When Ben Hansen and his wife Moline Dastrup decided to leave New York, they proved something that worldschooling programs for families rarely get to show in such concrete terms: you don't have to choose between your ambitions and your children's childhoods. They chose both, and they built something remarkable in the process.

Since 2024, Ben and Moline have been living and working across Boundless destinations in Bali, Greece, and Japan. In that same window, they launched a kids' toy company called Boppo, selling 20,000 units so far, and watched their children grow up in some of the most vivid places on earth. This is the story of how that happened.

‍

A Big Life, Traded for a Bigger One

For seven years, Ben and Moline built careers that most people would call a dream. Ben had worked as a software engineer at Google on Chrome OS and Android, then moved into building algorithmic trading systems on Wall Street. Moline brought her own experience from Google and Duolingo. Together, they were pulling in the kind of combined income that New York demands and rewards.

Then they started watching their kids.

Ben noticed something simple and telling: his 1-year-old son was obsessed with flipping light switches and pressing laptop keys, even when nothing happened. The feedback loop, however meaningless, was irresistible to him. Ben saw an opportunity in that observation. What if a device gave kids real, satisfying responses, without a screen? What if pressing a button unlocked games, interactive stories, and language learning instead of a YouTube spiral?

That question became Boppo: a portable, screen-free player designed for young children.

The plan they had originally imagined, buying a sailboat and exploring the world, evolved into something more grounded and, it turned out, more productive. They found Boundless Life, packed up their New York apartment, and traded seven-figure paychecks for startup uncertainty and open skies.

‍

‍

The Coworking Hub That Kept the Business Moving

Here is the part that surprises people: building a hardware and software product while living across multiple countries with young children is not the chaotic scramble it sounds like.

At every Boundless destination, Ben and Moline had access to a dedicated Coworking Hub with fast wifi, meeting pods, and a community of remote professionals working alongside them. In Bali, that meant productive mornings coding and managing operations while the kids were at the Education Center down the road. In Greece and Japan, the rhythm held. The workspace moved with them; the work never stalled.

For a startup at the engineering stage, that kind of consistent professional infrastructure matters more than most people outside early-stage product development would expect. Ben wasn't debugging code from a beach towel. He was working in a real, professional environment, surrounded by other focused adults, with his family close and his children genuinely cared for.

‍

Live Product Testing with Real Families

Building a toy for young children requires one thing above almost everything else: honest feedback from young children.

Most founders have to recruit testers, schedule sessions, and beg families for their time. Ben and Moline were already living inside their target market. Fellow Boundless families, parents traveling with children from toddler age through the early teens, became a built-in, enthusiastic testing community across Bali, Syros, and Kamakura.

Structured play sessions with cohort families gave Boppo's product team a real-time feedback loop that shaped the user experience from early prototype to shipping product. When kids in Greece loved a particular game mechanic, that data went back into the build. When parents in Bali flagged a friction point in the onboarding, it was fixed before the next cohort arrived.

This is what worldschooling programs for families can offer that no accelerator or co-working campus in San Francisco quite replicates: a warm, trusted, globally distributed community of exactly the people you need most.

‍

What Ben and Moline Actually Chose

The choice Ben and Moline made isn't just a story about startup success. It's a story about what becomes possible when the infrastructure around you is designed for families who refuse to shrink their ambitions.

Their children didn't sit in a New York apartment while their parents grinded through product launches. They explored Japan's ancient capital of Kamakura, where centuries-old temples share a coastline with quiet fishing harbors. They swam in the Aegean. They grew up alongside a cohort of kids whose families were building, creating, and exploring alongside them.

And when Boppo needed testers, those kids were right there, ready to play.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you really run a business while participating in a worldschooling program for families?

Yes. Every Boundless destination includes a Coworking Hub with fast wifi, meeting pods, and professional workspace designed for remote workers and founders. While your children are at the Education Center, you have a dedicated, productive environment to run your work, whether that's a corporate job, a consultancy, or a startup.

How does the Boundless community support work-from-anywhere parents?

The cohort model means you're surrounded by like-minded families at every destination. For Ben and Moline, that community also became a product-testing network. For many parents, it becomes a peer network, a support system, and a source of collaboration they didn't expect to find on the road.

What does the Boundless coworking setup include?

Each Boundless Coworking Hub is described as professional workspace with fast wifi, meeting pods, and a community of remote professionals. It's designed to support focused, productive work while your family is living and learning nearby.

Is worldschooling compatible with launching or growing a startup?

Ben and Moline's experience suggests it can be. The combination of reliable coworking infrastructure, a built-in community for product testing, and the rhythm of Boundless's structured program gave them the environment they needed to take Boppo from concept to $2.7M in projected sales.

How does Boundless Life structure the family experience across destinations?

Boundless Life bundles furnished family homes (Boundless Homes), Education Centers working toward or holding accreditation, Coworking Hubs, and a curated community into cohort-based programs. Families can join a Worldschool Semester, a Worldschool Year, or shorter programs across eight destinations including Bali, Sintra, Syros, Kamakura, and more.

‍

Ready to Design Your Family's Next Chapter?

Whether you're a founder, a remote professional, or simply someone who wants more for your family than the default script allows, Boundless Life was built for you. Explore upcoming cohorts at boundless.life.