Flaviu Simihaian

Stefania, thank you for starting Blue Heron and offering so much joy and possibility to kids in Romania and to the mentors all over the world. I am grateful I got to be a mentor to two young men and have learned more from them than they learned from me. I appreciate your steady hand and leadership. You inspire many! ✨ P.S. I am proudly wearing the Blue Heron hat all the time.

Adriana, thank you for your kindness and warmth. We love the songs you made for our kids and how much you love our family. I am so happy we met you and I’m so inspired by your passion for helping people across the globe with Armonia 🫶

Thank you for teaching me history, how to meditate, golf and for taking a chance on me as a computer science teacher while I was still in college! You gave my first real job and that’s a special gift I still think of regularly. Now I understand the season of life you may have been in with 2 young kids and makes me appreciate you even more. Thanks for making life fun, C-Dawg! 🙏

Bryan, thank you for making us a part of your wonderful ceremonies. I'm grateful I got to meet your amazing and beautiful wife and family. You are an extremely generous and kind person, and that comes out every time we hang out. Speaking of which, we need to hang soon. Just know, I'm always here for you whenever you need a friend. 🫶

Thank you for believing in me since that Charlotte Python meet-up 16 years ago. Your support meant a great deal and gave me the confidence to pursue a startup and persevere even when I was close to giving up. It's been such a gift to know you and your family. I will always look up to you like a big brother from whom I have so much to learn about life, technology, sailing, and fatherhood. But not ping pong.

Jeremy! You make my day brighter with your endless energy. You have hidden talents you show off like acting and performing on your guitar at venues in NYC. Keep being awesome! Miss you!

Thank you for sharing your entrepreneurial journey with me. I am inspired by how you approach each challenge with 100% devotion. Your perspective is always unique and challenges me to think bigger. Thank you! 🫶

Great having some summer walks with ice cream together and sharing stories about investing in Romania. I look up to your engagement with Ezra in all the activities, including spotlight kids! See you at BMS soon!

Thanks for your humor. It makes every moment unpredictable and exciting. Love your games with the kids mixing improv with learning. And your thirst for learning is unmatched, from solar financing to the weather and from astronomy to the Roman Empire. Happy our paths crossed. 🤗

Happy birthday, Jeff! Thank you for being such a kind friend all these years. I appreciate the depth with which you approach life and you ask such thoughtful questions. I am going to convince you to bring your talents to a startup eventually 🫶

Jasmine! Thank you for being such a warm and kind teacher, taking care of each kid as as a special experience for each of them - coming up with new games and exciting activities and always giving your absolute best. Even when you were hurt, you were cheerful and came out with positivity! You rock! ✨ 🙏

Cavallo! Thank you so much for keeping us safe and bringing a smile to my family's faces every day. Your kindness is truly inspiring, and you’re a great father. Please stay safe on your motorcycle, Batman, and remember that we'll always be here for you. 🙏

Neal, thank you for your life-altering insights. You have a gift for seeing things in a new light. I appreciate you helping me discover that any feelings desired are already within me and accessible at any point in time. You are brilliant!

Thank you for hosting us at your beautiful new home and cooking delicious chicken nuggets. We miss our 15-floor pizza nights and love the life you have built. Will always remember Keith’s sailing jacket as a fireman outfit. 🙏

Dr. Blake, thank you so much for making our Brit Milah ceremony such a wonderful experience. You truly showed genuine interest in each of our family members' lives and histories, and even remembered the smallest details that made this day so special for us. Your passion for your work is truly inspiring, and you care so much for the safety and comfort of everyone around you. Thank you for everything! 🙏

Thank you Mary Esther for your unique and gentle guidance towards birth. You have a gift for creating the most magical experiences around the creation of life and appreciating every moment of that life. It's a great gift. There is nobody that Jen and I would want next to us as we bring a new life into the world. Thank you for preparing us spiritually for the great journey of life. 🫶

Thank you so much for coming to the special celebration today and meeting my entire family. You bring such positive energy and you're a member of the family now, in addition to being one of the strongest supporters of the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce 🫶 And since you brought a gift even though you shouldn't have, I now owe you 18 lunches at Mezeh.

