As Washington D.C. headquartered Artifcts continues to grow and scale, it proudly welcomes Lem Lloyd as an Advisor for Growth & Partnerships. Lem brings 30 years experience in building Internet businesses and running sales teams at both public companies and new start-ups.

"Lem's experience and expertise in growing and scaling numerous tech companies and negotiating complex partnership deals will be a game changer for us as we continue to grow and scale Artifcts," said Heather Nickerson, Artifcts co-founder."

As we grow older, our needs and capabilities change, and not all homes are designed to support this change along with us. It’s common to upsize your home when your household is growing – whether to accommodate children, pets, or simply because you need an extra room for a home office. But what once was the perfect home, may now be too hard to manage and maintain in your golden years. 

There are countless benefits of downsizing your home, and it’s a wonderful way to open the door to the next stage of your life. But, making the decision to downsize can be hard, and leaving a home filled with cherished memories can bring heartache. So, when is the right time to downsize? If owning your home in Seattle, WA or renting a house in Portland, OR has brought more stress and worry than it has joy and comfort in recent years, the time may be now to downsize into something smaller – or maybe even renting a space like an apartment in Beaverton, OR. Here are 14 signs it’s time to put your house on the market and downsize, one of which was contributed by Artifcts' very own co-founder Ellen Goodwin.

Read the full article here: When Is the Right Time to Downsize? 14 Signs It’s Now | Redfin

###

Hilarity for Charity (HFC), how we adore you! We first met the HFC team at the 2022 spring American Society on Aging Conference. At the time, Artifcts was in the process of competing for funding to study the potential of the Artifcts platform to be used as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Spoiler: We won! The more we at Artifcts learned about HFC's focus on care for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, inspiring the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates, and advancing brain health research and education, we knew this was an organization we had to find some way, any way, to support.

Today we're honored to lead periodic, free, virtual HFC Caregiver Lounges for two of the groups that HFC supports: caregivers to those with dementia and youth ages 15-25. In all cases, we're seeking to bring people together through a new tool, Artifcting, and the ease, joy, and meaning made possible with each Artifct created.

"I know firsthand the joy that's possible when you simply ask a loved one, "What is this {thing}?" and then give them the space to tell their stories and reminisce about days past," said Ellen Goodwin, co-founder of Artifcts. "It's also remarkable how you can break through those uncomfortable silences and awkward moments between grandparents and grandchildren who are unaccustomed to spending time with each other and can lean into Artifcting as a win-win, meaning time together and capturing stories for always."

Last fall, HFC also invited Artifcts to a private fundraiser event in Austin, Texas, where the guests delighted in what Artifcts has built and is now doing within the brain health community. One guest remarked, "Imagine if all for-profit companies built with the vision AND the heart of Artifcts? It would be a different world, a better world." 

Yes, Artifcts may be a young startup, but we have a vision that means transforming all of our relationships with 'stuff' and each other, one Artifct at a time. It's about meaningful connection meeting the practical realities of life: We collect a lot of stuff, and we need to know what it is, why it matters, and what we'll do it with it next. 

We appreciate the humor and truth behind this quote from Lauren Miller Rogen, "Everyone with a brain is at risk for dementia." Begin Artifcting today. Begin learning more about brain health today. Follow along with Artifcts (IG: TheArtiLife) and HFC (@WeAreHFC) for tips and events from Artifcts and HFC!

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

As Washington D.C. headquartered Artifcts celebrates its 3rd birthday, it also welcomes Gina Buchalter to its strategic advisory board. Gina's storied career reaches across popular consumer brands, such as Aura Frames and Fitbit, as well as the world renowned Paramount Pictures.

Gina's deep experience delivering consumer products through new channels and partners will help Artifcts to expand its own footprint within core consumer segments.

"Gina's creativity and ability to connect dots that no one else even sees is captivating and carries with it the revenue basis to help startups and 'grownups' alike to flourish. It's going to be a great year 4 with Gina rounding out our advisory board," enthused Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin.

"I am honored to join Ellen and Heather and the rest of the Artifcts team. It's such important work to help people chronicle their things and memories into one great cohesive story. I'm excited to be part of that journey."

The Artifcts Strategic Advisory Board also includes:

• • Aravinda Gollapudi, Technology Executive, Sage
  • Matt Paxton, Downsizing, Cleaning, and Organizing, Legacy List with Matt Paxton on PBS
  • Ora Solomon, Product management

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

We interrupt your normal Wednesday ARTIcles story to offer you greetings from Boston, Massachusetts. The Artifcts co-founders flew to Boston yesterday to take part in a multi-day launch of the MassChallenge Early-Stage Accelerator program, one of the world’s top accelerator programs. What’s that? Read on!

