About Us
About Us
Breaking down barriers, creating opportunities
Argelia Rodriguez founded Rodriguez Collaborative Consulting to fuel the pipeline of talent from education to employment through innovation, strategic programming, and partnerships between higher education and the business sector. With her tireless dedication, she has devoted most of her career to helping young people from underrepresented and low-income populations prepare for, and achieve success in, higher education and their pursuit of meaningful careers.
Extensive business background, strong educational focus
Argelia brings a unique vantage point that marries the considerations of both academia and the corporate world. She earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, an MBA from Harvard University and has years of experience in the business sector, working for corporations like AT&T, Texas Instruments, IBM, and as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies while working for Booz Allen Hamilton.
As the founding CEO of the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP), a non-profit organization privately funded by leading national corporations and foundations, she has had extensive experience collaborating with high schools, colleges, universities, and corporations to help foster greater opportunity and success for underrepresented populations. During her 23 year tenure, DC-CAP grew to a $100 million dollar endowment and helped double the DC public and public charter high school graduate college enrollment and triple college graduation rates.
Under her leadership, DC-CAP also established partnerships with Boeing, The Washington Post, Exxon Mobil, Capital One, Deloitte, Newscorp, Marriott, and other employers to create and implement innovative programs to help pipeline DC high school and college graduates towards employment. Argelia enabled corporations and businesses to provide support to high school and college students through scholarships, employment skills training, career awareness, mentors and more to help set them on the pathway towards meaningful employment. She has always understood the tremendous benefit of connecting the education and business sectors to advance their individual and common objectives.
As head of Rodriguez Collaborative, she applies business engineering principles and data analysis to identify every client’s unique challenges and opportunities, set meaningful and measurable goals, and foster collaborative partnerships and strategic alliances.
Recognized by regional and national organizations
Argelia’s many awards and honors include:
- Trinity University Commencement Speaker
- Harvard Business School African - American Alumni Association Bert King Award for Service
- Newscorp Murdoch Community Hero Award
- Washington Nationals Roberto Clemente Community Leader Award
- Consortium of Universities of Washington Metropolitan Area Hero for Higher Education Award
- Washingtonian of the Year
- Tedx Speaker
Uniquely qualified to deliver optimal results
- Over 25 years of experience building, leading, and transforming business, education, and non-profit organizations.
- Proven experience in applying business engineering principles and data analysis to develop innovative, sustainable and transformative solutions.
- Extensive knowledge of educational and career challenges impeding the progression of underrepresented populations.
- Expertise in establishing and fostering strategic partnerships between the private and public sectors to address large-scale systemic economic, educational and social inequity.
Client Experience
"Argelia cultivated relationships and worked with corporations and foundations to ensure their social and community impact goals were met through their partnership with DC-CAP. Argelia enabled corporations and businesses to funnel support – whether through technical expertise, volunteerism, employment skills training, internships, or scholarships - into the educational pipeline." read more
