From teen in Croatia to entrepreneur in the USA: The inspiring story of Danijel Velicki

Danijel Velicki with his family on Hvar in Croatia (Private album)

Danijel Velicki is a Croatian entrepreneur who moved to the US, where he created and runs a successful company to help people achieve financial wellness. 

Danijel left Zagreb as a teen to chase a dream with just 40 dollars and a walkman in his pocket when he got accepted into a foreign exchange program. 

I came to this little town in West Virginia, and it was such a huge culture shock. When I first arrived, I wanted to go home, Danijel told the All Things Croatia podcast. 

Danijel, holding the basketball in the front row on the left, with the foreign exchange group in West Virginia during his first week there (Private album)

After overcoming homesickness and finishing high school with good grades, Danijel was accepted into multiple colleges in the U.S.

However, he couldn’t afford to attend any of them, so he went to the best Italian restaurant in West Virginia, where he met the owner and asked for a job. He promised to work hard, pay for his education, and pay the owner back with the work he did and any cash he earned. The owner agreed, and Danijel worked tirelessly for him for over four years, paying for his education in cash every summer. He graduated with a double major and no debt, and he credits the owner of the restaurant for his success.

“I owe my life to that guy. That was the reason I’m here,” said Danijel.

After working in finance for over two decades, Danijel started his own company, Sqwire, a financial wellness and literacy platform that is offered as an employee benefit for organizations.

Danijel collecting an award (Private album)

The company has a contract with the United States Air Force to rebuild their financial wellness program. Danijel sees teaching and empowering people as his passion and values making an impact. 

Like most companies, he faced challenges due to the pandemic but was saved by an investor and has since been growing.

Danijel, who visits Croatia at least twice a year, has also penned a book inspired by telling his story so his children could understand how he came to the U.S. and where he is from.

Dubrovnik (Private album)

“Croatia is the best place in the world. We’re just such a passionate nation with such passionate people. There’s just so much love, connection, passion, and the way that we live life that it’s hard to explain to people. I can’t imagine not going and touching our culture every year; it’s just something that my body and my soul miss, like, it’s hard to explain to people, but we’re just, we’re different,” he says.

Danijel and his family visit Croatia every year (Private album)

Danijel’s story is a testament to the power of hard work and determination. Despite facing significant challenges, he was able to overcome them by being persistent and never giving up on his goals.

In Zagreb (Private album)

On the podcast, Danijel reveals more stories about growing up in Zagreb, the challenges he faced in the U.S. and how he overcame them, as well as his strong connection to Croatia and more.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.