Brian Arao (he/him/his)

Personal Foundations Are Not Fully YouTube video by Keith Edwards

#highered leaders: Personal foundations aren't fluffy. They're infrastructure. When everything's chaotic (and when isn't it?), they keep you grounded.

Evolve Summit for executives builds this into our curriculum.

Final enrollment: Friday, Jan 16. Next chance: 2027.

www.youtube.com/shorts/1vaoF...

Thanks for the kind words Jen!

Ever notice how hard it is to stay connected to what matters in a world designed to keep you busy?

Join us Saturday for a free #QTBIPOC gathering exploring flow, disconnection, and reclaiming what grounds you.

Jan 10 | 10am PT/1pm ET
bravespaceleadership.com/chrysalis

Personalized, Not Prescriptive YouTube video by Keith Edwards

Most professional development is off-the-rack. Evolve Summit for #highered executives is tailored to YOU: your campus, your challenges, your goals.

Launched today. Still time to join, but the window's closing fast. DM me to enroll!

Make 2026 your year.

www.youtube.com/shorts/OCTtn...

My spreadsheet just flashed green 💚—500 hours of #leadership #coaching logged! This milestone is a celebration of client breakthroughs. I've distilled the 5 most powerful shifts leaders make, moving from fear and exhaustion to clarity and lasting impact.

bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/500

Chrysalis is transforming to serve even more #QTBIPOC navigating change! Visit our website or DM me to learn more.

Evolve Your Leadership Voice is now the Evolve Institute for Higher Education Leadership! Join our free webinar to learn how to align purpose w/ impact & drive student success in higher ed. Stop just moving up. Start growing with intention.

🗓️ Nov 19 | 1 PM PST
🔗 forms.gle/ykdpvCoqocVd...

Announcing Evolve Institute for Higher Education Leadership YouTube video by Keith Edwards

Announcing the Evolve Institute for Higher Education Leadership.
youtu.be/Nojixbs1YzQ

Boldly Go: An Integrated Leadership Framework for Cultivating Psychological Safety — Brave Space Leadership Psychological safety is the destination , and we achieve it by engaging in a continuous process grounded in two core pillars: Courage (Brave Space): The collective willingness to lean into disco...

Ready to build a high-performing, human-centered culture? My latest post weaves #PsychologicalSafety, #BraveSpace, & #CulturalIntelligence into a unified framework. Engage!
bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/integrated-framework-psychological-safety
#WorkplaceCulture #Innovation #Leadership

Charting a Course to Psychological Safety with Brave Space and Cultural Intelligence — Brave Space Leadership Leaders can successfully navigate the journey to psychological safety in diverse teams when equipped with the right tools: a deliberate process for engaging in difficult dialogue and a navigational sy...

#PsychologicalSafety is the destination, but do you have the right vehicle (let's call it a starship) and course for diverse teams? My new blog post explores how to get there with #BraveSpace and #CulturalIntelligence.
bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/charting-a-course-to-psych-safety
#Leadership

Is Psychological Safety Enough? Why Your Journey to a Human-Centered Culture is Falling Short — Brave Space Leadership This post is part of a three-part series on how leaders can cultivate brave space and use cultural intelligence to create psychological safety in their teams and organizations.

Why is psychological safety so hard to cultivate, especially in diverse teams? I'm tackling three often overlooked challenges in my new blog post. Read the first one now!
bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/is-psychological-safety-enough
#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #BraveSpace #CulturalIntelligence

A man in a stylish, form-fitting, black-and-white checkered jumpsuit and shiny black stilettos strikes a deep squat pose in an office setting. He is smiling slightly while holding a green water bottle and a banana, with a stack of orange and blue patterned chairs in the background.

A participant shared this pic from a recent workshop. It’s my reminder that great facilitation means staying hydrated, looking stylish, and having fun while creating a brave space for learning. Because that’s how I werq. #BraveSpaceLeadership #Facilitation #Learning

The Courage to Be Afraid: Navigating Fear in Brave Spaces — Brave Space Leadership Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the antidote.

Bravery isn't about being fearless; it's about acknowledging fear and acting anyway. My latest Travelogs post explores this idea, with personal stories to help you reflect on your own journey with fear in DEIJB learning spaces. www.bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/co... #BraveSpace #Courage

Thinking about your next professional development move? One-on-one #executivecoaching might be the powerful, personalized experience you need. Evolve Essentials helps you create a clear action plan for your unique #leadership challenges, all for just $895.
bravespaceleadership.com/evolve-essentials

The Power of the Pivot: Why Career Transitions are an Act of Self-Liberation for QTBIPOC — Brave Space Leadership For QTBIPOC leaders, career transitions can be profoundly liberating acts. In this blog post, I explore how facing down fears—of failure, rejection, and uncertainty—paved the way for me to build a car...

My new blog post, "The Power of the Pivot," explores how my biggest career change became an act of self-liberation as a queer person of color. Find out how I navigated fear to create my dream career. #QTBIPOC #CareerPivots #BraveSpaceLeadership
www.bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/pi...

