Meet the Spoken Team!

Hey, friends! Whether you've just found Spoken or been around for a while, you may have wondered who we are. I always wonder about the fun people who must be behind the scenes making the magic happen on my favorite websites and apps, so I thought it was time to introduce the team!

One of our favorite things is connecting with our community, so we want to take a moment to introduce ourselves so you know who in the world is helping you find all these good furniture deals.

We are a small but mighty global team working behind the scenes to find the best online furniture deals and share them with you. We believe in what we are doing at Spoken because it can save you time, help you find the best deals, and empower you to find joy while creating a home you love. Feeling good about your home makes you feel better about your life, so we want everyone to feel like a beautiful home is within reach.

The Japanese architect Tadao Ando said, “Aesthetic pleasure is not to be taken lightly; it’s very important for the spirit and therefore the health.” Walking into a beautifully decorated space can make you feel inspired, warmed, and welcomed. But, it can feel out of reach sometimes; and if it ever feels that way for you, then you should know that you certainly aren't alone.

We believe that offering you a beautiful shopping experience and furniture and decor to make your home match your preferred style is good for you. That's why we take our jobs seriously… and have so much fun doing them. 

Ok, so wonder no more! Here are the beautiful people behind the brand here at Spoken: 

Dane is the Spoken co-founder and CEO who first discovered the need for Spoken when putting together furniture for his NYC apartment with his girlfriend in the fall of 2021. A Texas native, Dane spent 10 years living in California before moving to New York. Always active, Dane enjoys running, swimming, weight lifting, and cycling. He also likes to spend time in the kitchen perfecting his favorite recipes and trying out new ones.

Spoken isn't Dane's first rodeo as a founder. He previously founded Parklet (acquired by Greenhouse) and JobSpice (S09). His favorite tool to use for work is Cursor for programming.

Dane would describe his decorating style as urban modern or contemporary chic with a dash of mid-century modern. When asked about helping make interior design feel more accessible via Spoken, Dane explains: "When I walk into a beautiful, simple home, I'm inspired, warmed, and welcomed. A weight is lifted from me, and I'm able to relax and be present with my family, my friends, and myself. This feels worth helping people achieve."

He leads with excellence, consideration, and vision in building this business and supporting the team. Team members describe Dane as the king of feedback, pacesetter, dice thrower, and chaotic good.

Geoff Abraham is a Spoken co-founder living with his wife and daughter in Oakland, CA. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but has been residing in the Bay Area since 2009. Geoff loves spending time outdoors with friends, bicycling or motorcycling, practicing yoga, or spending time with his family.

On a perfect day, Geoff would wake up, read books and play with his daughter, enjoy a nature activity with friends, have a date night with his wife, Mimosa, and then go to bed early.

Geoff believes in Spoken's ability to "help people feel empowered in the emotional and personal moment of making a home." His favorite furniture styles are American Southwest, rustic lodge, and modern minimalist. If he made one purchase on Spoken today, Geoff says he would love to buy the couch Irina taught us to love in beautiful scenes. 

Members of the team say that Geoff is team human's bot whisperer. He's a leadership alchemist: collaborative, genuine, and community-minded. He leads with calm, wisdom, and understanding what people need to thrive.

Mihai is a software engineer who started working with Spoken in August 2022. He believes in the way that Spoken "uncovers the truth behind the high furniture prices set by stores. Often times we mistake a higher priced item for being of higher quality, but that is often not true in the furniture world."

His perfect day would begin with brewing espresso and creating a little latte art before breakfast and a walk to the gym. After lunch, he would feel fully charged to do some deep work, helping find the perfect furniture for your place. One of his favorite "tools" at work is his desk; its height is adjustable, so he can work while standing. Mihai enjoys drinking coffee as much as brewing it, as well as reading.

He would describe his furniture style as being mainly minimalist. Inspired by an industrial style, Mihai likes the idea of exposed brick especially with large windows. If he could choose just one piece from Spoken for his Romanian apartment, it would probably be an industrial-modern piece, like this oval coffee table, for his lovely lattes. 

The team members say that Mihai is an outstanding logician, careful reader, team player, and barista.

