Dr. Brian Arao (he/him) is an innovative and passionate educator who excels at helping others grow more fully into their potential. Brian pursued this calling for nearly 23 years as a student affairs practitioner, most recently as the Associate Dean of Students & Chief of Staff at UC Santa Cruz. In this and previous roles, he led transformative equity-focused change in residential education, student conduct, student activities, student government, basic needs programs, non-clinical case management, advising student-run organizations, and social justice education. Now, as President & Co-Founder of Brave Space Leadership, he consults privately as a DEI strategist, educator, and professional certified diversity coach for colleges, universities, and both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

Brian’s higher education leadership extends beyond his campus-based work. For example, in collaboration with Kristi L. Clemens, he co-created and continues to grow the renowned Brave Space framework for promoting courageous participation in social justice-focused dialogues. He also partners with resolv ED, a consortium of scholar-practitioners supporting the transformation of student conduct practice through the lens of inclusive conflict excellence. Brian currently serves as the Equity and Inclusion Chair for the ACPA25 Convention, building on his previous association service as a member of its first equity and inclusion advisory committee where he co-led the team that developed the bias incident response protocol; chairperson for the Commission for Social Justice Education; and Assembly Coordinator for Commissions on the Governing Board.