Thank you for all the blind spots you helped me see over the years. You have a gift for seeing through the BS like nobody else. You can light up a room like a glitter bomb ✨ and you can take on the hardest challenges every day. But most importantly, you have so much love to give to the world and I’m grateful to have received some of it. 🫶

Anthony, I'm so glad we met. You bring a special positive energy that comes across in every word and action. I appreciate your help testing the OpenThanks app, and jumping right in to 1PB.org too! 🙏 You will be the first to get the Merch when we order it. Keep those ping pong skills strong. 🏓

Jim, thank you for creating the Association Serving Alto Cayma. You and Gloria have devoted your lives to service in a way that not only has it helped the entire community of Alto Cayma, Peru, but also has inspired people like me, as I strive to embody the "Service about Self" Rotary Slogan. Thank you for hosting us in Alto Cayma several Christmases ago. It was magical to be dressed as Santa Clause (el joven Papá Noel) and bring a smile to so many children. The "Acercandonos" program is so powerful still by connecting a child in Peru with a supporter in the US who can write each other and grow the relationship over years (and now decades). All of my work in non-profit today can be traced back to when I first saw the passion Gloria brought to each handmade card by the women of Peru that she was showing me with such tender care. Abrazos!

Ava radiates positivity all around her. She pursues her passion for acting while also working at the same time and she does both with grace. Really appreciate you always welcoming me with such positive energy, and good luck on the upcoming performances! 🫶

Mulțumesc mult pentru ajutorul de aseară. Deși am avut challenge-uri de logistică, tu ai întâmpinat cu zâmbetul pe buze fiecare persoană care a venit sus pe acoperiș la AI Pitch Night. Este inspirațional cum poți să organizezi evenimentele superbe pentru Social Incubator, ajutând atât de mulți copii. Știu că nu e ușor să începi la început într-o țară nouă și oraș you, dar tu o faci să pară ușor Și mă bucur foarte mult să te susțin și să ajut în ce măsură pot. 🙏

Mihai, Thank you for inspiring me to donate more to great non-profits, especially in Romania, where we are both from. Ever since playing tennis tournaments in Zalău as a kid I had s special connection to that city (I even wrote a poem about it in college). Your passion and big vision for connecting the Romanian community worldwide is a great example of thinking big. I think about your presentations often and your perseverance through every naysayer or challenge to keep on pursuing your mission. Thank you for including me in Romanian United Fund! (RUF) https://www.romanianunitedfund.org/

Samridhhi, thank you so much for volunteering with 1 Percent Back (1PB.org). You really made the pitch night happen, and so many people came up to me saying how well run the pitches were. You didn't get flustered when some people wanted to do a live demo instead of the slides we had prepared. You calmly and gently carried on and made it an amazing event on a rooftop with a view of the Empire Building in the back. I'm always going to remember you on your laptop, right on the edge of the building, getting the next presentation ready to go. You're the best, and everyone you work with experiences your gifts and kindness. 🙏 🫶 ✨

Beej! Thank you for bringing me a chicken sandwich every day after school and letting me blast Romanian music in your car. You even let me drive your car in the driveway (and I'm still very sorry I backed it right into a wall 🤕). You were my biggest tennis fan through the ups and downs of every match. And that gave me so much confidence. You rock! 🐞

La mulți ani, Adi! Ești o persoană minunată și vreau să îți mulțumesc pentru ajutorul tău la nuntă (ce ne-am distrat în mașina mirilor), dar și pentru bunătatea care o demonstrezi zi de zi. Întotdeauna te gândești la alții. nici nu îmi amintesc de câte ori ne-ai întâmpinat cu cadouri și zâmbetul de buze și (desigur) degustări și preparatele delicioase ale mamei tale. Te îmbrățișez și te respect.

Happy birthday, Yernur! Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and warmth you've always shown to me and my family. You are an incredibly gifted person and such a caring uncle and brother. I believe in you and your future endeavors, and I'm excited to witness and support in any way possible. Keep being awesome ⭐

Thank you for greeting me with a smile in the early mornings at 6:30 am at Snowy Owl. Your positivity is infectious, and I admire how deeply you engage with life—from fitness to family and friendships. I’m so glad we met.

Kat! Your depth and curiosity have no bounds. Thank you for always approaching any topic with no judgment and no fear and a beautiful sense of humor. I am proud and grateful to call you my friend and to witness you taking on the world. ✨

Thank you, Jess, for helping me during one of the startup's most critical moments. Your gentle guidance and steady leadership helped me grow into a better leader and navigate our entrepreneurial path to a pleasant conclusion for everyone inlvolved. I truly couldn’t have made it without you. You have a remarkable gift for being the calm, steady ship in turbulent waters.

