What does it actually mean for someone to belong?

For Daniel Aguirre, founder of Pueblo Collab, the answer goes beyond a workplace saying it values inclusion or creating a “sense of belonging.” Real belonging means not having to wonder whether you belong at all.

In this conversation, Daniel and Nathan explore what happens when organizations take an honest look at the difference between how they imagine their culture and how that culture is actually experienced by the people inside it. They talk about why some so-called diversity problems may really be problems of leadership and accountability; and why meaningful change often requires slowing down long enough to listen.

Daniel and Nathan also discuss power, disruption, leadership, mistakes, and the skills required to create change. Daniel argues that leadership and accountability are not traits some people are simply born with. They are skills—and people need room to stumble, learn, recognize harm, and actually change their behavior.

Daniel’s ultimate vision is a world where people can exist in their neighborhoods without worrying about whether the air, water, or environment is harming them—and where the next generation can imagine a hopeful, joyful future.

Daniel Aguirre (el/he) is a community-engagement and relationship-building strategist, organizational-change practitioner, and founder of Pueblo Collab. Through Pueblo, he helps organizations build genuinely inclusive cultures and authentic relationships with the communities they seek to partner with. His work focuses on the relational side of change: facilitating honest conversations about bias and equity and grounding partnerships in care, effective listening, reciprocity, and demonstrable accountability. He works across grassroots, science, research, and institutional settings, approaching inclusion as an ongoing practice rather than a box to check.

Website: pueblocollab.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daniel101

Email: daniel@pueblocollab.com