A thank-you to the brilliant minds who helped make HABU possible.
HABU was never shaped in isolation.
It was carried through friendship, support, challenge, honesty, encouragement, and the kind of conversations that leave people feeling seen, heard, and understood.
Before HABU became a brand, it was a gathering of energy. A collection of voices. A circle of people who, in different ways, helped shape an idea into something real.
To my Navy buddy, Jeff Flowers — thank you.
To my sister Josain, a pillar of support, strength, and encouragement — thank you.
To Philip Simpson — mentor, friend, and important pillar in my life — thank you.
HABU began, in part, with a simple question you once asked me:
“Are you successful?”
At 21, I did not know how to answer. I thought success meant having a degree, having everything figured out, and already knowing the path ahead. I said no.
What I did not know then was how life, experience, faith, pressure, and time would shape the answer.
Years later, that question stayed with me. It became part of the reflection behind HABU — the idea that success is not only measured by titles, degrees, or what the world can easily see. Sometimes success is found in endurance, growth, discipline, and the courage to keep becoming.
Thank you for asking a question that stayed with me long enough to become part of the journey.
To my best friend, who tears the bandage off and keeps it real, who constantly pushes me outside my comfort zone — thank you. I may not always like the push in the moment, but I am truly grateful for the gift of your friendship.
To Jean — the brother whose mouth never stops, but whose heart never wavers — thank you.
Our journey continues to challenge us, evolve us, and push us to grow stronger. Your presence reminds me that real growth is often loud, honest, imperfect, and full of love.
To my cousin Ty — thank you.
Your life and your morals embody persistence, survival, and the human will to triumph through life’s hardest experiences.
To Dr. Adrian Hunter, a guru of wisdom on a different level — thank you.
Your professional care helped get my body back in operational order, but your presence also became a profound source of inspiration. You helped me see that HABU could become more than an idea. It could become a place, a plan, and a reason to get people talking again.
To Cathy Williams, whose life lessons bring clarity to the bigger journey — thank you.
Your perspective reminds me that life is not only about what we build. It is also about what we learn, who we become, and how we continue moving with meaning.
To Parker — what can I say? You always seem to know what to say, even without words.
To J. Thomas, a great listener who embodies quiet presence — thank you.
To my beloved mom, the true embodiment of survival, power, persistence, and kindness like no other — thank you.
To Wyatt Linden Bentinck and Kyle Geogry — two gladiators in the family who embody the spirit of HABU — thank you.
Your light, your presence, and your questions continue to leave an impression.
You remind me that the path is not always about having every answer. Sometimes it is about asking better questions:
What world are we walking into?
What path are we choosing?
And why are we walking it?
In your own way, you carry the energy of HABU — curiosity, courage, movement, and the willingness to think beyond what is directly in front of you.
That kind of light matters.
That kind of questioning matters.
That is part of the village.
To Afua A., a titan of hard work and discipline — thank you.
You stretch me, challenge me, and remind me what commitment looks like.
To Leslie, whose openness and deep conversations make me look up to him — not only because he is tall, but because he is walking a path of discovery, possibility, and becoming.
To Mrs. N. Brown, through your friendship I have witnessed the true definition of a fighter for life.
To Cough Drop Girl Keji — thank you.
You are a massive symbol of survival, recovery, justice, healing, and the fight for peace of mind.
To T. Crawley, whose view of life and wisdom is boundless in its expression — thank you for challenging the limits people place on themselves.
To my kindred guide, Vivanna, a radiant force of energy — thank you.
To my older brother Danny, whose kindness, love, and courage to search for the meaning of self continue to encourage me.
To my two sisters, Dawn and Nadine, whose laughter can take away the worries of the world — thank you.
By the time we finish laughing, we forget what was wrong to begin with.
To Vita, my soldier of NYC fitness — thank you.
To Frankie Giraldo, a New York City artist, creative genius, designer, family man, and teacher — thank you.
Through long conversations, you helped give shape to the words:
Helping All Brilliant Minds Unite.
HABU.
You were able to capture what I kept seeing around me.
People wanting to talk.
People wanting real conversation.
People wanting dialogue that is thought-provoking, safe, honest, and human.
Conversations that leave you feeling seen and heard.
Conversations that make you ask better questions.
Conversations that you carry into other rooms, with other people, long after they end.
To my West Coast Daniel — thank you.
There is no boundary in what we share or in how present we can be. Your friendship reminds me that true connection does not always need distance, time, or explanation to make sense.
And to every brilliant mind that continues to change us — thank you.
That is the village.
That is the conversation.
That is how HABU moved from concept to reality.
And to every brilliant mind who helped carry the idea from a thought into something real:
Thank you.