April 25, 2023
Entrepreneur and writer Daniel Carrero ’23 bound for London School of Economics
By Michael Hagan ’15, ’19G
After spending a semester abroad at the University of Oxford his junior year, Daniel Carrero ’23, from Lawrence, Massachusetts, will return to England after graduation to pursue a master’s degree in social innovation and entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics.
He also is nearing publication of his first book, Twice Upon a Time There Was a Boy Who Died: Infinitum Memoria, an experimental novel written in an anthological format. It’s about what Carrero describes as “the existential masculine crisis in the modern day” and will be self-published in July.
“On a large scale, our society has notions of masculinity that in the context of low-income, immigrant communities like where I grew up, become really internalized and dangerous,” Carrero said. “I care very deeply for the young men I grew up with in Lawrence. I am trying to represent their stories and lives. I got to go to college. I get to go to the London School of Economics. I get to share stories with the world. Those opportunities bring with them responsibility.”
Opportunities for creative work and skills-based work in Lawrence helped prepare Carrero for the rigors of the Providence College classroom, where he majored in both creative writing and public and community service studies with a minor in philosophy. He is a graduate of Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School.
“I care very deeply for the young men I grew up with in Lawrence. I am trying to represent their stories and lives.
Daniel Carrero ’23
“Growing up in Lawrence, I was surrounded by creative people — mostly hip-hop artists and people influenced by hip-hop music and culture,” Carrero said.
Carrero joined the greater Boston hip-hop scene at 13, producing music, performing at open mic events, sharing music on SoundCloud, and even selling CDs, until the age of 19. Along the way, he entered the orbit of artists and activists.
“I became involved in education reform, and that path led me to a group called Elevated Thought. I worked for them for a few years after being a member and a student,” he said.
Elevated Thought is an art and social justice nonprofit based in Lawrence that describes itself as “actively addressing systemic injustice through creative youth development, public art projects, youth organizing, and paid opportunities for creatives of color.” Carrero was not the only future Providence College student to join the organization; Junielly Vargas ’21, who majored in psychology at PC, was also involved. Both were described as “key members” of Elevated Thought by the Eagle-Tribune, a daily newspaper serving Lawrence and nearby areas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Elevated Thought gave Carrero experience at the intersection of creative work and philosophical reflection, and he was hooked.
When he arrived at Providence College, he knew he wanted to study creative writing and that his studies would involve philosophy. One of the first faculty members he met was Christopher Arroyo, Ph.D., professor of philosophy.
“I first met Daniel during the orientation for the Transitions Program. He was in my Development of Western Civilization writing workshop. Immediately after the workshop he introduced himself and started talking about his academic interests and his desire to be a writer. From the start I was struck by Daniel’s intelligence, sensitivity, breadth of interests, charm, and — most of all — his desire to learn and to grow as a person,” Arroyo said.
Despite this immediate connection with a professor, Carrero was hesitant to enroll in philosophy courses.
“Doing philosophy in real life seemed different than doing it in academia, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like the classroom experience. I took an intro to philosophy course, and it was really hard. I got a B+. We spent hours talking about tough, serious questions. My brain boiled for those hours. But I’d walk out of the classroom wanting more. I still really liked it,” he said.
Over time, Carrero developed an interest in the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, a giant of 20th century thought whose scholarship focused on logic, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. Wittgenstein became a primary focus of Carrero’s studies when he studied abroad in Oxford in the fall of 2021.
In Oxford, Carrero underwent tutorial-style courses. Instead of traditional classroom lectures and discussions, tutorials involve a weekly meeting between individual or small groups of students and a scholar-expert in the field. In between tutorials, students read daunting lists of texts and prepare essays to be critiqued by the tutor. The format of these courses can be intimidating, but Carrero developed positive relationships with his tutors and appreciated their feedback — both laudatory and critical — on his research and writing.
“Daniel wanted to study in Oxford because he was interested in being challenged in his two main areas of study, English literature and philosophy. He was remarkably thoughtful about his studies he took while at Hertford College, registering for tutorials on Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and Wittgenstein and, as a result, returning to PC with an impressive understanding of their respective work,” said Arroyo.
When he returned to complete his junior year at Providence , Carrero focused on his creative writing and launching “The Character Development Podcast,” which he describes as a “digital story circle for creatives and entrepreneurs to share their process of becoming.” The podcast invites entrepreneurs and creators to discuss their personal philosophies and offer industry pointers.
“The goal is to reveal the personal character behind community leaders and creatives we don’t get to meet everyday, to capture their raw stories of personal and professional development.” Carrero said.
Marquis Victor, founder and executive director of Elevated Thought and Carrero’s mentor in high school, whom he credits with helping him prepare for college, was a guest on the show’s fifth episode.
There’s something very special about Daniel.
Kelly Ramirez, director of the Ryan Incubator
In his senior year, Daniel began working for the new Donald K. Ryan Incubator for Entrepreneurship in the Arts & Sciences, where students from all academic disciplines can create and test ideas for new products, services, and organization. The incubator is funded by a gift from the family of the late Donald K. Ryan ’69.
At the incubator, Carrero’s interviews and writes profiles of student and alumni entrepreneurs for the purpose of connecting them with current students seeking mentorship. Among his interviewees was John Lee Dumas ’02, who created and hosts the “Entrepreneurs on Fire” podcast. He gave Carrero valuable advice for his own podcasting venture. In addition to Dumas, Carrero has interviewed and written about more than 35 other student and alumni entrepreneurs.
Kelly Ramirez, director of the Ryan Incubator, describes how Carrero’s work touches every part of the developing program.
“He’s creating a community of student entrepreneurs on campus,” Ramirez said. “There’s something very special about Daniel. He’s easy to work with, self-motivated, and very creative. He does excellent work and requires little management. In launching the incubator, I needed someone who can take on projects and run with them. He can sense when I’m too busy and offers to take things off my plate.”
Carrero’s affable and inviting personality was on full display at this semester’s Career Expo, hosted by the Chirico Career Center, where the Ryan Incubator hosted one of the most popular tables.
“We probably got 10 students to sign up for our fellowship program thanks to Daniel’s enthusiasm alone,” Ramirez said.
For Carrero, achievements build each upon each. His entrepreneurial vision and spirit reflect the sum of experiences from rapping as a teenager to studying philosophy in Oxford.
“Daniel had to be entrepreneurial in his life to make it to where he is now. He did that. He sees opportunities and goes for them, leveraging his talent and work ethic while staying incredibly humble and eager to learn from others,” Ramirez said.
Despite his course load, work responsibilities, and entrepreneurial venture, Carrero finds time to relax and enjoy the company of the friends he has made at PC. He looks forward to Commencement Week celebrations with his class.
“It’s going to be a blast,” he said. “In the meantime, I spend most of my time working. My podcast and book are just the pilot project for a much a bigger publishing and media vision. The world is changing fast and there’s a lot of opportunity to do old things in new ways.”
“It will be new work, different work. I’ll be taking courses I’ve never taken like behavioral management and social innovation and design. It will be hands-on with lots of work in case studies. I can’t wait,” he said.
He sees the London School of Economics as an opportunity to develop as a leader and to grow his business venture.
“I’m taking my book, my podcast, and my goals with me to London. LSE will help me build and expand my business and network. Ultimately, I want to make a significant social impact,” Carrero said.
