Consuelo Kickbusch

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch grew up in a small barrio along the Texas border in Laredo, familiar with poverty, discrimination, and illiteracy, and rose to become the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army. Then, offered a command post, she walked away from it to keep a promise to her dying mother.

From the Laredo Barrio to Lieutenant Colonel

After graduating from Hardin-Simmons University, Kickbusch entered the U.S. Army as an officer and served for two decades, breaking barriers and setting records along the way. Though her family had no material wealth, her immigrant parents taught her she was rich in culture, tradition, values, and faith, a lesson that shaped how she led soldiers and how she leads audiences today. She retired as a Lieutenant Colonel to honor her mother’s wish that she return to her roots and serve her community.

Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders

Through Educational Achievement Services, Inc., the human development company she founded, Kickbusch has worked with more than one million children and parents across the United States, along with schools, universities, corporations, and government agencies. She is the author of Journey to the Future: A Roadmap for Success for Youth, and has been profiled on CNN’s Latino in America, the Lifetime Network, and National Public Radio, and named to Hispanic Business magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America.

Her keynote asks one question that reframes everything else: are you living your legacy?

What does Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch speak about?

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch speaks about leadership, legacy, and cultural identity. Her signature message challenges audiences to live their legacy rather than leave one behind, drawing on grassroots leadership development, Hispanic leadership pipelines, resilience, and the values that carry people from difficult beginnings to positions of influence.

What is Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch’s background?

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Army’s Combat Support Field. Raised in a Laredo, Texas barrio and a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University, she served two decades before retiring to found Educational Achievement Services, Inc. She is the author of Journey to the Future: A Roadmap for Success for Youth.

Who books Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch as a keynote speaker?

Meeting planners book Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch for Hispanic Heritage Month observances, diversity and inclusion summits, women’s leadership conferences, education and student leadership events, and corporate and government programs focused on developing leaders from underrepresented communities.

Living a Legacy

Are you living your legacy? A legacy is not just something a person leaves behind after they die; rather it is the way in which they live their life. Through an interactive and introspective presentation, Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch guides participants through their vision of the future and the goals that they want to accomplish for themselves and for their community. She inspires and challenges participants to become living legends in their professional and personal lives. Her unique emotional style of delivery that has the audiences rolling with laughter, attempting to hold back tears and inevitably on their feet in a standing ovation. Through humor and hard-hitting facts she encourages participants to be servant leaders at work and in their community. Participants learn to live their legacy by leading with their soul.

Going Forward Without Forgetting—Avanzando Y No Olvidando

This keynote focuses on reflecting on ones traditions and values of times past and their importance in our development and growth today. Appreciation of diverse cultures and their contributions to today’s society is emphasized. We can “go forward without forgetting” what a rich heritage our cultures offer, and apply under-appreciated ethics and values to today’s world. The issues of self-esteem and leadership styles are presented in a context in which the past is melded with the present, and offers alternatives we can use in our personal development that will enhance our leadership styles. This is especially relevant to professionals going into the 21st century with a renewed spirit to meet new challenges, pursue higher educational opportunities, and to cherish the joys of living in today’s world!

Shared Leadership: A New Call To Duty

Leadership is not about you. Leadership is about serving. This keynote addresses the philosophy of servant leadership and one’s call to duty. Using her life as an example, from barely surviving in the barrio of Laredo, Texas to receiving an award from the President at the White House, Consuelo serves her audience by challenging them to look inwards and rise to the call of action. In this presentation, Consuelo stresses the importance of Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today! The audience will not leave without hearing the message that “leadership” is not just a framed, wall decoration, but it is an action that one must take for the betterment of his community and the generation to follow. Her lectures on Servant Leadership move audiences to standing ovations, and move people to serve.

Valuing Diversity

This keynote provides participants with the different dimensions of diversity in today’s environment. Learning to accommodate cultural differences is important for managers and employees in order to be successful in the work environment. Moreover, it is important in parenting and education as well. Aspects of cultural differences, strengths and challenges will be examined and examples will be provided. LTC Kickbusch will provide her personal story of challenges and triumphs as a child of the “barrio” who succeeded in spite of many cultural, social and educational obstacles. She gently guides her audience to a better understanding of cultural differences and similarities, as she emphasizes that appreciation of diverse cultures and their contributions to today’s society is a very important element of team-building and team-work, which makes for a successful, productive work environment. LTC Kickbusch will provide insights on yet another necessity for successful professional development and personal growth. This introspective keynote will force participants to look inward at themselves, their work environments, and communities and motivate them to take action.