July 2026 

Artifcts is proud to share that Founder and CEO Heather Nickerson recently joined Lisa Joworski, host of The Essence of Caregiving podcast, for a thoughtful conversation titled The Story Behind the Object: Legacy Planning Through a Human Lens. The episode explores how everyday objects in our lives can become powerful tools for preserving identity, strengthening family connections, and making caregiving and legacy planning more compassionate and intentional. 

During the conversation, Heather shares the deeply personal experience that inspired Artifcts after the sudden loss of her mother. Faced with a home full of treasured belongings but too few stories behind them, she recognized a challenge that countless families encounter—inheriting "stuff" without understanding its meaning.  

Together, Heather and Lisa explore the intersection of caregiving, storytelling, and legacy planning, emphasizing that preserving personal history is not simply about preparing for the future—it's about enriching relationships in the present. They discuss how documenting the stories behind cherished belongings can ease the emotional burden families often face during downsizing, estate settlement, and times of loss while helping caregivers better understand the people they support. 

Highlights from the Conversation 

Among the many topics covered in the episode are: 

• Why every meaningful object has a story. The emotional value of an heirloom often far exceeds its financial worth, making context one of the greatest gifts we can leave future generations. 

• A practical approach to legacy planning. Heather introduces the idea of beginning with just a handful of meaningful possessions—a personal "Legacy List"—to make documenting memories feel achievable rather than overwhelming. 

• Reducing stress and conflict for families. Recording not only an item's history but also your wishes for its future can eliminate uncertainty and prevent disagreements after a loved one passes. 

• Supporting caregiving through storytelling. Photos, audio, video, and personal narratives can become valuable tools for reminiscence, dementia care, and person-centered caregiving. 

• Decluttering without losing what matters. Families can confidently part with physical belongings while preserving the stories and memories attached to them for generations to come. 

The discussion also explores how digital storytelling is changing the way families think about legacy. Rather than focusing solely on inventories or financial assets, Heather encourages listeners to preserve the experiences, relationships, and values that objects represent—creating a richer, more complete picture of a life well lived. 

Continuing the Artifcts Mission 

Heather's appearance on The Essence of Caregiving reflects the growing recognition that legacy planning extends beyond legal documents and estate administration. It is equally about preserving family stories, honoring personal identity, and making it easier for loved ones to understand what mattered most. 

At Artifcts, that mission remains at the heart of everything we build: helping people capture the stories behind the things they treasure, so future generations inherit memories, not mysteries. 

Listen to the full episode: The Story Behind the Object: Legacy Planning Through a Human Lens on The Essence of Caregiving podcast. 

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© 2026 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

We’re proud to share that Heather Nickerson, Founder & CEO of Artifcts, recently appeared as a guest on Episode 10 of Secrets of Enterprising Families, titled “Navigating the Loss of a Loved One.” In this thoughtful conversation with hosts Nikè Anani and Eric Czepyha, Heather joins Jon Jackson from Northern Trust’s Estate Settlement Group to dive into the emotional and logistical terrain that families face after losing someone they love. Listen now on Spotify. 

The episode examines how families can plan ahead, avoid common missteps, preserve stories, and communicate clearly during times of grief. While Heather offers professional insight, she also draws on her personal experience — crafting an authentic and deeply human perspective on how we honor both objects and memories.

Key Takeaways from Heather’s Conversation

1. Start with the stories, not just the 'stuff'
Heather emphasizes that many conflicts arise because the meaning behind objects is unknown to heirs. When only the physical object is transferred without its history, family members can struggle to see why it matters. In her own life, she Artifcted her mother’s cookbooks and utensils — adding stories, photos, and context so her daughter and siblings could connect the dots across generations.

2. Create a “legacy roadmap” for your belongings
One tip Heather shares is to begin by selecting perhaps five items that best tell your story — your “legacy list” — then document those fully (photos, narrative, provenance, wishes). Over time, that becomes a guide for family members who may otherwise be unsure what to keep, sell, or pass along. (She credits advisor Matt Paxton for advocating the “pick‑your‑five” approach.) 

