THE STARTUPS OUR GEN Z TEAMS ARE STALKING: PART 17

I’m not going to lie, I think we’re past Part 17 of this startup-stalking series. Posts from here on out might go by other titles, and you’ll just have to read them if you want to keep up with who we’ve got eyes on.

But for this week, we’ll make it easy for you. We’re looking at ConnectCareHero. They’re a small SaaS startup out of Chicago that (and stick around for why this is not actually boring) helps coordinate communication and events in extended care facilities.

While here as the top performance marketing group in Austin (and elsewhere), it’s predictable for us to be drawn to emerging tech, evolving cybersecurity, out-of-the-ordinary industries, and stuff to keep our hearts pumping. You wouldn’t think elderly care and nursing homes have much of a spot in our interest, or in the successful startup realm.

Quiet Bingo Halls & Gelatin Galore

But let me ask you this: What do you know about nursing or extended care facilities? Personally, I know that I visited a distant aunt in one when I was six. I remember most of the place was beige, the tables were plastic, and people looked weighed down, sad, and bored. What also comes to mind are satirical Bob’s Burgers episodes about the Florida scene of retired swingers. And what most people know outside of these cultural indicators, I imagine is very little. That is, until you’re in a position to look after someone or place someone in such a facility. It is a human issue that, by and large, no humans actually talk or learn about until it’s on their front doorstep, telling you to pack a bag or help someone pack a bag. That, plus the occasional news frenzy over discovered abuse in a home.

In short, it’s all depressing as he[[.

(Excuse the censoring – Facebook already doesn’t like us and we don’t need another flag from them on bee ess publishing policies.) And though we may not want to think about it until it’s already a personal problem, this particular problem lies at the end of a rope, one that’s soaking in costs, sadness, and loss. There HAS to be a way to learn more, know more, and make better decisions by the time one of us inevitably enters this realm.

And that seems to be exactly what this startup is doing. Through their SaaS, ConnectCareHero not only facilitates third-party vendors (music teachers, cooking schools, hobbyists) scheduling activities for those in the care facilities, but also helps families of residents stay in the know about what their loved ones are spending their days like. And from a nerdy marketing perspective, we love that it also suggests activities based on the location of the facility as well as the demographics of the stayers.

That, and we realize we’re saying this about nursing home technology, is actually pretty cool. As a 25 year old, I believe I’m pretty far from needing to step into an extended care facility for anyone in my family, and yet I find this startup comforting and have that familiar feeling of “How has this not been a thing all this time?” that I usually get when looking at emerging tech startups and cool B2B marketing trends.

To lean into exciting change, we must lean into boring or somber worlds.

The startup world is often cold. It’s filled with cool blue, trustworthy looking tech logos, young executives looking to change the world, and head-turning ideas each and every day. So much so, that human care, warmth, and an industry that eventually affects most people fell entirely to the backburner, written off as depressing, boring, or unworthy of change.

Turns out, the backburner is an astounding place to go for ideas that enact change. Humans have an incredible quality for wanting to improve life; we must make sure this quality better extends to the people and ideas that are easy to forget. What’s been left behind? Who’s been left behind? And in an age of optimizing and churning out the unexpected, how do we learn to keep looking back?

That’s where our eyes will keep going now, as we write about brand purpose, brand builder marketing, and other exciting industry developments. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned in our decade of being one of the best marketing agencies, it’s that there is always more to learn, and unexpected places to look for ideas. Knowing this is how you stay on top.