NASE News

David D’Arcangelo's Member Spotlight

David D’Arcangelo is the Founder and President ofArc Angel Communications LLC (Arc Angel), as well as Angel Buttons LLC, both nationally certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE). Legally blind since childhood, David has forged a distinguished career at the intersection of public service, policy, and entrepreneurship. His leadership includes service as a Presidential appointee to the National Council on Disability, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, and Director of the Massachusetts Office on Disability. He also brings national nonprofit governance experience through his role on the Board of Directors of the National Industries for the Blind, the largest employer of people who are blind in the United States of America.

Arc Angel partners with future-focused organizations that seek to enhance performance and mitigate risk by modernizing their approach to disability. The firm designs and implements disability-centered strategies that move beyond outdated diversity models, ensuring that disability is integrated across governance, operations, and communications. By bridging policy and execution, Arc Angel positions disability as a true business driver that delivers measurable outcomes and
long-term enterprise value, moving beyond symbolic gestures.

Angel Buttons LLC is a business that grew out of Arc Angel Communications. Beginning as a tool for marketing and inclusion, Angel Buttons has now grown into a values-driven, small batch manufacturing company producing premium buttons and other promotional materials for individuals, events, businesses, and other organizations nationwide.
Its #AButtonADay is trending.

When and why did you join NASE?

I joined NASE in January 2025 because small business stands as the backbone of America’s economy and community strength. As founder of Arc Angel

Communications LLC, and as a builder of other ventures, my firsthand experience has revealed both the challenges and the opportunities of entrepreneurship. NASE offers a platform that honors merit, hard work, and results, reflecting the true resilience and innovation of America’s entrepreneurs. Membership represents a natural step to gain resources while contributing leadership and experience toward building a stronger, opportunity-driven future for the millions of business owners powering our nation.

What inspired you to enter the field you are in?

Living with legal blindness shaped my perspective, and my natural talent for communications provides the tools to act on them. Public service reveals the limits of treating disability as compliance, while business shows the power of merit, innovation, and results. What inspires me is the realization that by uniting these fields, I could help both people with disabilities and organizations see disability not as an obligation, but as a catalyst for performance.

When and why did you start your business?

Arc Angel Communications was first formed in 2008, operating out of my basement and focusing on marketing and public relations. The business was placed on hold during my public service from 2014 through 2023. After that service concluded, I relaunched Arc Angel Communications as an LLC with a permanent office, full insurance, and a refocus on applying my nationally recognized expertise in disability and public policy. The company’s motivation has remained constant: to deliver practical, merit-based solutions that treat disability as a driver of performance rather than a compliance exercise, and, to improve the human condition.

Angel Buttons grew out of Arc Angel Communications. We were creating buttons as a part of Arc Angel Communications, until we won a “golden ticket” from Walmart. This moment validated a market opportunity for our buttons and that is why I decided to create Angel Buttons LLC as a separate entity.

How do you market your business?

Arc Angel Communications markets by positioning disability as a business advantage rather than an obligation. We try to leverage supplier diversity certifications and memberships to open doors with corporate procurement channels, while targeted use of LinkedIn and professional speaking engagements extend reach to executives and decision-makers. Our Public Relations and Communications serve as the vehicle to deliver disability-centered policies and demonstrate how they strengthen enterprise performance. We also focus on our Save As Ability podcast to “show” how our decades of public service and national recognition can build value and deliver quality for prospective clients.

What challenges have you faced in your business? How have you overcome them?

Arc Angel Communications LLC is pioneering how large organizations adopt initiative-taking disability policies that expand opportunity and strengthen enterprise performance. Challenges include gaining access to C-Suite decision makers, prospecting for new business on a bootstrapped budget, and managing every aspect of operations as a single founder. These obstacles are met through nationally recognized expertise, a formidable reputation in public service, and disciplined communications strategies that open executive doors. Persistence, credibility, and proof that disability-centered strategies drive results transform challenges into leadership opportunities.

Do you have any employees?

No employees yet, but I have a plan to scale.

What is your schedule like, what is a typical day for you?

A typical day blends client work with family life. Mornings often begin with strategy, outreach, and policy development for Arc Angel Communications. My daughter Isabella, who has a significant developmental disability, is with me at the office. She is not involved in competitive integrated work, but part of my day is devoted to building her skills through meaningful activities like making buttons and creating our #AButtonADay shorts for Angel Buttons LLC. The goal is to help her prepare for the possibility of on-the-job training in the future. Afternoons are focused on client projects developing disability-centered communications and policies that strengthen enterprise performance. Each day ends with research, writing, or planning the next phase of growth. The schedule is demanding, but the balance of entrepreneurship, policy, and family makes the work deeply meaningful.

What is the best thing about being self-employed?

The best thing about being self-employed is the ability to use flexibility and creativity to solve real problems. Through Arc Angel Communications, a Public Relations and Communications business, I deliver creative solutions that help large organizations adopt disability-inclusive practices that strengthen performance. That independence allows me to work on projects I value, apply nationally recognized expertise, and build skills with my daughter, Isabella, through meaningful daily activities. The blend of innovation, impact, and family purpose makes entrepreneurship uniquely rewarding.

What is the best compliment you have ever received from a client?

The best compliment I have received from a client was, “Thank you for having the courage to stand up for what is right.” That statement meant a great deal because it validated the mission of Arc Angel Communications to use public relations and communications to deliver disability-centered programs and policies that create a win-win-win. A win for people with disabilities through greater access to opportunity, a win for organizations through stronger performance, and a win for society. To be recognized not just for expertise, but for the willingness to lead with integrity and resolve, is the highest compliment any entrepreneur can receive.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to someone starting their own business?

The most important advice is to build your business around your strengths and values, not someone else’s template. Entrepreneurship requires perseverance, problem-solving, and creativity, but it rewards authenticity clients know when you genuinely believe in what you are offering. Stay lean from the start, be disciplined with resources, and focus on solving a real problem for your customers. When you stay true to your mission and deliver consistent value, growth follows.

Which NASE member benefit is most important to you?

The most important NASE member benefit to me has been access to their business development grants. Arc Angel Communications LLC received a $4,000 grant from NASE, which provided crucial support as we relaunched and scaled the business. That funding helped cover core operating costs, invest in communications tools, and strengthen our capacity to deliver disability-centered public relations and policy solutions. For a bootstrapped business, the grant was more than financial assistance; it was a vote of confidence that reinforced our mission and momentum.

Any other information you would like to share?

One final note I would like to share is the motto of Arc Angel Communications: “The path to prosperity is paved by perseverance.” It is a saying that has guided me throughout my career, especially when I took the leap starting my two small businesses.