local community. As a former undocumented worker and teenage parent, he feels a strong draw to address the challenges that inner-city youth face in the Bay Area. He's been volunteering at Hack the Hood since 2015 and recently even taught a tech prep course. He now works full time with one of his earliest passions: Music, as a Software Engineer at Pandora.
