Available to book
Karla Montalvan
Storytelling
Creativity
Communication
Explore fresh perspectives on belonging and identity with Karla Montalván, Cuban-born writer and journalist. Karla helps audiences understand what it means to grow up between borders through her powerful storytelling and personal experience of migration. Published novelist featured in People, Cosmopolitan, mitú, and more.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Coach
Business Consulting
Journalist
Entrepreneur
Inclusion
Author
Travel Industry
Hispanic & Latinx
Karla Montalván is a Cuban-born writer whose fiction and journalism explore the emotional terrain of migration, identity, and belonging across borders and generations.
A graduate of Miami Dade College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Karla has spent over a decade reporting on identity, gender, and diaspora for outlets including People, People en Español, Cosmopolitan, and mitú. Her debut novel, The Sun and All the Other Stars, examines immigration, gender, queerness, and artistic expression through a deeply human lens.
Throughout her work, Karla draws on her experience of leaving Havana during Cuba's economic crisis of the 1990s, going on to live in Ecuador for three years, and then settling in Miami, all by the age of ten. She explores what it means to grow up between borders and the emotional landscape of "unbelonging". Karla's work also challenges the media industry's tendency to flatten Latino identity into a monolith, offering creators and editors practical strategies for telling intersectional stories that honor the real diversity of race, class, and region.
Book Karla Montalván to bring an authentic, grounded voice on migration, storytelling, and diverse representation to your stage.
Topics, sessions and talks
What does it mean to grow up between borders? In this session, Karla Montalván explores the emotional landscape of "unbelonging"—the unique perspective gained from a life shaped by Havana, Quito, and Miami. Moving beyond basic immigration tropes, this talk delves into how we use memory and storytelling to cultivate a sense of home when the physical soil beneath our feet is constantly shifting.
The "Latino market" is often treated as a singular block, but the reality is a vibrant tapestry of distinct cultures, histories, and voices. Drawing from her experience writing for People, Cosmopolitan, and FIERCE, Karla Montalván breaks down the pitfalls of stereotypical storytelling. This masterclass provides actionable strategies for creators and editors to champion intersectional narratives that honor the specificities of race, class, and regional identity.
Writing for People is not the same as writing for People en Español. This talk explores the linguistic and cultural nuances required to navigate both English and Spanish-language media. Karla Montalván discusses the "art of the pivot"—how to adapt tone, cultural references, and storytelling structures to authentically resonate with bilingual audiences without losing the core of the message in translation.
How do you balance the "write-it-now" urgency of digital journalism with the "write-it-right" patience of a debut novel? Karla Montalván discusses the duality of the modern writing life, offering practical insights on how to protect your creative energy. Learn how the investigative rigor of journalism can strengthen fictional world-building, and how the emotional depth of fiction can bring a fresh perspective to high-traffic digital content in an era where AI is believed to be more valuable than writers.
With a decade of editorial experience and her lifelong journey rebuilding across Havana, Quito, and Miami, Karla brings deep insight to the intersection of migration, identity, and narrative voice. She provides actionable strategies for creators and editors looking to champion intersectional narratives that truly celebrate diverse voices.
Featured Projects
often considered together
Mirtle Peña-Calderón
Storytelling
Personal Branding
Communication
Mark Travis Rivera
Diversity and Inclusion
Creativity
Storytelling
Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez
Diversity and Inclusion
Social Justice
frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Karla Montalván structures her sessions around autobiographical narrative, drawing on her own trajectory from Havana to Ecuador to Miami before the age of ten to ground broader arguments about migration and identity. She pairs this personal framework with practical, craft-level instruction — particularly in masterclass formats — where she translates lived experience into actionable strategies for editors and creators working across bilingual and intersectional contexts.
Karla Montalván's sessions cover diaspora identity and belonging, diverse representation in Latino media, and bilingual writing for English and Spanish markets. She is a Cuban-born journalist and novelist whose work has appeared in People, People en Español, Cosmopolitan, and mitú, and whose debut novel, The Sun and All the Other Stars, draws on her experience of migration across Cuba, Ecuador, and the United States.
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