Brick #4 - Trust the Build
Choosing faith over fear in entrepreneurship and legacy
Legacy doesn’t always announce itself in grand gestures or big inheritances. Sometimes it’s quieter. It’s a hummingbird pausing at your window mid-yoga practice. It’s the rhythm of brick on mortar from your grandfather’s trade. It’s the instinct that even when you don’t see how the scaffolding is already being built to hold your dream.
I’m on this path of unlearning the hustle. Of slowing into stillness, flow, and deliberate action. This doesn’t mean I don’t work hard. It means I’m learning to trust the difference between force and faith. To ground myself in the belief that the right opportunities will arrive at the right time, as long as I stay aligned with what I’m building.
This morning, a hummingbird hovered at eye level during my yoga. Long enough for me to feel its presence not just as a bird, but as a message. Protection. Love. Guidance. A reminder: lead boldly. Trust. Keep going.
Real Talk: Fundraising in the Wild
Here’s the truth: fundraising for the upcoming Tech Talent Summit has been challenging. People keep telling me, “The fundraising market is brutal right now.” And yes, sponsorships aren’t flowing as quickly as I’d like. I’m behind the percentage I thought I’d be at by now.
But I don’t subscribe to that scarcity narrative. I take accountability. I know I can do a better job at conveying the why, why this event matters, why Phoenix matters, why building for talent and founders is not just another conference but a mission that shapes the future of work.
And despite the shortfall, I still fully trust the success of this event. It’s supposed to happen. And it will.
Building for Legacy
I come back to my grandfather. The mason who built brick by brick, steady and strong. He never rushed. He knew that pace, intention, and presence mattered more than speed.
That’s the reminder I need in this season: to build the Summit, Freeway, Bridgework, and my family’s future with that same deliberate hand. Not forcing the walls to rise overnight but trusting each brick each relationship, each conversation, each moment of faith holds the next.
Notes from the Field
Here’s what’s real right now:
Tech Talent Summit – November: Every day I meet job seekers who are brilliant, skilled, and ready but not being seen. I want to help them, to fix the system. And here’s the shadow work: they don’t actually need me. They already have everything they need. My job is to keep leading, keep driving this mission so more doors open, more opportunities flow, and more founders and talent connect. The theme is: People First. Work Rewired.
Startup World Cup: We’re creating a platform where Arizona startups can pitch on a global stage. This isn’t just about competition; it’s about visibility. It’s about showing the world that innovation doesn’t only happen on the coasts.
Avondale Activation: This week we kick off with the City of Avondale. It’s not easy convincing people to drive west for innovation events. But that’s exactly why we’re doing it. To demystify misconceptions, to honor a city that deserves its place in Arizona’s story, and to remind ourselves that ecosystems thrive when we stretch beyond our comfort zones.
The Call To Action
If you’re reading this, whether you’re a founder, an investor, a corporate leader, or just someone who cares about the vibrancy of Phoenix, this is your invitation. We need the entire innovation stack. The only way we win is by building a positive-sum game.
Sponsorships, partnerships, volunteerism, simple word of mouth t all matters. But more than that, what matters is trust. Trusting that if we build with intention, if we honor legacy while creating the future, then together we can turn Phoenix into one of the most vibrant, inclusive, and bold startup ecosystems in the country.
But it also means tending to the small, everyday bricks in your own life:
Choosing to believe in possibility rather than fear.
Reaching out to someone who feels unseen.
Saying yes to collaboration instead of competition.
Slowing down enough to listen for your own hummingbird momentsthe quiet signs reminding you to trust.
Building in a way that doesn’t cost you your soul.
When we each take responsibility for these daily choices, and then come together collectively, that’s when ecosystems shift. That’s when legacies are built.
Closing Reflection
I don’t know exactly how I’m going to meet my financial goals professional or personal. But I trust. I trust that the right people, opportunities, and pathways will appear. I trust that hummingbirds don’t hover by accident. I trust that the bricks I’m laying now will outlast me, becoming part of a foundation for others.
And maybe that’s the real work of legacy: to keep building, brick by brick, even when the blueprint isn’t fully revealed.
With love and gratitude,
Daniela