About El Nido
A nest built by and for Latino creatives.
El Nido, Spanish for "the nest", is a mentorship community for Latino creatives working in entertainment. We pair emerging union talent with established mentors across acting, writing, directing, producing, cinematography, casting, and beyond. Mentors of all backgrounds are welcome; mentees are Latino. What unites us is a shared belief that one real conversation can change a trajectory.
The values that shape every pairing.
Real Connection
Mentorship is not a transaction. It is a relationship. We pair people who genuinely invest in each other over four intentional months.
Community First
No one makes it alone. El Nido is built to be a room where someone has been where you are and is willing to pull up a chair.
Intentional Growth
We are not chasing scale for its own sake. Every cohort is small, focused, and designed to create real momentum for each participant.
Cultural Pride
We celebrate the full spectrum of Latino identity — every nationality, every discipline, every background and center the voices that have been overlooked.
The heart and roots of El Nido.
Co-Founders
Every story has a beginning.
Natalia Castellanos
🇨🇴🇻🇪Co-Founder
@hereisnataliaAfter years in this industry, one thing became clear: knowing people is not the same as having a community. Even with a full network, navigating this industry can still feel like an endless pit. El Nido was created to fill that gap. A space where connection is intentional, where creatives at every stage can learn from each other, adapt, and grow into whatever comes next, whether that is staying the course or stepping into a whole new role. Because as this industry keeps shifting, mentorship is not a luxury. It is what keeps us going.
Gerardo Celasco
🇸🇻Co-Founder
@gerardocelascoI've spent my entire career in this industry without a mentor. I never had someone to call, someone to learn from up close, or someone who truly understood what I was navigating and could say, "You belong here, and this is how you stay." I found my own way, and I'm grateful for that journey. But I carry the absence of mentorship with me, not as a wound, but as a purpose. When something important doesn't exist, you build it. That's why I'm building El Nido. Because I know exactly what it would have meant to have a place like this when I was starting out, and I want the next generation to have what so many of us never did.
A letter from our founders.
Welcome to El Nido. We're so glad you're here. We're honored to have you in the nest.
El Nido was created from a simple belief: no one should have to navigate this industry alone.
The entertainment industry is built on relationships, yet so many creatives find themselves searching for guidance, community, and someone who understands the unique path they're on. While talent and hard work are essential, we believe meaningful connections and shared experiences are equally important in shaping a career.
That belief led us to create El Nido.
El Nido is more than a mentorship program. It is a community built on generosity, trust, and the belief that when we invest in one another, we strengthen not only individual careers but the future of our industry as a whole.
Whether you are joining as a Mentor or a Mentee, you are now part of a group of working creatives who believe in sharing knowledge, encouraging one another, and creating space for honest conversations about the realities of this industry.
We hope you'll celebrate each other's successes, ask thoughtful questions, share your experiences generously, and remember that every conversation has the potential to make a lasting impact.
The relationships formed here may begin through El Nido, but the community we build together belongs to all of us.
May you find encouragement when you need it, wisdom when you seek it, and lasting relationships that continue long after the program ends.
One last thought…
"When you're ready, send the elevator back down."
With gratitude,
Natalia Castellanos & Gerardo Celasco
Founders