ABOUT US
Lifelong Advocates for Positive Social Change
Are You Facing Challenging Relations and Outdated Practices Within Your Organization?
rfc21 understands the importance of creating a harmonious and efficient work environment, especially in fields as critical as public child welfare. Our team is dedicated to helping you navigate these difficulties with empathy and expertise. We work closely with you to identify underlying issues, develop innovative solutions, and foster a culture of collaboration and trust, ensuring your organization can thrive and effectively serve your community.
That’s Where We Come In
With over two decades of combined experience in direct service, program management, and executive leadership, Angel and Kellie are dedicated to transforming organizations facing complex challenges. Angel, our CEO and COO, brings extensive knowledge from her career in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Her innovative programs addressed critical issues like racial disparity in public child welfare and improved educational outcomes for foster youth. A natural storyteller and listener, Angel is adept at understanding and addressing unique organizational needs, with a strong commitment to academic contributions by teaching social work at esteemed universities.
Kellie, our VP and CFO, complements Angel’s expertise with over two decades in public child welfare direct service and program management in Los Angeles County. As a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, she excels in enhancing efficiency and reducing waste. Her projects, including developing tools to combat racial bias in CPS referrals and improving child safety decision-making systems, have had significant impacts in social work practice. Kellie fosters critical thinking and transparent conversations to help organizations see challenges from new perspectives and find effective solutions. Together, Angel and Kellie are committed to guiding your organization through transformative change with compassion, expertise, and a deep understanding of the public child welfare system. Discover how their insights can support your mission and help your organization thrive.
THE CREDS
Where Expertise Meets Heart
Hi, I’m Angel Rodriguez
CHIEF EXECUTIVE & OPERATING OFFICER
Angel is a dynamic executive leader and change-maker with more than two decades of dedicated experience in direct service, program management, and executive leadership within the public child welfare system. Her career is defined by an unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for children and families in communities of color, driving systemic reform with both strategic vision and deep cultural competence. Known for building high-performing teams and championing equity-centered practices, Angel approaches every initiative with the same conviction: that every child and family deserves a fair shot. When she steps away from the work, Angel brings that same curiosity and enthusiasm to life outside the office. She's an adventurous foodie who loves exploring diverse cuisines and traveling to new places, always eager to connect with new people along the way. An avid sports fan with a soft spot for hockey, she balances her competitive spirit with her dedication to her wellness by practicing Pilates. You'll also find her watching cooking and home improvement shows on repeat or enjoying a fun game on her tablet because unwinding should be just as intentional as everything else. Angel considers the companionship of dogs unmatched, a reflection of the compassion and empathy she carries into every room she enters.
Hi, I’m Kellie Figoten
VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Kellie is a Business Analyst and seasoned change-maker with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of direct service, program management, and academic leadership in public child welfare. Armed with a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, she has championed high-visibility initiatives that sharpen efficiency, dismantle systemic racial bias in CPS referrals, and strengthen child safety decision-making from the ground up. Equally at home in the classroom, Kellie has spent two decades designing curriculum and teaching bachelor's and master's-level students at a local state university. Her superpower? Helping people think more critically, speak more honestly, and lead more courageously. Whether she's redesigning a flawed process or facilitating a hard conversation, Kellie drives the kind of authentic, lasting change that organizations actually feel. When she's not doing all of the above, you'll find Kellie somewhere in the world chasing great food and even better memories. She's a devoted wellness enthusiast who cycles roughly 60 miles a week and swears by the cold plunge. And when it's finally time to decompress? Schitt's Creek and History of the World on repeat, no apologies. Her love for dogs rounds out a life lived with the same compassion and empathy she brings to every client she serves.
Stanley
CHIEF DISTRACTION OFFICER
Stanley, aka Mr. Personality, is an instant friend to everyone. Named after the prestigious hockey trophy, the Stanley Cup, he's a social media star with his own Instagram (@stanleycuppup22). Sunbathing is his favorite pastime, and he's a healthy snacker with a taste for lettuce and broccoli, which we cleverly use to train him. When the workday ends, he's always eager to fetch and stretch his legs outdoors.
In Loving Memory of Desilu
(2012-2025)
Our beloved Director of Security, Desilu, has crossed the rainbow bridge after years of faithful service, boundless love, and joyful companionship. She kept watch over our home, our hearts, and every delivery truck that dared pass by.
We’ll miss her daily check-ins, her protective gaze, and sweet spirit. She will forever be our good girl.
🤍
Whether it's navigating complex public child welfare systems or fostering transformative leadership, our team is committed to making a profound change. Join us in our journey to redefine compassion and excellence in social services.
WHY WORK WITH US
Our Values Drive Everything We Do
We create a collaborative and inclusive environment, working closely with you to achieve the best outcomes. Above all, we prioritize the well-being of children and families, and we passionately advocate for social justice and equity in public child welfare.
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Our commitment to integrity means that we prioritize the well-being of those we serve and uphold the trust placed in us by our clients, stakeholders and the community.
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As lifelong learners, we continuously seek evidence-based practices to drive meaningful change and expand our understanding of the complex challenges facing public child welfare and communities of color.
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We embrace creativity, adaptability, and forward-thinking practices to develop groundbreaking solutions that address systemic issues and foster positive outcomes.
