Aiko Bethea

Aiko Bethea

CEO and Founder

A woman with curly hair wearing a red patterned blazer and a white blouse, smiling against a plain beige background.

Aiko Bethea is the founder and CEO of RARE Coaching & Consulting, a leadership development firm that partners with Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and global organizations to build accountable, values-driven cultures. A leadership consultant, executive coach, and Dare to Lead-certified facilitator, she has spent over a decade coaching C-suite leaders across industries.

Previously a deputy director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bethea brings a rare perspective shaped by leading and advising complex systems not designed for people like her. Her Anchored, Aligned, Accountable (2026) framework has been taught to thousands of leaders, coaches, and facilitators worldwide and has been recognized by Brené Brown as transformative for leadership, partnership, and trust-building.

Book cover for "Anchored, Aligned, Accountable" by Aiko Bethea, featuring gold stacked stones on a blue background and a subtitle about transforming lives and work by overcoming the false urgency myth.
Our obsession with speed and productivity creates unnecessary pressure that quietly fuels burnout and anxiety.