Anyone who has been a part of Public Invention within the past five years will have met volunteer coordinator and admin extraordinaire Miriam Castillo. From recruiting volunteers for project teams, to running Google Ad campaigns, to brainstorming solutions within the admin team, Castillo has been a critical member of the organization. Recently, she shared the story behind her involvement with Public Invention, the tasks she has taken on, and her experience as a volunteer and administrator.
Joining Public Invention
A Response to the Pandemic
Before joining Public Invention, Castillo’s background was in business management. She gained an MBA while working as a business consultant in both marketing and enterprise resource planning in Mexico. She also volunteered with the Mexican government in Jalisco to support local students, providing mentorship to align projects with the UN’s Sustainable Goals.
"The first things that I saw on the [Public Invention] website were all the efforts that they were doing back then with PolyVent and for the ventilators. Everything was related to the pandemic." - Miriam Castillo
Then the covid-19 pandemic hit,and everything changed. Castillo’s work and volunteer mentorship had to move remotely. Worried by the ways the pandemic was affecting her mentees and others in Mexico, Castillo turned to Google for an avenue to volunteer and make a difference using her business skillset. That was when she came across Public Invention through VolunteerMatch. She researched the organization and quickly connected with its mission.
“The first things that I saw on the [Public Invention] website were all the efforts that they were doing back then with PolyVent and for the ventilators. Everything was related to the pandemic,” Castillo remembered. “So, I was like, ‘All right, maybe this is the way that I can help with the pandemic.’”
Castillo contacted Public Invention and had a panel interview with Megan Cadena and Robert Read who comprised the admin team at the time. They soon onboarded Castillo to the team and she began providing feedback on the website, focusing on how to drive traffic to volunteer, donations, and project pages. She also recruited volunteers in-person and online, created Google Ad campaigns, supported the YouTube channel, helped organize the first in-person event for Public Invention, reached out to universities to amplify the PIHE movement, and worked to network with sponsors and allies for the organization.
The Tasks of a Volunteer Coordinator
Castillo has made the role of volunteer coordinator her own, and has expanded her recruiting tasks to include marketing campaigns, event planning, content creation, and Discord management. Like all Public Invention admin, her role surpasses the usual boundaries of any one area, allowing for her to make a major impact on the organization and those she serves.
"I pretty much just took that role, brought it to the table, and started to grow into a lot of activities that I had no idea I needed to get involved in to reach volunteers." - Miriam Castillo
Recruiting: Online and In-Person
One of the first tasks Castillo explored in her new role was volunteer recruiting. She worked with Read and Cadena to outline the target demographics of volunteers who could fill varied volunteer roles. Armed with this knowledge, she posted these positions on LinkedIn and Facebook. While she originally discovered Public Invention through the VolunteerMatch (now Idealist) site, she soon came to appreciate and prefer LinkedIn for its functionality and professional applicant base.
“I created profiles for volunteer positions. I started using VolunteerMatch and LinkedIn,” Castillo said. “The audience that we were seeking were undergraduate and graduate students, people that were really committed to staying professional and landing in something that was going to be on the path to professional growth.”
After the pandemic and work from home mandates lifted, Castillo expanded her outreach efforts to include in-person events and networking. She researched venues, attended conferences, and viewed panels that hosted topics related to Public Invention. She also researched locations that might provide receptive audiences for project demos.
Since Castillo joined Public Invention in 2020, the number of volunteers in the organization has more than doubled from twelve to thirty. Additionally, Public Invention’s volunteer base extends across every continent in the world. Castillo has discovered, interviewed, or onboarded most of these new individuals over the intervening years.
Google Ads and Content Marketing
Castillo discovered the importance of SEO and content for online volunteer outreach. While researching networking events, she noticed that Public Invention was not appearing in search results under the nonprofit tag in Google. In response, she discussed the problem with a colleague from Mexico who recommended the use of Google Ads.
“Nonprofits can apply for Google Ads for Nonprofits. I pretty much just took that role, brought it to the table, and started to grow into a lot of activities that I had no idea I needed to get involved in to reach volunteers,” Castillo said. “So, the activities were networking, but also positioning the brand of the nonprofit on online platforms, especially the major search engines like Google.”
Currently, Castillo regularly launches marketing campaigns using Google Ads. To complete these campaigns, however, she utilizes content created in collaboration with outreach coordinator Cadena.
“If I wanted to help recruit for a specific project, I went to the Public Invention website and took a look at what was about that project which led me to GitHub. Soon, I realized it was valuable for me to create an account,” Castillo shared. “It was also a lot of collaboration with Megan, because we multitask. So, it was a lot of asking Megan to help with graphic designs like Canva, photos, videos, and images so we could amplify these projects and the efforts they bring to the public and the community.”
With this renewed emphasis on outreach content, Public Invention’s social media presence has continued to expand. As of 2026, the organization has an audience of 765 LinkedIn followers and 487 YouTube subscribers.
The Power of Volunteering
"I learn through all the content that is being created for Public Invention, and that wouldn’t be possible without hearing all the stories of the volunteers. They are the storytellers." - Miriam Castillo
Reflecting on her five years of Public Invention work, Castillo shared her favorite aspects of the position. She appreciated how her work with the organization continues to afford her the opportunity to learn and evolve as a professional.
“I enjoy everything,” Castillo said. “The fact that I need to read and know more about how I can amplify the efforts; that's a part that I enjoy a lot, because I learn through that. I learn through all the content that is being created for Public Invention, and that wouldn’t be possible without hearing all the stories of the volunteers. They are the storytellers.”
As a volunteer coordinator, Castillo also provided insights on the power of volunteering when it comes to professional growth, skill building, and networking. She especially recommended other interested individuals from Latin America to join the organization by reaching out to her through Public Invention's WhatsApp. Above all, however, she emphasized the importance of every volunteer’s inner drive and motivation to support the organization’s mission.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to exchange ideas, exchange knowledge, have conversations, and get to know a person,” Castillo said. “There are a lot of social skills that we can develop through volunteering. [Volunteering is] something where someone needs to have that initiative, or feel that call to action and just do it.”
Castillo continues to serve the Public Invention community through inviting others to join as volunteers, creating marketing campaigns, and supporting general outreach. She is a great example of how individuals without technical or engineering backgrounds, and Inventors throughout the world, can join the open-source movement and leave their marks. Castillo shows that, whether one’s skillset is in business management, graphic design, content creation, or engineering, there is a position and an impact waiting to happen.