R.A.D. LLC was born out of over a decade of experience across the P-16 educational sector. R.A.D. stands for Real, Authentic, and Daring. But why these three words? In his decade-long professional and educational journey, our CEO and Lead Consultant, Alejandro Arellano, consistently witnessed students from low-income, underrepresented, and justice-impacted communities fall through the cracks. Having been born into poverty as the youngest of five children, Alejandro has made it his life’s mission to challenge and transform the very systems that were designed to limit social mobility for students like him.

Early in his professional career, Alejandro served as a program advocate for the same initiative that once supported him and his older siblings through school. In that role, he quickly recognized that a lack of representation had a direct impact on student retention, program success rates, and long-term sustainability. As a Latino-identifying male, Alejandro has often been the only person in the room who shared his background, but that has never deterred him from speaking up or pushing for meaningful change.

His experiences have shaped R.A.D.’s foundation: a consulting firm rooted in lived experience, equity-driven values, and transformative leadership. Alejandro believes that effective systems change begins with acknowledging the voices of those who are most often ignored. At R.A.D., we partner with organizations ready to commit to real, authentic, and daring solutions that center marginalized communities and create long-lasting impact.