Executive Director & Founder
Michelle Castro Douglass, MSW
Michelle Castro Douglass is the Founder and Executive Director of Prom Plus NYC, a non-profit organization that offers targeted enrichment and educational programming to the city's young adults.
Michelle provides strategic guidance to Prom Plus NYC, and she spearheads its various enrichment programs and workshops, which take place throughout the school year. The organization's signature event, The Total Boutique Experience (TBE), is the culmination of these workshops.
After a career spanning 15+ years in sales and marketing at esteemed publications like Sports Illustrated, Vibe, and Latina, Michelle left the corporate world to launch Prom Plus NYC in 2015. Even while traveling extensively for her corporate career, Michelle always made it a priority to serve her community. Her experience in the corporate world, coupled with her extensive volunteer work for family and youth charities, uniquely equipped her to establish an organization dedicated to empowering young adults.
When Prom Plus NYC first began, it had just a few participants, a handful of dresses, and one strategy to reach this audience. Since then, extensive programming has been developed. PPNYC now partners with professionals in almost every field to offer seminars on self-empowerment, Life Skills 101, dining etiquette classes, social media safety, and an intensive vision board workshop that inspires students to dream big and work towards achieving their goals.
Michelle's commitment to youth extends far beyond the borders of New York City and the United States. She has demonstrated her philanthropic spirit by engaging in humanitarian efforts in Cuba and, most recently in 2022, by collaborating with political officials in the Philippines to restore food and medical programs to remote communities that had been severely impacted by Typhoon Odette.
Michelle's unshakable belief in the power of equality, education, and self-confidence is what inspires her to help transform the lives of our youth. She knows that by providing teenagers with the tools they need to succeed, we can help them become the leaders and visionaries of tomorrow. Her unwavering commitment to empowering youth is a reflection of her deep compassion and empathy for the challenges young people face today. With her visionary approach and passionate advocacy, Michelle is working to create a brighter future where every young person has the opportunity to thrive and achieve their dreams.