When Vick and I co-founded Dynamo 8 years ago, we wanted to build a better future for ourselves and our families. Initially, that desire was very immediate and practical. My wife Lauren and I were newlyweds when we found out that we had brought back an unexpected souvenir from our honeymoon. Dynamo was the future I would build to support my unexpectedly larger family.

Vick and I had known each other for nearly a decade, but had also been working together at another startup for 3 years. The startup was failing, however, and their leadership was floundering. Dynamo, to the both of us, was a new beginning for us to fail or succeed on our own terms.

As the years have progressed, I’ve found that my initial goal of building a better future for my family remains true, but that the scope of who that encompasses has grown significantly. Instead of just Vick’s and my immediate families, I saw each new team member as an extension to what would become a larger Dynamo family.

I still remember our first holiday party. Just a handful of team members with our loved ones, gathered around a space no larger than one of the conference rooms at our new Tysons HQ office. I felt so lucky to be with everyone that night, knowing that we were on the cusp of something incredible.

As we begin our 9th year, I still feel the same way. I am amazed by the incredible people that have been added to our team, and by the relentless work we’ve been able to accomplish throughout the better part of a decade. Vick and I are blessed to be able to work with each and every one of you, and I hope that together we can build a better future for all of our families.

Thank you all for being a part of this wonderful journey.

Sincerely,

Alex Duan

Check out what we’ve accomplished in the past eight years!