As Seen On…
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![Portrait of Hady Mendez, host of Latinas: Front & Center]()
Latinas: Front and Center
Host: Hady Mendez
Topic: Amplifying Stories of Latina Leaders
Episode Info: Meet Angel Rodriguez, expert social worker, systems thinker, equity warrior, and low-key Pilates queen. Whew! Angel spent 20+ years transforming child welfare, co-founded rfc21, leads with both heart and strategy, and somehow still finds time to cheer on her favorite hockey team. Don’t miss this convo on how she’s building community, breaking cycles, and redefining what leadership looks like.
Listen here:
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![Image of Adri Rodriguez podcast cover for Entre Tías y Amiguis]()
Entre Tías y Amiguis
Host: Adri Rodriguez
Topic: Storytelling: Bridging Gaps and Building Connections
Episode Info: In this Entre Tías y Amiguis episode, host Adri Rodriguez sits down with Angel Rodriguez, an expert social worker and innovator with over two decades of experience. They dive into the power of storytelling as a tool for building connections, bridging generational gaps, and transforming communities. Angel shares her journey from government service to entrepreneurship, highlighting how storytelling shapes personal and professional growth.
Listen here:
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![Image of Janis Hillard from Be Well Sis Coaching]()
Be Well Sis Coaching
Host: Janis Hillard
Topic: Let’s Talk Leadership + Boundaries for Women of Color
Episode Info: Angel Rodriguez, MSSA sits down with host, Janis Hillard, to discuss the mighty power of setting healthy boundaries, the role they play in community, and why every woman needs to be her own best advocate.
Listen here:
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![Podcast cover for Cafecito Con Jefas with Kita Zuleta]()
Cafecito Con Jefas
Host: Kita Zuleta
Topic: Meet Jefa: Angel Rodriguez - rfc21
Episode Info: What if a life-changing diagnosis could be the catalyst for a more fulfilling career? In this enlightening episode of Cafecito con Jefas, we sit down with Angel Rodriguez, a seasoned social worker turned CEO of RFC21, who shares her incredible 20-year journey in public child welfare, the profound impact of her epilepsy diagnosis, and her transition into entrepreneurship. Angel’s story is one of resilience and transformation, as she navigates the challenges of leaving a high-stress job, reassessing her life, and building a new path driven by her passion for community and advocacy.
Listen here:
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![Podcast cover for Hood Girls Travel Too hosted by Samantha]()
Hood Girls Travel Too
Host: Samantha
Topic: Meet Angel Rodriguez
Episode Info: Angel is a Social Innovation Entrepreneur and the CEO of rfc21 based in Los Angeles, California. She boasts an illustrious career spanning over two decades in public child welfare, with a notable presence in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties where she is at the forefront of leading culturally diverse teams and tackling critical equity and inclusion issues. Beyond her professional pursuits, she has extended her knowledge to the academic realm sharing her insights by teaching social work courses at institutions such as Whittier College, the University of Southern California, and California State University Los Angeles. Currently, Angel serves on the Board of Directors for Alma Family Services, furthering her dedication to community involvement. When she's not immersed in her professional and philanthropic endeavors, you'll find Angel passionately cheering on her favorite hockey and soccer teams, honing her pilates practice, and embarking on exciting travel adventures.
Listen here:
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![Podcast cover for Beabosscoaching with Beatriz Rivera]()
Beabosscoaching
Host: Beatriz Rivera
Topic: Social Worker to Social Entrepreneur with Angel Rodriguez
Episode Info: Angel Rodriguez, CEO of consulting firm rfc21 is a social work professional turned social entrepreneur. At her core, she’s still that badass social worker but after 20+ years of experience in the child welfare system, Angel is now embarking on a new entrepreneurship journey. A journey she never thought she’d embark on.
Listen here:
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![Album cover art for Sh*t I Just Quit My Job podcast]()
Sh*t I Just Quit My Job
Host: Maricella Herrera
Topic: When Your Body Says Nope
Episode Info: After 20 years in public child welfare, Angel Rodriguez thought she’d retire there. She was trying to revolutionize the system from the inside—building new programs, fighting bureaucracy, making change however she could. Then, at 40, an epilepsy diagnosis forced a different question: could she even keep going?
In this conversation, we talk about what it’s like to go from trying to fix a broken system to realizing you first have to take care of yourself—and what it takes to start over when you thought you had it all figured out.
Listen here:
FUN FACTS
Just a Few of Rfc21’s Faves
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Hockey (hello, Colorado Avalanche and the PWHL), and we can’t help but fall victim to the occasional doom scroll on Threads and Instagram. Although sometimes we couch rot (that’s self-care, right?), we value physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. And if it wasn’t obvious, we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dogs. We love them more than kids.
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“Blue Beetle" is a movie we love to watch on repeat. Kellie can’t get enough of "History of the World," while "Modern Family" and "Schitt’s Creek" are our go-to TV shows that we can watch endlessly.
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A massage, a New York steak, and a night of TV, or dinner with friends is how we treat ourselves after a long week. We love a good piece of yellowtail or salmon sushi and a delicious Mexican meal. Trying new food via Resy is a must. And let's be honest, Uber Eats is life. Speaking of food, we seek out foods from different cultures wherever we travel.
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In the mornings, you’ll find us swimming in a cup (or two) of coffee. When we’re not being super responsible working adults, we love trying new craft cocktails—whiskey and tequila (separately, not together).
TESTIMONIALS
Hear it From the People We’ve Served
It’s Time to Stop Facing Challenges Alone
Let us help lift the burden off your shoulders. Just like Moira Rose says, sometimes you need to "fold in the cheese" to make everything come together seamlessly. Our team is the cheese that will support you with expertise in public child welfare, leadership coaching, and strategic planning, ensuring your organization thrives.