A thank-you video warmed my 10th grade English teacher’s heart. And mine, too. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

A thank-you video warmed my 10th grade English teacher’s heart. And mine, too.

I’ve wanted to thank Mrs. Cowen for 30 years. A Jersey Shore startup helped make it happen.

My 10th grade English teacher suggested I apply to a high school journalism workshop. I wanted to do it. But like most 15-year-olds, I dilly-dallied and two days before the application was due, I handed Mrs. Cowen a haphazardly filled-in application and shoddy essay.

Ilsa Cowen — a mild-mannered woman known for her granny-style salt and pepper bun — scowled. I think she growled, too.

After she lectured me on the importance of respecting deadlines, she helped me get my essay and application in tip-top shape and in on time, jumpstarting my journalism career. I’ve thought of Mrs. Cowen often during the last 30+ years and have wanted to thank her. But really, what was the chance of that happening?

Then I learned about 7 Thank Yous , a startup founded by Jersey Shore friends Andy Levine and Paul Kaplan. The team combs through social media and taps into several national databases to help clients reconnect with people who’ve impacted their lives, but who they’ve never had a chance to properly thank.

The 7 Thank Yous team then helps its clients make three to five minute gratitude videos and ships them to the unsuspecting gratitude recipients’ homes. The basic package includes a thank you note with a video link. It’s $25. In the second-tier package, the video is jazzed up with music and photos. That package is...

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