I'm Rafael Arosemena, from Panama City. Here's a bit about me.

Something can always be better. That's usually where it starts. Understanding how things work and finding ways to improve them. I've always had ideas I wanted to bring to life, and making that happen meant picking up whatever I needed to learn along the way.

It began with static sites in plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then dynamic websites with WordPress and picking up PHP along the way. I could put sites together but they never looked the way I wanted, so I dove into visual design and got Adobe certified to complement the technical side. I always wanted full control over what I was building, which eventually led me to React and Next.js. From there it was backend, databases, and infrastructure, and at some point it stopped being just about websites. Every project meant learning something new, and every new skill uncovered the next challenge.

Years of freelancing across maritime, law, architecture, and retail built a solid foundation across development, design, servers, and infrastructure. For the past few years, I've been handling tech at a law firm, from custom tools to self-hosted infrastructure. That work showed me what it means to build things other people depend on.

In 2025 I started RARO, a software company. We build custom tools and help businesses integrate intelligent systems into how they work. On the other side, I'm building Pawdex, a platform for animal welfare with tools for shelters, rescuers, and anyone looking to adopt or foster. Seeing animals on the street and knowing there's only so much you can do is something that never gets lighter. Technology is the one way I know to help at a scale I couldn't on my own.

Beyond software, I've been running a short-term rental on Panama's Ancon Hill for about four years and have held Superhost since early on. The same attention to detail that goes into building good software goes into making sure guests have a great stay. When I'm not coding, designing, or working on something at the Airbnb, I'm usually on a tennis court or out on a trail.