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

I never planned to start a company.

I just knew our kids deserved better.

I grew up monolingual in Nashville and didn’t have the opportunity to fall in love with languages until high school. That love took me across four continents, teaching English and French everywhere from New York to South Korea to Ethiopia.

And no matter where I went, I heard the same question from parents:

“Where are the joyful, kid-friendly ways to teach languages—without screens?”

The science is clear:

90% of brain development happens before age five.

It’s the perfect window to learn languages naturally—like play.

But nearly everything on the market relies on screens, subscriptions, or tech-heavy tools.

That didn’t sit right with me.

Then Life Handed Me a Wild New Chapter

I fell in love with someone whose languages were different from mine.

And after nearly a decade of infertility, we adopted our son.

From the moment he arrived, everything changed.

Suddenly, language wasn’t just something I taught.

It became the bridge between generations, cultures, and love.

My husband spoke languages I didn’t—and I wanted our son to know them.

To feel them. To carry them in his ears and heart, even when his dad wasn’t around.

As a teacher, I’d seen so many families trying to do the same:

Parents who weren’t fluent in their heritage languages but longed to pass them on.

Couples raising kids between cultures, unsure how to bring both sides to life.

Mamas who wanted their children to be proud of where they come from—even if they couldn’t speak it themselves.

It all came together in that moment.

My personal story, my years in the classroom, the science, the need.

And TA-DA! was born.

A joyful, playful, screen-free way to bring language to life—

for every family, in any language, no matter where they start.

From Passion Project to Movement: Real Voices. Real Stories. Real Kids.

Our books are built with real schools around the world.

You’ll hear the actual voices of real children and teachers—not robotic recordings.

You’ll meet characters based on the people we met while living abroad:

Kelsey, our Mexican-Filipina illustrator. Michelle, our Japanese-American artist.

And my son—alongside his beloved bunny—at the heart of it all.

Every word, every sound, every page is crafted with care, joy, and purpose.

Then the Music Legends Came Calling

We had no marketing budget. No flashy agency.

Just one mama, an idea, and a mission.

But then Grammy-winning producer Jesse Lewis (Yo-Yo Ma) found us. He believed in our books—and connected us to Béla Fleck (15-time Grammy-winning banjo legend), who wrote original music for our Camping Adventure book. His son even recorded a word for it.

Then came Rafa Sardina—19 Grammys.

Celine Dion. Stevie Wonder. Lady Gaga.

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.

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.

TA-DA! makes language irresistible.

No screens. No pressure. No prep. Just touch, sound, story, and song.

If you want your child to grow up curious, confident, and connected to the world—this is for you.

Because this isn’t just about raising bilingual kids.

It’s about raising kind, joyful, open-hearted humans.

And that’s why I keep going.