As a self-funded, patented startup poised to become a household name—because, let’s face it, who doesn’t have stuff or stories—the team at Artifcts wants to ensure that we’re delivering to you not just the best product to capture the stories, history, and value of all you collect, accumulate, and inherit in life, but that we do so always with an eye toward the best in tech, the best in how we operate (lean!), and more.

MassChallenge is a global network for innovators working to solve massive challenges. MassChallenge connects startups, experts, corporations, and communities to grow and transform businesses and does not take any equity from companies who participate. According to Mass Challenge, the early-stage accelerator has facilitated a remarkable $9B+ in funding for its cohorts.

Of the 1,300+ companies to apply, Artifcts was selected along with approximately 120 others to work together over the next 3 months with industry mentors and partners to challenge how we operate, means to improve, and of course how to grow. While you won’t see any immediate change at Artifcts as we work through the program, we hope that we’ll come out stronger than ever and with new ideas for how to better connect with you and help you to enjoy all that Artifcts offers.

In the meantime, please, continue to Artifct. Share Artifcts with friends and family. We may not have the marketing budget of a goliath corporation, but we have amazing community members who want to see Artifcts succeed. We’re so grateful. And, if you have ideas of what you’d like to see next at Artifcts, or even suggestions for what we could do to make your experience better, let us know! We love and take feedback from our ARTI community to heart.

Wish us luck as we roll up our sleeves and dive into the MassChallenge world!

###

Curious about what else we've been up to?

Explore some of Artifcts' other "As featured in" and awards through the years.

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts announced today the launch of Artifcts for Professionals (ARTIPro). 

ARTIPro is both a new membership and a new platform feature set to support professionals who choose to offer Artifcting services to their clients. Artifcts has already begun onboarding professionals in move management, photo organizing, home decluttering and organizing, appraisal, and after loss industries.

“Professionals have asked us for years for advice on how to introduce Artifcts to their clients. Our goal in creating ARTIPro was two-fold: Allow professionals to Artifct with or for their clients as a part their services packages and with a minimal learning curve AND ensure clients’ privacy is protected at each step,” said Co-founder and CEO Heather Nickerson.

The new feature set provides ARTIPros with the tools to:

• • • Invite clients to work with them on Artifcts.com via an invite only or a gifted (and branded) Artifcts membership.
    • Add team members to Artifct with more clients.
    • Create Artifcts with and for their clients. ARTIPros will never need to handle their clients’ devices or share passwords.
    • Transfer Artifcts with a single click for sole ongoing access by clients.

"Ease of use for our ARTIPros is critical. Pros do not have time to sit and learn a new tool for weeks. If they can make an Artifct or two for themselves today, they can make Artifcts with and for their clients tomorrow,” said Co-founder and CSO Ellen Goodwin. 

Artifcts will continue to offer its virtual and in-person concierge services as well. “We often get called in when other professionals identify that their clients need Artifcts but the pro does not have the bandwidth to provide the service,” said Nickerson. “Last spring I helped siblings to Artifct the mementos of their mother’s estate before the items were scattered to the winds with the family. It was simply taking too long for them to do it together as they got pulled down memory lane. The estate executor was the one who called us in.”

If you are a professional and interested in becoming an ARTIPro, please visit: https://artifcts.com/artifcts-for-professionals. 

If you are an individual interested in someone helping you or a client build an Artifcts collection, please visit: https://artifcts.com/concierge-service. You may also contact Hello@Artifcts.com if you want help finding an ARTIPro in your area as the program expands.

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts' growing resonance with and persistent innovation supporting genealogists, family historians, and those who simply love a good story, has helped it retain its status as one of the best genealogy technology tools of 2024, according to Family Tree Magazine.

Last year marked Artifcts' premiere in the annual "best of" list from Family Tree Magazine. The Artifcts team was delighted and surprised by the honor, in nearly equal measure.

"In our minds, genealogists were beyond our reach at Artifcts because their research is organized around people and ancestorial lines. At Artifcts, we organize around the object first and foremost," said Artifcts Co-Founder Ellen Goodwin. The reality is, by Artifcts moving the world to take a new view on 'stuff' and the importance of retaining the stories, history, and value behind the objects we collect and inherit, Artifcts resonates with people of all ages and walks of life.

Artifcts delivered a variety of new features over the last year that genealogists and historians have celebrated.

Artifcts timelines was the first. The ability to now snap your Artifcts collection into a timeline view powers you to see gaps, identify trends, and even make note of these with "time period notes" directly on your timeline. And unlike a photo gallery, a very familiar feature of most genealogy platforms, each image in your timeline is clickable, revealing more photos and videos, supporting documentation, and, of course, the story connecting the dots.

Another new feature resonating with genealogists, many of whom are what we refer to as the family keepers, is the Artifcts QR code stickers. "People need the easy button. Scan, complete the Artifct, and place the sticker on your photo sleeve, archival box, or item. Your Artifcting progress is now visible and the stories even more accessible," said Artifcts Co-Founder Heather Nickerson.

