Meet Daniel Burapavong

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Burapavong.

Daniel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in High Point, North Carolina. After high school, I left my hometown for Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech where I graduated with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering. I co-oped while in college (alternated work and school semesters) for an engineering and consulting firm called GDS Associates, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia.

Upon graduation, they offered me a full-time job. I’ve been with GDS since. I love the culture at GDS and I think it’s great to work with so many bright people on a variety of interesting and challenging projects. In my spare time, my hobbies include golf, watching sports (I’m a 14-year-and-counting Georgia Tech men’s basketball season ticket holder), TV/movies, and video games.

Another hobby and one of my biggest is Yelp. I was meeting up with one of my friends after work one day and, having never been there, Googled the restaurant/bar we were meeting at. There I discovered the business’ Yelp page and saw my friend’s wife’s Yelp review. I clicked through to her Yelp profile and saw all the fun she was having. I wanted in. I created a Yelp account, starting writing reviews, and within a few weeks, was invited to join the Yelp Elite Squad. I’ve been a member of the Yelp community in Atlanta since 2009 and I love it. I’ve made many great lifelong friends thanks to Yelp, met my fiancee indirectly through Yelp, and Yelp has made me feel more connected to my city.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a pretty smooth road, I’m not gonna lie. I was fortunate to have a loving and supportive family growing up and great friends throughout my life. That said, I don’t take anything for granted and I’m thankful for every day.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I think I was recommended for this feature because of what I’m “known” for which is Yelp. Since 2009, I’ve written over 3,300 reviews, uploaded over 55,000 photos, and posted over 5,200 tips. I love Atlanta and I think it’s one of the best cities in the world to live for a variety reasons. There’s a great quality of life with big city amenities and an affordable cost of living. I love exploring the city and the surrounding suburbs, discovering cool new local businesses, fun activities, and “hidden gems” and letting people know about them via Yelp and other social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Yelp is a fantastic platform to highlight local businesses I’m passionate about, whether it be a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, a golf course on the outskirts of the city, or an auto mechanic or tailor.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/td2timemvp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burapavong
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TD2timeMVP
• Yelp: https://tdb.yelp.com/

Image Credit:
Krisandra Evans and Paul Kosal.

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.