TA-DA! A Mama, A Mission & A Movement to Bring Language to Life

I never planned to start a company. I just knew that something was missing for our kids.

I grew up monolingual in Nashville and didn’t fall in love with languages until high school. That love took me across four continents, teaching English and French in places as different as New York, South Korea, Belgium—even Ethiopia. Everywhere I went, parents asked the same thing:

“Why is everything on screens? Where are the kid-friendly materials to help children learn languages when their brains are wired for it?”

Science tells us 90% of brain development happens before age five—the perfect time to absorb languages like a sponge. But instead of harnessing that magic, just about everything out there for children’s language learning relies on screens—the very thing research warns against if we want our children to grow up peaceful, successful, and emotionally grounded.

Then, life handed me something unexpected. I fell in love with someone whose languages were different from mine. After a decade of infertility struggles, we adopted our son—and from the moment he entered my world, everything changed.

He became my inspiration, my wildfire. I didn’t just want to teach languages—I wanted to create something joyful, playful, and real. Something that would bring the sights and sounds of the world to every child’s lap. That’s how TA-DA! was born.

From Passion Project to Movement, Real Voices, Real Stories

If you look at our books, you’ll see a little boy and his bunny—that’s my son and his bunny, growing up together. As we moved around the world for my husband’s work, our books evolved with us. Every character is inspired by real people we met along the way—like our illustrator, Kelsey Suan, of Mexican-Filipina heritage, or Michelle Hiraishi, a brilliant Japanese-American artist whose work shaped our Talking Picture Dictionary.

Starting a company as a solo mama, with limited means, was daunting. But when you believe—truly believe—and stay committed, no matter how many setbacks or obstacles, crazy things happen.

When the World’s Biggest Music Legends Took Notice

I had no connections. No big budget. Just an idea I believed in with everything I had. And then—something wild happened.

Not one, but two of the world’s most legendary music producers heard about TA-DA! and wanted to be part of it.

First, Jesse Lewis, the Grammy-winning producer behind Yo-Yo Ma, reached out. He introduced me to Béla Fleck—yes, the 15-time Grammy-winning banjo legend. Béla didn’t just love our mission—he jumped in. He wrote original music for our Camping Adventure book, simply because he believed in what I was building. (His little boy even recorded a word for the book!)

And then came Rafa Sardina. Nineteen Grammys. Michael Jackson. Mariah Carey. Alejandro Sanz. Celine Dion. Lady Gaga. Luis Miguel. Stevie Wonder. And now… TA-DA!

For nearly two years, Rafa and I spoke across an ocean. Then, one day, he invited me to breakfast. So, what did I do? I booked an international flight, had coffee with him, and flew straight back home. Because when you believe in something this much, you go all in. Rafa looked me in the eye and said, “Crazy is what it takes to pull off a new brand and a new innovation.” And then? He signed on—not just to create our next products, but to become TA-DA!’s Music & Innovation Director.

This isn’t just a brand. It’s a movement.

Why TA-DA! Matters

My son, now 10, speaks four languages daily—and adds two more just for fun. Not because he has to. But because he wants to. Because when learning feels like play, kids keep going. They stay curious, they ask us for more, they connect. And isn’t that what we all want? Not just bigger brains, but bigger hearts, too?

And that’s why I keep going.