We recently connected with Gina Casazza and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I never set out to start a nonprofit. That wasn’t the plan at all.
EmpowerLit – Literacy & Beyond was born after I moved to South Carolina. Up north in the New England area, author visits are everywhere—schools prioritize the arts, and bringing in authors is a normal part of the school year. But when I got to the South, I realized how rare those experiences were here. A lot of schools weren’t offering author visits at all, and to me, that felt like such a missed opportunity.
Author visits have been proven to increase literacy, boost test scores, and spark a love for reading. So I started asking, “Why wouldn’t schools want this?”
I offered to help with grants. I even offered to write the grants for them. But the answer was always the same—“We’re too busy,” or, “We still have to front the money.” One excuse after another.
That’s when it hit me—what if I had a nonprofit? What if I could remove those barriers completely and just bring the experience straight to the students?
And the response from schools was instant. They were open, they were interested, they were excited.
So here I am, running a nonprofit I never planned to start—but one that’s filling a real gap. EmpowerLit exists to bring powerful literacy experiences and author visits to schools that otherwise wouldn’t have access to them. Because every child deserves to feel seen, inspired, and excited to read.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Gina Casazza, and I’m the founder of EmpowerLit – Literacy & Beyond, a nonprofit dedicated to boosting literacy and building self-worth in children through author visits, storytelling experiences, and creative literacy programs.
But the truth is—I didn’t grow up loving to read. I was in summer school and special education, and for a long time, I believed I wasn’t smart enough. Everything changed when I discovered the book The Outsiders. For the first time, I saw myself in a story. It didn’t just make me a reader—it made me feel seen. That moment planted the seed that would eventually become my life’s work.
I went on to become a children’s author and podcast host, and I even trained in a Navy SEAL prep program to build the mental toughness I felt I lacked. That experience shaped everything I do now. It taught me how powerful it is when someone refuses to quit on themselves. And I believe kids deserve to learn that lesson early.
EmpowerLit brings that message into schools. We combine author visits, singalongs, storytelling, and writing workshops to create a full-circle literacy experience. One that doesn’t just teach reading—but builds confidence, belonging, and belief.
What sets EmpowerLit apart is our approach. We don’t just read a book—we create an experience. Kids get to meet the author, ask questions, sing songs that reinforce belonging and self-worth, and even write a book together as a school. The result? They see reading—and themselves—in a whole new light.
We serve schools that often don’t have access to arts-based programs. Our goal is to remove the red tape and bring the magic directly to the students—at no cost to the school.
I’m most proud of the way kids light up during our visits. The way they hug the book like it’s something made for them. Because it is.
At the core of everything I do is one belief: Every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and inspired to read.
If you’re a parent, teacher, school leader, or simply someone who believes in the power of stories—EmpowerLit is here to help you create those life-changing moments for the next generation.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting has been the theme of my life.
One of the biggest pivots came after I spent two months in a Navy SEAL training prep program. I went in thinking I was chasing toughness—but what I gained was something deeper: belonging. And that changed everything.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged. Not because I fit in—but because I showed up as my authentic self.. That feeling is something my 7-year-old self always longed for. And in that moment, I knew exactly what I needed to do next.
I decided to write a children’s book for her—and for every other kid who feels like they don’t belong. Because society teaches us that fitting in and belonging are the same—but they’re not. In fact, they’re opposites.
That’s how You Really, Truly Do Belong was born. And it was the first step toward what would eventually become my nonprofit, EmpowerLit.
Sometimes the biggest pivot isn’t about changing direction. It’s about coming home to the message you were meant to share all along.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Running a nonprofit requires a level of resilience I never expected.
First of all—I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time. I’m just figuring it out as I go, constantly learning through trial and error. It’s overwhelming. It’s confusing. And it’s a lot. Fundraising is a full-time job in itself. Right now, we don’t have steady income coming in. There’s no paycheck, no safety net—just belief in the mission and the drive to keep moving forward.
Everything—from writing grants to planning events to taking endless meetings—is something I had to learn from scratch. And when you run a nonprofit, it’s all volunteer-based. No one’s doing this for a salary. They’re doing it because they care.
Our goal is to fund 50 schools next year and bring author visits to 50 more the year after that, and the year after that. That’s hundreds of students we want to impact—and thousands of dollars we need to raise. It’s a huge vision. And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get heavy sometimes.
But then, I go into a school and a student comes up to me and says, “I get bullied every day—and this book helped me feel okay.” Or a kid who’s never enjoyed reading lights up because they finally see themselves in a story. That’s when it all clicks.
You don’t do it for the accolades. You do it for them.
So you take a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other, and figure it out—because it matters. Because they matter.
That’s resilience. Not having it all together, but showing up anyway.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.EmpowerLitNonprofit.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574828172119
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowerlit-literacy-beyond/?viewAsMember=true
• Other: https://empowerlit.substack.com

Image Credits

Gina Casazza