Travelin’ Thru: Launching the Brave Space Leadership Blog — Brave Space Leadership The journey to launch this blog has been a long and winding road. Several years ago, I started talking with my dear friend and collaborator Kristi Clemens about a follow-up to our chapter on brave sp...

Big news! ✨ #BraveSpaceLeadership is launching a new blog!
My first post dives into why I'm starting this blog – sharing authentic stories from my own and others' #Leadership journeys, embracing collaboration, and keeping it accessible.
Check it out! www.bravespaceleadership.com/travelogs/fi...

You Belong Here: Cultivating Confidence, Safety, and Self-Trust in Your Career · Zoom · Luma In a world where many of us have been told—directly or indirectly—that we’re “too much” or “not enough,” this session is a reminder: you belong here. Join Dr.…

So excited for Inciteful's free #PrideMonth webinar! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

I love #coaching marginalized leaders (especially my #LGBTQIA2S+ fam) to unlock their authentic superpowers. Natalie Jade and I will discuss cultivating confidence & self-trust. Plus, a chance to win free coaching with me!

lu.ma/le341cwg

AAPI Heritage, MH, and Pride Months Sizzle Reel

✨Sharing a glimpse into my speaking work! ✨ I bring my lived experience as a #queer #Asian person with mental health challenges to talks on building #BraveSpaces and sustaining #SocialJustice work. May & June are coming up - let's collaborate! #Speaker #AAPI #MentalHealthAwareness
bit.ly/4jPdk7j

Evolve Your Leadership Voice Interest Form Thank you for your interest in Evolve. Whether you are here to enroll, meet with one of us, or check out a webinar, we are glad you are here.

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is essential for #highered #leadership success - and it’s coming to Evolve Your Leadership Voice! Join our FREE webinar on 4/29 w/ Dr. Rahn Franklin on #CQ for senior leaders. Register: forms.gle/LyFFq2gaHghd...

Inciteful App Homepage Inciteful App Homepage. Learn more about our unique user research tool.

Free transformative #leadership #coaching with a professional credentialed coach? Yes! Join me on #Inciteful. Earn tokens through surveys to get no-cost sessions! Use code BRAVESPACE! www.incitefulapp.com

Is Evolve for You? YouTube video by Keith Edwards

At Evolve, @drbrianarao.bsky.social, Dawn Lee, and I are doubling down on building the strength and effectiveness of your leadership voice. We’re offering a 1/3 discount for our next cohort, launching on June 2. We’d love for you to be a part of it.

Are you ready to Evolve? YouTube video by Keith Edwards

Higher ed senior leaders: noticing an uptick in blame, rage, and feeling stuck? Ready to shift from just reacting to leadership challenges to strategic social change?

Don't evade. Evolve. Register for the summer cohort by May 16. More info in my link in bio. youtube.com/shorts/yeOHU...

The Art of Cultivating Brave Spaces - Brave Space, or Something Else?

Not every situation calls for a #bravespace - and yes, I’m saying that as one of its co-creators. Learn how to discern which framework is most appropriate for different scenarios related to #diversity, #equity, #inclusion, #socialjustice, and #belonging. bit.ly/bravespaceclass

The Art of Cultivating Brave Spaces - Curiosity and Self-Awareness

Learn to recognize your triggers and de-escalate so you can more effectively facilitate the co-creation of #bravespaces for powerful learning about #diversity, #equity, #inclusion, and #socialjustice.

The Power of Brave Spaces

You’ve heard of brave spaces. But what exactly are they? And how can they support powerful learning about #diversity, #equity, #inclusion, and #socialjustice? Learn more in this video! www.veed.io/view/9072ed9...

The #ACPA25 Equity and Inclusion Team invites convention attendees to “recognize and honor the past and present labor which make our gathering possible." Learn more about our labor recognition initiative: bit.ly/ACPA25-labor

Accommodating Neurodiverse Attendees at Events The Overland Park Convention Center has opened a dedicated room to help serve the one in six event attendees with sensory-processing issues. Here's how you can accommodate this often-overlooked group ...

#ACPA25 is committed to accessibility! We're thrilled to offer a low sensory room in Hyatt Harbor A (Mon & Tue, 8am-6pm) for attendees needing a quiet space. Learn more: bit.ly/4hSWe6Y

Your #CDO and #DEI teams aren’t the only leaders who need to get crystal clear on why #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion matters. You do, too. Yes, CFOs - even you! To learn more and get help (it’s trickier than it sounds), join my free workshop next Tuesday - info in my link in bio.

Many leaders take for granted that #DEI matters to them and their organizations, and don’t develop a clear, concise, and compelling explanation of why. My DEWhy is powerful, and it fits on a Post-It. Join my free workshop next week if you want to create your own DEWhy.

In previous videos I talked separately about expansive authenticity and the importance of having a clear DEWhy. In this one, I discuss why leaders need both, now more than ever. If you’d like to engage further, consider attending my DEWhy workshop next week: bit.ly/yourdewhy