bēkn
bēkn began as a personal quest for meaning and evolved into a mission-driven platform designed to bring communities together for intentional action. What started as late-night sketches and wireframes became a fully realized company, built from the ground up through passion, persistence, and collaboration. With no prior experience in UX/UI, I taught myself the fundamentals to create a working prototype. Partnering with my co-founders we combined technology and community engagement to shape bēkn into a tool for organizing social initiatives. While the venture ultimately dissolved in 2020, the journey provided invaluable lessons in leadership, entrepreneurship, and the power of an idea.




A Question to the Universe Led to a Vision
bēkn was born out of a moment of reflection, a late-night drive to Donner Lake, and a deep desire to find purpose. While working at an architecture firm in Truckee, CA, I found myself yearning for something greater—a way to build community and inspire action. That night, I asked the universe for direction, and the idea for bēkn arrived: a platform dedicated to bringing people together to act with intention and purpose. It started as sketches, notes, and wireframes, evolving into something tangible as I refined the vision.






From Lightbulb Moment to Building a Company
The name bēkn came months later, during a sunset walk home from the BART station. As I passed under a streetlight, it flickered on at the exact moment I recalled a friend once telling me that I was a beacon of light in our community. Everything clicked—a beacon of hope, of guidance, of action. That moment solidified the vision, and I knew this project had a name. With no resources to outsource UX/UI design, I taught myself the fundamentals, turning my ideas into an interactive prototype. As the concept took shape, I sought technical expertise, leading to a collaboration with my first co-founder, a software developer who believed in the mission. Initially, I paid him to help build bēkn, but when funds ran out, he continued working for free, driven by the project’s impact. I eventually asked him to be my co-founder, and together, we assembled a small team of—a total of 7 co-founders—conducted community research, and pitched bēkn at local startup events as a seed-stage initiative.

From Lightbulb Moment to Building a Company
As the face of bēkn, I led community engagement while my first co-founder focused on development. I built relationships, gathered user insights, and spearheaded marketing efforts, ensuring that the platform aligned with real-world needs. With each step, we refined our mission—to create a space where people could gather, organize, and take action toward meaningful social initiatives. The project gained momentum, attracting contributors and supporters, but despite our progress, unforeseen circumstances led to bēkn dissolving in 2020 after it had officially become a company.










A Lesson in Leadership, Resilience, and Growth
Although bēkn didn’t reach its full potential, the experience was invaluable. It was my first true venture into entrepreneurship—an opportunity to build something from the ground up, lead a team, and navigate the complexities of startup development. The lessons I learned during this journey shaped my approach to leadership, design, and business, preparing me for the projects and ventures that followed. bēkn was more than an idea; it was proof that passion and purpose, when pursued relentlessly, can inspire and ignite change.



