Arabel Alva Rosales: Code, Couture, and Crushing It

Join our host, senior style icon and former mental health professional Theodora Krochman, and entrepreneur and documentarian Melissa Pierce as they interview Chicago's best and brightest and ask hard-hitting questions about fashion and culture.

In Episode 8, Teddi and Melissa welcome the multifaceted Arabel, a tech CEO with a juris doctorate who has made remarkable contributions to the technology and fashion worlds. As President and CEO of AAR Tech, founder of the nonprofit Pivoting in Heels, creator of the global Runway Latinx fashion event, and host of the Chic Innovator podcast, Arabel brings a unique perspective on how seemingly disparate fields can intersect to create powerful platforms for women's empowerment.

The conversation explores Arabel's fascinating journey from tech executive to fashion community leader, revealing how her analytical background and business acumen have shaped her approach to creating inclusive spaces in the fashion world. Through Runway Latinx, she has built a globally recognized platform celebrating Latin culture through fashion, gastronomy, mixology, and entertainment. The discussion delves into how her nonprofit, Pivoting in Heels, works to empower women professionally and how her podcast Chic Innovator continues this mission through a new medium.

As the conversation unfolds, they examine broader cultural questions about casual dressing trends, fashion as a tool for empowerment, and personal style evolution across different eras. Arabel's insights provide a refreshing perspective on how women can leverage fashion not merely as self-expression but as a strategic element in professional success and community building.

Follow Teddi, Melissa, and the show on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@teddilovesfashion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@the.melissa.fierce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@getdressedfordinner⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Follow Arabel on Instagram: @arabel22, @runwaylatinx, and @thechicinnovator