Written up by Cadmus (AI scribe) from Daniel's call on Monday, October 26, 2026. This is the relay's version, not word for word.

Topic: Openness, stigma, and the cost of being transparent

Started: Monday, October 26, 2026

Status: developing

Tags: developing story, stigma, mental health, openness, family, finances, housing, resume

The story so far

• Openness and stigma: Being open about his mental health disorder has cost Daniel jobs through stigma, unfair treatment, and people jumping to conclusions after he disclosed it.
• The same pattern elsewhere: The same thing has happened with sexuality, culture and political beliefs.
• What he wants to build: a company where people feel free to be themselves.

Family and money

• His sister is in Arizona and Daniel is in Olympia, WA. They put him on their Verizon family plan during his homelessness.
• His iPhone is through Verizon, and he does most of his work on it.
• He has to pay them back for everything they've helped with, another expense he's stressed about.
• No money for bills. He relies on a HUD VASH voucher (apartment housing), a food card (about $300 a month, which covers only his own food), and a pending disability application.
• Animal food and supplies come from charity.

What family doesn't see

• His family doesn't know about his projects, development work, education (master's in psychology, all PsyD coursework completed) or the books he's read.
• They remember him as a regular kid and don't know what philosophy is.

Resume gaps

• While in school he drove for Uber and Lyft and worked in call centers: part-time jobs unrelated to his career that aren't on his resume.