Family Tree Magazine's 101 Best Genealogy Websites are organized into roughly a dozen categories, including Best "Big" Genealogy Websites, Best Genealogy News Websites and Blogs, and Best Genealogy Tech Tools (including Artifcts!). And this year 19 sites newly made the list. We wish a warm congratulations to all awardees!

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts® is proud to announce that its co-founder Heather Nickerson has been named 2024 NAPO Washington DC Metro Chapter (NAPO-WDC) Business Partner of the Year. The nominating committee noted, "Heather offers her expertise during [NAPO-WDC] discussions and generously shares her Artifcts experiences to support our efforts with our clients."

“I am humbled and excited that our local NAPO chapter recognizes the value we bring to the organizing industry,” Heather stated. “We know Artifcts and organizing go better together, and we love working with our NAPO-WDC professional members to help them help their clients.”

From decluttering to organizing to making sense of life’s ‘stuff,’ Artifcts is designed to pair beautifully with the organizing industry, from solopreneurs to nationwide franchises. Artifcts Advisory Board Member Matt Paxton added in response to the news, “I tell clients all the time that Artifcts is THE perfect tool to help them keep the memories and let go of the ‘stuff.’”

Start Artifcting today. Create your free membership here ->

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts® has partnered with Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, to support its ongoing cross-sectional work in research, community health, global outreach and public policy to find the cures for breast cancer.

“There’s nothing like a breast cancer diagnosis to clarify your focus and guide you to ask, “How can I help?” said Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin. 

“I knew I was lucky in catching my cancer early. But that’s not the only way in which I’m lucky. I also have access to excellent healthcare services, health insurance, an amazing network of friends, family and survivors, and let’s be true to the data, I’m lucky too because I am white. Black women in the U.S. are more than 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white woman.”

According to experts, about one-third of breast cancer deaths could be prevented if everyone received the breast cancer treatments that exists today. For this, and many other reasons, Artifcts is proud to support Susan G. Komen’s efforts.

Artifcts’ partnership with Susan G. Komen includes a commitment to support the organization’s fundraising efforts. Beginning today (through March 15, 2025), Artifcts will donate to Susan G. Komen® $23.80 of the purchase price for each Artifcts Unlimited Membership sold here and $9.00 of each Artifcts Lite Membership sold. Artifcts will make a guaranteed minimum donation of $2,500 to Komen. We’ll also strive to raise funds through community walks and other initiatives nationwide. 

Join us today to help support the cure. Purchase or gift an Artifcts membership!

For more information on Susan G. Komen's mission to save lives by addressing critical community needs and advancing research to prevent and cure breast cancer, or to donate, please visit komen.org.

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Angela Haupt, journalist with TIME magazine, featured Artifcts this week in an online article that united experts in mental health and decluttering to share tools and tactics to "kickstart a realistic decluttering routine." We especially loved this insight from our own strategic advisory board member and popular TV host Matt Paxton:

Many people struggle to declutter because they don’t want to part with items that remind them of someone or something they love, Paxton says. A simple mindset shift can make a big difference: Think of getting rid of stuff as a way of unearthing your family’s history. 

A history you can then easily capture, preserve, and share here at Artifcts. 

The full article is now available online at TIME as part of the health + mental health coverage.

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TheGerontechnologist™ is an online media platform that covers the global age tech ecosystem and offers online courses and education. It was created by Keren Etkin, gerontologist, entrepreneur and author of The AgeTech Revolution.

Etkin's background and ongoing research, entrepreneurship, and advising of startups in the AgeTech space means she has a unqiue vantage point from which to view the shifting landscape of AgeTech and the sister concept of LongeviTech. TheGerontechnologist™ map focuses on:

• • • Startups that develop technology to tackle the challenges of aging and serve older adults and/ or family caregivers and/or elder care organizations
    • Startups that are venture-capital backed or have a commercially available product

This year Artifcts was featured in the TheGerontechnologist™ AgeTech Market Map within the category of Legacy.

"When the latest TheGerontechnologist™ map came out and everyone dug into the trends, it was painful to realize on the one hand the amazing innovation emerging and on the other how damning current market conditions are for the survival of AgeTech companies. Some call it the 'Great Extinction,'" said Artifcts co-founder and CEO Heather Nickerson. "We've persevered and made amazing in-roads in 2023 to provide key services and benefits to Artifcts members across legacy, planning, insurance, and even brain health. We're grateful to be featured."

Download your own copy of the map and explore the companies featured. We all need support, whether as caregivers or direct beneficiaries of the featured products and services. You might discover the solution meant for you and your lifestyle, life milestone, and life changes!

###

© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.