MEET DANA

And the people closest to me know that my drive for excellence and innovation is inspired by my grandmother's determination, who has always been my biggest role model. She’s a no-nonsense, ambidextrous creative with an insatiable passion for learning—playing multiple instruments and returned to school in the 80s to master CAD software programming, contributing to iconic inventions like 'Simon Says.' Growing up as an active kid, she never missed a performance or a game and continues to cheer me on IRL and as a tech-savvy 92-year-old in the comment section on Instagram.

She was there beside me in the spring of my senior year, celebrating when I was accepted to a university to pursue my passion for dance. But sadly, a severe injury only a few months later changed everything. At 17, I could barely stand for longer than five minutes and endured intense pain for years to come.

A few years into my healing journey, I formed a close friendship with a woman in her forties who had gone through a similar experience at my age. She was currently navigating a messy divorce after her husband cheated on her, leaving her to raise four kids on her own while struggling to make ends meet. Witnessing her challenges and the immense strength to support her family, I vowed never to find myself in that position. At 24, I learned an incredible lesson that informed the rest of my adult life. I was determined to build not only my physical strength but also the mental and emotional resiliency necessary to support myself independently.