About
Hi, I’m Dice Takeda, founder of Pine Oak. I started Pine Oak to bring myself and my mentors to cement your success, celebrate your team, and delight your customers.
I grew up in Texas and spent summers on my family’s farm in Iowa, where my uncle instilled in me the importance of hard work, integrity, and community. Inspired by my family’s farming cooperative, I started a candy and coffee distribution business with my friends, which later evolved into a small business lending initiative.
My initial foray into starting a business taught me an important lesson: relationships built over time become lifelong friendships. That insight shaped my focus on nurturing strong, lasting relationships, which eventually led me to work closely with business owners and CEOs. Along the way, I’ve been grateful for the chance to make mistakes, learn from great leaders, and take on more responsibility and ownership to create success for everyone on the team. Pine Oak is the result of decades-long collaboration and learning with my close friends and mentors.
On weekends, you’ll usually find me at family gatherings. I’m either teaching my nieces how to shoot three-pointers or fielding questions from my parents and in-laws about when they’ll have a new grandchild. It’s in the works!
Values
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As Kevin Kelly said, “The reward for good work is more work.” If something is worth doing, it is worth doing for its own sake.
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Great businesses are built on relationships, not just numbers. It’s the trust between teammates, customers, and partners that endure over time.
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Winning happens when we work side by side and stay open to feedback. Honest feedback is a gift, and we earn it by showing up with humility.
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There are good days and tough days. What matters is showing up, doing the work, and taking pride in the effort, even when it is hard.
Personal
My most important relationships are with my family. I was fortunate to be adopted by loving parents who were generous with their time and love. Last year, I married the love of my life who has a wonderfully large family — 40 direct aunts and uncles!
