About Dr. Arnoldo Curiel

Dr. Curiel, Ed.D., M.P.A., is a writer, community advocate, educator, and organizational leader whose work explores the emotional and human costs of working toward belonging and justice.

Born in Alice, Texas, and raised in the Frogtown neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Arnoldo grew up in a working-class community shaped by strong relationships, cultural diversity, and a deep sense of mutual support. Those early experiences—along with taking on caregiving responsibilities for nieces and nephews within his family—helped shape his understanding of community, resilience, and shared responsibility.

Arnoldo began his professional journey as a residential counselor, working directly with young people and families navigating complex challenges. That experience grounded him in the realities of community life and shaped his approach to community organizing, leadership, and social justice.

In 1999, Arnoldo became manager of the Frogtown Weed and Seed program, a multi-agency initiative focused on crime prevention, youth development, community engagement, and neighborhood restoration. Through that program, he created Shop with Cops in 2000 to build positive relationships among young people, families, and Saint Paul police officers. The initiative continues today and has earned Arnoldo two Saint Paul Police Department Chief’s Merit Awards and recognition as one of KARE 11’s Eleven Who Care.

Throughout his career, Arnoldo has held leadership and educational roles across nonprofit organizations, government, higher education, and healthcare. His experience includes serving as Vice President of Racial Justice at YWCA Minneapolis, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Administrator and Civil Rights Coordinator for Dakota County, and an assistant professor at the College of St. Scholastica. In 2005, he founded Missing-Bricks Consulting to help organizations strengthen leadership, cultural responsiveness, communication, and organizational effectiveness.

Arnoldo currently serves as Director of Inclusion, Development, Engagement, and Accessibility (I.D.E.A.) for University of Minnesota Physicians, where he helps strengthen organizational culture, leadership, employee engagement, and inclusion.

Arnoldo earned his Doctor of Education from Hamline University, his Master of Public Affairs from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and his Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Metropolitan State University. He is also a certified Intercultural Development Inventory and Intercultural Conflict Style facilitator.

Arnoldo’s writing brings together the personal and professional realities of equity work. In his book, Burnout and Belonging: The Hidden Costs of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, he examines the often-unspoken emotional labor carried by people working to create change within institutions and communities. Blending personal narrative, organizational insight, and practical reflection, the book explores burnout, resilience, cultural taxation, and the hope that sustains those committed to building stronger, more inclusive communities.

Arnoldo continues to write, speak, and collaborate with organizations seeking to strengthen leadership, culture, and belonging. His work invites readers and leaders to reflect not only on how change happens, but also on how we care for the people who make that change possible.