I arrived in Dubai on September 5, 2022, looking for a new beginning.
I did not come with a company, a network, or a clear plan. I came with hope and the belief that something meaningful could be built here.
Years later, during one of the most difficult moments of my journey, I attended a food fair looking for opportunities. When I went to pay for parking, my card was declined. I had no cash, no other card, and no way to pay 20 AED.
People passed by.
But one person stopped.
A parking attendant walked over, opened his wallet, and paid for me.
I looked at him and said, “Thank you.”
He smiled and replied:
“Thanks to you. Because thanks to people like you who come to events like this, I have a job and I can send money home to my family.”
I never forgot those words.
Not because of the money, but because in that moment I understood something powerful: behind every role, every uniform, and every company, there is a person with a story, a family, and an effort that deserves to be seen.
Those three words stayed with me.
Over time, they became a mission.
That is how Thanks To You was born: a recognition platform created in the United Arab Emirates to strengthen workforce engagement, recognize the contribution of those who make every organization possible, and turn gratitude into part of everyday work.
Because recognition does not always begin with grand gestures.
Sometimes, it begins when someone simply decides to see another person.
For me, it started with 20 dirhams.
Jesús Velandia
CEO & Founder