I was seventeen.
Hands trembling.
I raised the torch to light my grandfather’s funeral pyre.
The air was thick with sandalwood.
Through the smoke, I saw his face—peaceful. Proud.
We called him Dada.
He believed in me when no one else did.
I couldn’t afford college.
But his sacrifice made my education possible.
As the flames rose, I bowed my head.
And made a silent promise:
I would pay forward his act of kindness.
Just before he passed, Dada told me something I’ll never forget:
But life got in the way.
By 23, I was working on Wall Street.
Prestige, paychecks, personal ambition—I chased it all.
I focused on myself.
My career.
And I forgot my promise.
Worse, I forgot why it mattered.
One night, I walked home through the city.
Suit rumpled. Soul heavy.
I passed a child—maybe seven—curled up in a blanket outside a subway.
Something inside me cracked.
I saw myself in that boy.
And Dada’s face in the blur of memory.
In 2013, I founded Brighter Children.
Our mission was simple:
To give out-of-school children the opportunity to go to school.
We started small.
One classroom in a rural village.
Today, we’ve supported thousands of students across Latin America, India, and Africa.
We find and fund educational entrepreneurs.
Visionary local leaders starting schools for out-of-school children.
We’ve partnered with schools in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya.
Every child we reach is a ripple of that act of kindness.
Every uniform.
Every pencil.
Every school lunch.
A torch passed forward—lighting the path for the next generation.
But I didn’t do this alone.
This isn’t my story.
It's a story of people who believed.
Donors who gave when we had nothing but a dream.
Volunteers who flew across continents.
Teachers who showed up against all odds.
Children who walked miles for a chance to learn.
We believe in dignity, not dependence.
In choice, not charity.
Each child deserves the opportunity to dream more, learn more, and create their own destiny.
Together, we dare to make their dreams a reality.
One day when my life flashes before my eyes—
I hope it’s filled with stories worth watching.
If this story speaks to you—reach out.
We’re always looking for dreamers, doers, and believers.
We’re building something beautiful.
And we need you.