Kyle, I love how you balance pursuing your passion at Triibe while having a full-time role, modeling, and still finding time to help others. I still remember your spreadsheets about how you manage everything from contacts to the manually recording the BPM of songs you listen to. I was blown away! Your work inspires me and many others to relentlessly pursue my vision and put others first. And also, love how you keep innovating within and outside of Triibe to find new ways to scale the positive impact. And thank you for supporting my events and recommending people as we try to scale 1PB.org

Thank you for believing in me from the first moment we met. You so generously gave me an opportunity I only dreamt of: to come to the US and live with you, study, and play tennis. Thanks for not giving up on me when I insisted my English was better than Susan's (invidious is a word!) or when I broke the #1 rule (don't make Bob mad!). You inspire me with your generosity and actions, and I aspire to embody the Rotary slogan of "Service above self" as I watched you do every day. I love you more than words can ever say!!! ❤️

Thank you for sharing part of your family vacation with us, delighting us with songs (can’t believe you brought a guitar and fishing rod). And thanks for covering the dinner and giving Vara a surprise gift. You have a beautiful family and your kindness shines through. Also would appreciate your feedback on OpenThanks and how we can make it better 😉

Taylor, thanks for co-hosting the Founder Secrets podcast with me the last 3 years. We did over 120 episodes and learned so much along the way. From working on the 85th floor of 1 World Trade to Betaworks, we've built multiple businesses, and now another chapter has begun. Thanks for always pushing me to learn more and be a better human.

Thank you for introducing me to Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), over 10 years ago. I have been in the same forum the entire time and it has been a life changing experience. Congrats on all the success along the journey, and how fitting to find we have the exact same birthday!

Domnu Puiu, vreau să îți mulțumesc pentru prietenia de atâția ani. Am trecut prin atâtea împreună, începând de pe Valea Silabertului și trecând pe la congrese de bachata, unde ai devenit rege. Fără tine, nu aș fi știut cum să fac un body roll. Continui să învăț de la tine de fiecare dată când vorbim. M-ai invatat ce e ala Ikigai și cum să găsesc pacea în ziua de zi, cu haosul pe care-l aduce viața de familie. Dar ce viață frumoasă e!

Valentin, I wanted to say thank you for donating to Romanian nonprofits through the "Romanians Who Care" Grapevine Group. It means so much to me that you care and it's a beautiful way to stay connected after nearly 2 decades of knowing each other, working together and growing our families across the ocean from each other. You have a friend here whenever you need one. Thank you!

Thank you for introducing me to Verci, a wonderful community of founders. And for being a friend, great entrepreneur bringing the healthiest olive oil (Alya!) to the world, all while DJ-ing and being a super fun positive person.

Colin, thanks for making the time to have lunch. I appreciate your curiosity, it's a gift to your family and to the world. You always ask deep questions, that I find myself still thinking about days later. I'll always remember having kids is like being in the deep part of the pool (or the ocean) 🐳

Elton, thank you so much for coming to play basketball yesterday. You've come a long way from vice-captain of your middle school team. Seriously though, I appreciate your humor and lighthearted devotion to life. Keep spreading the joy!

Your pitch at the AI Blitz in NYC was incredible. Thank you for coming and sharing homiiworld.com with everyone, and congrats on winning the prize! You inspired other founders and hopefully the 1PB.org community and I can support you in the growth of Homii.

Thank you for involving me in the Romanian Chamber of Commerce (RACC) IT group. Despite a consuming day job at Ford, you find time to give back to the Romanian community, and even organize and fly to events far from your home. Thank you for your energy and time and let's make this year's events the best ones yet!

Marius, thank you for always being so kind and generous with your time and knowledge. You've taught me what it means to be an engineer but also how to break down complex topics into bite-size chunks. You are a great father, friend, and human.

Thank you so much for taking the videos and photos of the AI Pitch Event at Fabrik. Really appreciate your support of entrepreneurs and you can count on me when you need help in the future with your projects.

Silvia, thank you for your generous help organizing the AI pitch events for startups through 1PB.org - couldn't have done it without you!! Also admire your work with other organizations such as the Social Incubator and RUF. All while studying and being a Fulbright Scholar. You even brought a gift for all of the people pitching! 🙏

Oana, fellow Nasaudeanca, I am so grateful we met in NYC, despite growing up in the same small town in Romania. It was fate. You really inspired me with CarteaDaliei.ro (Dalia's Book), a non-profit you started to teach kids computer programming skills. You seem to be able to overcome any challenge, and I'm proud to be your friend.

Thank you for teaching me that life doesn't follow a straight line. You stay positive even when school or career doesn't go the way you want it to. And you're finding humor in it and staying strong. (💪 keep working out with your dad)

Alex, I have been privileged to know you for many years now and see the remarkable man you've become. You passion for music sparked mine, and now I own a Romanian caval :) I admire your passion for volunteering, saving tress and parks in Romania and mobilizing others to do so too. Your hunger for learning and growth is a gift; I still think about our philosophical conversations. (Flowing like water) You taught me so much and have come so far. I appreciate how much you care about your family and are always there to support them unconditionally.