Anirudh (Ani) has been a software engineer at Spoken since October 2023. Ani is our team's resident Canadian; he lives in Kitchener, Ontario, with his wife. He moved there from India about a year ago. In his free time, Ani enjoys exploring Canada's scenic natural landscapes, coding, and solving puzzles.

On an ideal day, Ani would begin his day with a walk and some exercise. Back home, he says he would dive into coding and solve problems for Spoken. In the evenings, he enjoys going out with his wife.

Ani describes his style as contemporary chic, modern minimalist, or Scandinavian. If he purchased something from Spoken today, it would probably be a dresser. He is also trying to solve the puzzle of finding a dresser that fits well in his space. When asked how Spoken makes people's lives better, Ani says that "it can allow people to buy the furniture they like, possibly for cheaper! Which can bring joy and happiness to people's lives."

The team appreciates Ani's conquer energy, deep research, agreeable takes, and quick wins. He loves solving problems behind the scenes and Spoken is better for it!

Irina began working as a software engineer at Spoken in April 2024. She also enjoys working on various design projects to make the world of Spoken more beautiful–she's so talented, introducing beautiful scenes to browse for inspiration, among other lovely features of the website today.

Irina lives and works in Iași, Romania and finds inspiration in nature, good books, and the peace that comes from enjoying life just as it is in the moment. Her perfect day would include all of her favorite delicious foods (never skimping on dessert), reading a murder mystery on her favorite park bench, leg day at the gym, and a walk in the evening when the air smells freshest.

When asked why she believes in Spoken, Irina said that she loves a small business that is fair. Spoken helps people connect to new retailers that they may not have heard of before. And, you don't have to spend lots of time mindlessly scrolling Spoken to enjoy its benefits. In her own words: "As the basic Gen-Z I am, I love love love lamps and warm lights and I love the latest trends that bring back designer lamps from the 60s." She would buy a lamp–or 3–if she made a purchase from Spoken today. Her style is minimalist, but funky. Less, but make it bold!

Finally, the team appreciates Irina's constant curation, spicy takes, enthusiasm for design, and that she's always the first to bring the dance moves. Her contagious laughter and next-level aesthetics bring joy to the team and the site.

Meron has been a software engineer on the Spoken team since July 2024. He has brought a greater sense of organization to the website, which he feels passionate about because he says, "it's important for customers to have as much knowledge as they need to make purchase decisions. This helps them stay informed and buy the best item for a reasonable price."

In his free time, Meron enjoys watching TV, drinking coffee, and surfing the web. He says that a perfect day would probably include work, hanging out with friends, and eating good food.

His furniture style is somewhere between modern minimalist and contemporary chic–sleek, balanced, and functional. If he were shopping on Spoken today, he says that he would probably buy a standing desk like this one to spend less time sitting. A desk that perfectly complements his contemporary, minimalist style.

When asked, the team says that Meron is our resident night owl, bug squasher, dev champion, and cowboy.

Jen has been writing content for the Spoken website since September 2022. She is currently a freelance writer, living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband Blake, three kids, and three cats. Jen enjoys writing content that helps people feel empowered to create beautiful spaces that feel meaningful and bring them joy.

In her free time, Jen enjoys trips to the zoo and botanic garden with her family, watching a good TV series with her daughter (currently watching Emily in Paris), volunteering, crafting, and catching up with friends. A perfect day for Jen would include a beautiful walk by the ocean, collecting seashells, coloring in a Johanna Basford coloring book (only with glitter gel pens), and spending time with friends and family.

If Jen went shopping on Spoken today, she'd probably enjoy a shopping spree for a few items: a new sideboard or console table situation to house her 7-year-old's Lego collection, a rug to replace the one her cats have destroyed, and a new bed. She enjoys finding inspiration in all of the beautiful scenes and products on Spoken, connecting with the community, and making furniture shopping feel fun!

The team says that Jen is team human, a Spoken power user, kitten defender, and super Mom.

So, this is us: Team Spoken.

We know that making a home can be hard, but we are here to make it feel more enjoyable and affordable. Making a home that you love is good for you, so the process should feel good too.

To all who have taken the time to read this post, thank you. As Spoken becomes more interactive in the coming days, we hope to get to know YOU more! 💛