About Me — Divad Sanders

I quit a billion-dollar company to start my own

Can you remember your first memory? I mean the earliest one you can think of. My first memory is a bit complicated, but for this article I think is a good place to start.

I was born and raised in Newark New Jersey, USA. If you know anything about New Jersey, we are known for having the best diners. Just ask Guy Fieri!

My earliest memory was with my parents at Kless Diner in Irvington. The context of why we were there is unclear, maybe just to grab a bite to eat.

The memory is more like a two-second GIF, constantly recycling the same scene over and over again. At the time I couldn’t have understood it because I was probably three years old, but somehow it stuck with me.

My parents, like many others, did not have the best relationship. They were not soulmates or even married. Both were only 20 when I was born and before they could live their lives had to take care of a baby. I’m grateful to them both.

The short mental clip comes from my eyes, sitting in a booth. Dad sitting on the left of me, and mom sitting across from us. I’m looking at her and she is fuming, angry. No words were said, but just by seeing the intensity in her eyes as she stared at him, the tension was palpable.