Thank you Spencer for your boundless generosity with your actions, words, (and croissants). The last few years I have seen you do an impressive amount of growth and self-work to align your work with your passion, and you've impacted several people (myself included) with your presence, kindness, and very impressive self-discipline. You have so much to offer the world and I am grateful to know you and cheer you on.

Brindusa, I know I can always count on you, big sister. When the airline told us they had overbooked and needed to take us off the plane, you found a way to let you not board, so we can still board and make the connecting flight in Munich. Without your advice, I wouldn't have moved to New York, and made the life I have now. Thank you! You are a wonderful mother and I learned so much from you about being patient and doing my best every day. You love deeply and passionately and it always inspires me and those around you.

Tochi is a great entrepreneur with a passion for helping people. I was fortunate to work with him as part of 1pb.org and he graciously donated part of the equity in DoseForm to nonprofit to help other entrepreneurs. Watching him put his hard work into DoseForm was inspiring and he navigated the company exit with respect and grace for each party, being kind to each potential buyer. To be honest, this is rarely seen in these situations, and Tochi completed the entire entrepreneurial journey, which is very challenging to do. Congratulations, keep inspiring me and other entrepreneurs around you. I'm honored to support you in any way I can.

Max, I still remember when I first held you in my arms when you were a baby at my sister's house. Since then, you have taught me so much that helped me be a better parent now. I remember when you first moved to the US and you brought such a joy and excitement to be here, that I forgot how how much I take for granted being in the US now 25 years. I think you are one of the most creative people I know, always having the courage to think differently, question the way things are done, and find a new way to do something. I am so proud of who you've become and proud to be your uncle. One thing I appreciate about you is how kind you are to others, from strangers in Boston you offered your last cash, to your own cousins who you so generously give your time to on a weekend.

Alexandru has a unique eye for what is beautiful. Beautiful design, beautiful people, beautiful technology, beautiful music, and so much more. I remember how skeptical Alexandru was the first time we met. We couldn't even complete a first project together :) but we grew over many years to build several companies together, and couldn't have done it without you my friend! Alexandru is so kind and always willing to help turn something ugly I had made in a hurry into something beautiful. And while we worked a lot and had many ups and downs, we also had a lot of fun, so much I couldn't list it all here. Except that one night when we found large prints of Nicolae Ceausescu at Dana Marijuana's house :) Keep inspiring the world through your art. I am grateful to call you my friend.

I've had the privilege of hiring and working with Ryan for two years and he’s one of those rare self-starters, independent thinkers who can take on any challenge. From day one, he’s been a fast learner, diving into a complex, highly regulated industry and quickly making an impact on sales. Ryan’s strengths lie in his ability to operate independently while staying deeply aligned with business goals. He’s led cold outreach efforts, built and maintained CRM workflows, set up scalable email automation campaigns, and even rolled up his sleeves for in-person conferences with hospital executives — all without needing any handholding. He brings a founder’s mentality to the work, and, he's one of the kindest human beings I've met. He can start and carry a conversation with anyone, making him perfect in a role where he has to rely on his charisma. I'd be honored to invest in Ryan's company when the right time comes. 🚀

After growing up together in Nasaud, playing tennis every day, we are now oceans apart but still she is there for me. When I tried to play the pro tour, she came and supported me (my only fan in Castelfranco Veneto ❤️). Now she is a wonderful Matusa (aunt) to my kids who love her so much. She always puts the most care and work in every detail of what she does, and my best clothes still come from Laura. She also inspired me to give back more together as a family (Simihaian.com) and we bought canoes for kids in Nasaud (she picked up the canoes herself! 💪) and also gives back through teaching and co-founding ArmoniaEarth.com to help communities in Colombia 🇨🇴 and soon the entire world. 🌎 I am so grateful you’re my sister! 🤗

Jonny is the kindest person I've ever met. He truly cherishes every human interaction with no ego. He's always giving his time to help entrepreneurs, inspire others with his amazing story of fighting cancer, building a nonprofit (Imerman Angels) to help others with cancer, and ClozTalk, a B Corp that helps nonprofits with beautiful apparel. To me specifically, he's supported me through the lowest lows, and supports every idea, inspiring me to start The Gratitude Network, as well as 1pb.org to help other entrepreneurs, and to more graciously give every day in small and big ways. Most importantly, Jonny is an inspiration in health, conscious living, where he prioritizes exercise, healthy food, and meaningful relationships. Thank you for being Jonny every day, and inspiring me and everyone you meet.