E329: Rodney Eric Lopez - Cultural Fluency, When you don't speak the language, but you still belong!
What if you could belong to your culture, even if you don’t speak the language? Rodney Eric López is an accomplished educator, artist, and non-profit leader. He is the CEO of Rodney Eric López Enterprises, featured in the hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, and author of the upcoming memoir I Don’t Speak Spanish, but I Understand Everything When I’m Dancing! His work centers on the intersection of arts, education, identity, and community leadership, using dance and creativity to bring people together.
Learn more about Rodney at:
https://www.rodneyericlopez.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-eric-lopez/
https://www.instagram.com/rodneyericlopez/
Show Notes
🗽 [02:06] Rodney’s origin story: Born and raised in the Bronx, Puerto Rican roots
💃 [05:27] The pivot: Meeting a professional salsa dancer and discovering a missing piece
👪 [07:13] "So He Won't Understand": Spanish used as a barrier, not an invitation
📖 [08:30] Salsa as cultural fluency: A different kind of language
👨👧 [12:08] Becoming a parent: Finding empathy for his parents' choices
📡 [16:05] Transmitting culture and language to another generation.
⚾ [20:24] The World Baseball Classic: Italian-Americans playing for Italy, Venezuelan pride
🤝 [25:52] What dance teaches: Confidence, connection, empathy, and humanity
🕺 [29:04] The life skill: Dance as something that stays with you forever
💰 [32:47] Letting go of money shame through giving
📚 [36:50] Sparking dinner table conversations about language, culture, and belonging
🧠 [38:50] What makes Rodney tick: Learning something new every day
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CEO
Rodney Eric López is an accomplished educator, artist, and non-profit leader. He is the CEO of Rodney Eric López Enterprises, featured in the hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, and author of the upcoming memoir I Don’t Speak Spanish, but I Understand Everything When I’m Dancing!
He has built a diverse career spanning public relations, teaching, performing, coaching, consulting, admissions, and nonprofit leadership. His work centers on the intersection of arts, education, identity, and community leadership, using dance and creativity to bring people together.
Rodney is also the author of The Generosity Solution and founder of the Currents RI Giving Circle, advocating for generosity and community impact. He has served on multiple nonprofit boards and is a proud member of the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Leadership Initiative.
Academically, he earned a B.S. in Communications Studies from NYU as a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar, and later completed a certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship through Columbia Business School’s Venture for All Program. He also coaches with the Glean Network.
