ChessOTB.ClubFounder & CEO, Product Lead
Product founder · Workforce strategist
Arnold Lopez
I build programs and technology that connect what students learn in college to the work they want to do.
About
I’m a Filipino American and first-generation college graduate from Southeast San Diego. As a college adviser trained at UC Berkeley, I helped students navigate admissions and financial aid. At The Hidden Genius Project, I led a national alumni team that helped young people take their first steps into tech careers.
Today I lead workforce innovation at STEM Advantage, working with campuses and employers to connect first-generation STEM students with mentors and paid internships. I also founded NexusEdu, where I lead product strategy. We use AI and labor-market data to show students how the skills they gain in class translate into careers they can pursue.
Experience
NexusEduFounder & CEO, Product Strategy
STEM AdvantageManager of Development, Workforce Innovation
First Gen ScholarsSenior Director of Workforce Innovation
Harvard Project on WorkforceResearcher
The Hidden Genius ProjectRegional Manager, Alumni Engagement
University of California, BerkeleyCollege Adviser
Education
Harvard UniversityM.Ed., Education Leadership, Organizations, and EntrepreneurshipMIT Sloan School of ManagementMaster of Business Administration (MBA)UC Berkeley ExtensionCertificate, Student Affairs and Higher-Education AdministrationUniversity of California, Santa CruzB.A., Sociology and EducationSouthwestern CollegeA.A., Sociology
Skills
Product Strategy0-to-1 ProductAI in EducationWorkforce InnovationUser ResearchRoadmappingPrototypingSaaSLabor-Market AnalysisPartnershipsData StorytellingCommunity Building
Selected products and systems
A focused collection of work across education, workforce systems, and modern over-the-board chess.
Measured through outcomes
Selected outcomes across college access, organizational systems, and financial strategy.
1,500+ students supported
100% college admission rate
Students earned admission to UC Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, Caltech, and other leading universities.
$10M+ in grants secured
Strategy, infrastructure, and funding
Built organizational systems and grant strategies that helped secure more than $10 million in philanthropic and institutional funding.
$85M+ in realized client gains
Portfolio of more than 50 clients
Advised a portfolio of more than 50 clients whose collective results included more than $85 million in realized gains.
07 / Contact