MassChallenge Invites Artifcts Into Early-Stage Accelerator

Seasoned technology executive, entrepreneur, and investor brings deep platform, security, and scale expertise to Artifcts’ next phase of growth 

6 February 2026 — Artifcts, the digital legacy platform helping people preserve what matters most, today announced that Matt Ramsey has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and as a member of the Board of Directors. Ramsey steps into an executive leadership role overseeing the platform’s privacy and security technologies, hosting infrastructure, and product roadmap. 

Ramsey brings more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and securing technology platforms, along with a deeply personal connection to Artifcts’ mission. Prior to formally joining the team, Ramsey was already an active Artifcts user, with more than 350 Artifcts in his personal collection, and is now also an investor in the platform to help accelerate its growth and global impact. 

His commitment to Artifcts is rooted in family and legacy. Prior to the passing of his mother in the fall of 2025, Ramsey and his family had created more than 200 Artifcts together, capturing her life story and world travels—memories that would have otherwise been lost. 

“Artifcts isn’t just a product I believe in—it’s a platform my family relied on during one of the most meaningful and difficult moments of our lives,” said Ramsey. “The opportunity to help scale this technology, while protecting people’s most personal stories with the highest standards of privacy and security, is both professionally exciting and deeply personal.” 

Prior to Artifcts, Ramsey founded and bootstrapped Excivity, a technology company he successfully sold to a private equity firm in 2020. He then joined the executive team of the acquiring platform, BlueHalo, where he played a key leadership role during a period of rapid growth that included 21 acquisitions over five years. BlueHalo ultimately merged into a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: AVAV) in 2025. 

Following the transaction, Ramsey remained on the executive team to complete multiple integration cycles, finalize Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements, and begin the integration of heritage systems to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance. After completing his second exit, Ramsey shifted focus toward passion-driven work, including AgeTech innovation, philanthropy, and creating what he calls lasting “Legacy Effects.” 

Matt holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and completed an Executive Entrepreneurship program at Babson College. He is an active member of the Post Exit Founders (PEF) community, NextGen Venture Partners, and serves as a mentor to early-stage technology startups. 

With Ramsey as CTO, Artifcts strengthens its leadership team at a pivotal moment as the company continues to scale its platform, enhance enterprise-grade security and privacy, and expand access to digital legacy preservation worldwide. 

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© 2026 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts, the award-winning digital platform that helps people capture and share the stories behind the things that matter most, is proud to announce a new partnership with Dementia Friendly America (DFA), a national movement dedicated to ensuring that people living with dementia and their care partners can live, engage, and thrive in community with dignity and support.  

This collaboration brings Artifcts’ storytelling platform into Dementia Friendsgiving, a unique celebration hosted by DFA that honors connection, creativity, and inclusion for individuals and families navigating the dementia journey. Through this partnership, attendees are invited to contribute meaningful digital Artifcts — photos, objects, stories, memories, and symbols — to the Dementia Friendsgiving “potluck,” creating a shared online tapestry of significance and compassion.  

“Artifcts makes it easy to document what an item is, why it matters, and what should happen to it next,” says Heather Nickerson, CEO and Founder of Artifcts. “Partnering with Dementia Friendly America allows us to help amplify voices, memories, and connections in ways that celebrate each person’s unique story and foster understanding across communities.”  

Dementia Friendly America’s mission is to increase dementia awareness, reduce stigma, and provide resources and support that enable communities across the United States to be welcoming and supportive for people living with dementia and their care partners.  

By inviting participants to create public Artifcts tagged #DementiaFriendsgiving2025, Artifcts and DFA are encouraging individuals and organizations alike to contribute Artifcts that represent their personal or professional experiences with the dementia-friendly movement — from cherished memories to resources and best practices that promote inclusion, respect, and connection.  

“Celebrations like Dementia Friendsgiving remind us that everyone has a story worth sharing,” said Mary Ek, Director of Dementia Friendly America. “We’re grateful to partner with Artifcts to create an accessible, meaningful way for communities to engage, learn, and grow together.”  

About Artifcts 
Artifcts is a digital web- and mobile-based platform designed to help people of all ages capture, organize, and share the meaning behind the objects in their lives. By turning physical and digital items into stories, Artifcts helps individuals preserve memories, strengthen connections, and create a lasting legacy. 

About Dementia Friendly America 
Dementia Friendly America (DFA) is a national network of communities, organizations, and individuals sharing the vision of an America where people living with dementia and their care partners can live, engage, and thrive in community. DFA offers education, resources, and support to help communities become more inclusive and dementia aware. 

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© 2025 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.