Behind the Scenes |Our #1 Cheerleader
“My grandfather, better known as Poppi, passed away exactly 2 months ago. In honor of Poppi, we put together a Dan Danielson Memorial Fund which goes to support the original project he helped me put together: The Picture Dictionary project.”
When starting a business, you need support. Not just financial support — support for your idea. We all know how important it is to be supported and encouraged. We can have the greatest idea in the world, but if nobody is there to support it, how do we move forward?
I have a lot of crazy ideas. Most of them rarely come to fruition. But when I came to Poppi (Dan) and mentioned my dream of developing contextualized learning materials for my Rohingya friends, his enthusiasm and support motivated me to push forward. He encouraged me to chase this crazy idea — which led me to Bangladesh.
What I’ve learned from my Rohingya friends is that being with family is such a gift. To have every single family member stand by Poppi’s side to the very end. That is a gift.
Through the ups and downs, Poppi was always there to encourage and inspire. His support for Books Unbound’s vision is what motivates us to continue our projects. Poppi was my #1 supporter for Books Unbound. He helped make my dream come true — and realize that life, while incredibly short, is beautiful. It really is.
Poppi’s support helped me launch the Picture Dictionary project, which continues to grow into more communities.
Our #1 Cheerleader Backstory:
Every time I would come home from a Rohingya Reunion (what is a Rohingya Reunion?) I would always stop by Nanni and Poppi’s house first to share my stories.
After a while, I started to share about my idea of creating Books Unbound. That’s when Poppi decided to help me during my fundraiser to get the pilot project off the ground. Poppi was always there to check in and make sure I was doing ok. His life inspires me to love more, give more, and fulfill my dream. I miss you, Poppi.
