Planning. In a day and age where our lives are constantly on the go, and we have an app or platform for everything, the planning industry has seen a great boom.  From the wedding apps like Zola and The Knot, to event specific apps that help you navigate a conference, let’s face it—our lives are made easier by apps and community platforms. Planning apps and services have made it easy for us to come together and plan for all of life’s big and small events: weddings, birthday parties, child care, travel, business, and even death. Yes, death.

Death. It is an inevitable fate for us all, and yet most of us have a difficult time discussing it, let alone planning for it. Let’s face it, when a death in the family occurs, especially unexpected, the last thing we want to do is make funeral arrangements while we are trying to process our loss.  That is where Foreverly, founded by Keara Kindelynn, steps in.

We met Keara at Techstars’ Startup Weekend in NYC where she presented her venture to over 60 people who were interested in starting their own companies.

Death is a taboo topic to discuss and even more taboo to build your company around. Since the start of 2019, Keara faced several encounters with death, one being her grandmother’s death. And though an adult, she did not know how to plan or how to face her grief. Several conversations later, she soon learned that other people experience the same discomfort that she had, and as a result, Keara became passionate about helping people find peace amongst pain.

Enter Foreverly. Foreverly, is a web platform for grievers that simplifies end of life planning processes and recommends resources to enable the space to heal. Foreverly will be the go-to solution for end of life planning tools, FAQs, and content to help people adjust to new norms.

Along with her Co-Founder Robert James, Keara’s vision for Foreverly is to destigmatize how we think about death and end of life planning. Foreverly data reveals that nearly 70% of people would not feel confident if they needed to plan a funeral in the next 2 weeks. With this service, she hopes she can give people the space to heal during a moment that can be overwhelmingly emotional.

Although life planning can be difficult, Foreverly encourages individuals to acknowledge the anxiety and to reframe your discomfort by realizing end of life planning is about being prepared. And if you are still uncomfortable, Foreverly has the resources to assist in end of life planning conversations with your spouse, family members, and loved ones.

Starting a business around a topic that most people don’t want to talk about has had its challenges, so Keara also has advice for other entrepreneurs. Her tip for others is to “separate your personal success from your business success by embodying the mindset of a scientist.”  With this approach, she suggests developing a hypothesis and testing it.  Either your hypothesis will prove correct or not, but either way you LEARN A LOT.  A mindset around experimentation allows you to learn, adapt, and be honest with yourself about your business and whether it is fulfilling its purpose or if changing directions is necessary.  Staying motivated to see your vision through is not always easy, but Keara has been able to push through by surrounding herself with a strong network of people who provide encouragement and a wealth of resources.

‍Foreverly is still in its early stages, but if you are experiencing loss, or want to be prepared for loss, visit the website to see how you can be prepared and create space for healing and join the Foreverly community.