3. Get organized now — even imperfection helps
During the podcast, Heather and Jon Jackson underscore that many families delay planning because it feels overwhelming to get it “right.” But even a partially organized folder or a simple list can make a huge difference for executors. The hurdles of grief only magnify the complications of unorganized estates. Listen now!

Why This Matters — and Why We’re Proud

Artifcts exists to help people preserve, share, and plan for the full life of their belongings — not simply as things, but as vessels of memory, meaning, and connection. Heather’s appearance on Secrets of Enterprising Families is a powerful opportunity to bring that mission to a wider audience.

Too often, families handle the logistical side of loss without meaningful tools to carry forward the stories behind what is left. By speaking openly about grief, inheritance, and memory preservation, Heather helps normalize conversations many avoid — and offers concrete, actionable strategies to make legacy planning more accessible.

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Clutter Cleaner, the nationwide estate cleanout and downsizing company founded by TV star and legacy expert Matt Paxton, has formed a strategic partnership with Artifcts®, a patented technology platform designed to help individuals preserve the meaning and stories behind their belongings. Together, the two companies are redefining what it means to declutter and downsize—by making it easier, more meaningful, and with less guilt, too.

With Artifcts, Clutter Cleaner clients can now digitally preserve the memories, stories, and significance of the items they’re ready to part with. The platform allows users to document the "why" behind their possessions, turning physical clutter into digital keepsakes that can be shared with family and future generations.

“We’re excited for our clients to use Artifcts to celebrate the memories of the past and move forward with the future,” said Matt Paxton, CEO and Founder of Clutter Cleaner. “Artifcts truly helps our clients downsize and move while not forgetting their most cherished memories and stories.”

This partnership enhances Clutter Cleaner’s mission to make decluttering, downsizing, and estate cleanouts less overwhelming and more empowering. By incorporating Artifcts into its nationwide service offerings, Clutter Cleaner provides an emotional bridge for clients navigating life transitions—whether downsizing a home, moving into senior living, or simply decluttering for peace of mind.

“Decluttering doesn't have to mean saying goodbye to your past,” said Artifcts CEO, Heather Nickerson. “We’re thrilled to work with Clutter Cleaner to give people a way to preserve and share the stories that matter most and document the value and provenance of the items they intend to keep.”

The Clutter Cleaner – Artifcts collaboration begins rolling out nationwide this summer, with all Clutter Cleaner teams trained to integrate Artifcts seamlessly into their estate cleanout and downsizing services.

For more information, visit www.cluttercleaner.com and www.artifcts.com.

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© 2025 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!

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

"Always always answer the mail." When a subtle, easy to miss email titled, "Media Inquiry," popped up in the media inbox at Artifcts back in May, it nearly got skipped over. Junk email is pervasive and startup life is uniquely chaotic. But what was clear from a glance were the credentials of the journalist behind the email, veteran reporter Faiza Elmasry, and that of course of Voice of America (VOA), providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of more than 326 million people.

As it turns out, after months of research into approaches to preserving family legacy, stories, and memories, Elmasry found that Artifcts emerged as a unique and powerful solution accessible to people worldwide to capture their histories and heritage. She wanted to learn more about the founding philosophy of the company, the founders themselves, and the means by which Artifcts helped its community members to unite the stories with the 'stuff.'

We're pleased to share with you today the Connects series video produced by VOA to celebrate the lives and legacies now so easily captured through Artifcts. Enjoy it now on VOA News.

We are grateful to Faiza Elmasry, and her colleague June Soh, Camera, Producer, and Editor, for this opportunity to bring the story of Artifcts to the VOA audience.

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Today Carson Wealth released its latest Wisdom and Wealth podcast epsiode, featuring a discussion with Artifcts' co-founder Ellen Goodwin. The topic? Your family's estate, all the tangible and intangible memories, collections, and more, and how Artifcts enables all people to craft their legacies, keep an organized inventory of their belongings, and pass down stories, not just 'stuff.'

If you have ever struggled to "get it all done," keep the memories, organize the home, complete legal and financial plans, this is the episode for you; Artifcts is the solution for you. Click the image below to access the podcast. Enjoy!

We encourage you to add Wisdom and Wealth into your podcast listenting rotation. In preparing for the podcast, Ellen took pages of notes and tips from past podcasts to put to use in her own family's day-to-day and long-term planning!

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.