Meet Dan
—as written by Ted
“Have you ever met someone who makes people feel calmer without saying or doing anything? Dan is one of those special people. He is quiet, kind, and a natural caregiver. He has the best moral compass of anyone I have ever met. Where most people try to do good, Dan just is good.
I know part of this comes from his amazing family. His parents are political refugees who lost everything when they had to flee Cuba. They came to the US and built a life for themselves, and later for their children, from hard work and perseverance. They passed this strength on to him.
Dan is also brilliant. Everyone in our circles of friends and family all say that Dan is the smartest person they know. He worked hard and earned scholarships to amazing schools. He has two PhDs and never stops learning. In his free time he studies world history and social theory, loves watching documentaries, follows and plays sports, and loves to cook. And, wow, can he cook.
For such a smart guy he sure loves being silly. He loves to laugh and has the best laughter that we all adore. His funny voices and silly songs always come out unconsciously when he is with kids and dogs.
Speaking of dogs, Dan is a lover of animals and so good with them. He dotes on our two old dogs and did not hesitate for a second when we had to rearrange our lives to care for a special needs dog. I love his instinct to rescue and rehome stray dogs.
Dan, at his core, is a teacher. Before moving into the private sector he was an academic, teaching at university and traveling the world to research how diseases and people move across the planet. His love of learning and teaching makes him so much fun. And he is the guy everyone asks when they want to know something, like how to cook a complex recipe, how to train a dog, help with math homework, some random sports trivia… he is a useful guy to know!
I love watching his joy at patiently teaching Miles and the many other children in our lives. When other people cannot get their kids to sit still for a second, Dan somehow has them intently listening to him. I am so excited to watch him share all his gifts with our child.”
“Dan has the best moral compass of anyone I have ever met.”
—Ted
