Dertien means 13 in Dutch.
DertienCo didn’t start as a business plan.
It started in a classroom.
My son James had just transferred from a large public high school in San Francisco to a small alternative school.
One of his first assignments was to create a brand. There was extra credit for presenting it.
He went for it.
What started as something for class turned into something else. His teacher suggested he take it further—bring it into real life.
So we did.
We built something that wasn’t just a project—but a family legacy.
Growing up, we heard a story that centuries ago, wanderers and poor farmers were given numbers instead of names.
Whether that story is history or legend, it stayed with us.
Because it speaks to something real:
Starting with little—and building something that lasts.
Over time, the name Dertien came to stand for something else in our family.
My grandfather, Captain Donald A. Dertien, was part of America’s Greatest Generation.
A Pearl Harbor survivor, he served 28 years in the United States Navy, earning 11 battle stars during World War II.
He commanded a destroyer and later became Marine Director of the Panama Canal, responsible for its direct operations.
But more than rank or recognition, what defined him was how he lived:
With discipline.
With humility.
With service to others.
That’s the legacy we carry forward.
Dertien isn’t just a name.
It’s a reminder that where you start doesn’t define where you finish.
They took a number and made it a name.
We took 13—and flipped the script.