memoryKPR: Keeping Life Stories Alive
Jessica McNaughton’s face lights up as she plays back the recording of her father and her daughter laughing as the two-year-old learns how to count, “one, two, seventeen, eight!” At the time, McNaughton had no idea just how meaningful that captured moment would become for them. Her father passed away a couple of years after that video was recorded, and several years later, it still makes their family smile. Knowing there had to be a solution to make memories like these last, McNaughton partnered with Taylor Fox to come up with the concept of memoryKPR.
Years ago, we had photo albums to save photos and mementos, but we no longer use permanent solutions to save, store, curate and protect memories,” McNaughton explains. “People don’t have an easy way to tell their story digitally, so we’re creating one.”
memoryKPR is a digital time capsule that collects mixed media memories and keeps them safely in one place. Still photos, videos, text messages, voice recordings, and social media posts can all be brought together to tell a collaborative and flowing story about one person.
McNaughton adds, “One of the unique features is the curation. It brings all of the content together in a thoughtfully designed way, and it’s a permanent solution that protects your data. Our customer research has shown that people are uncomfortable with the amount of data on social media sites. Any digital solutions that exist have the design components, but not the protection components.”
Users can privately share and receive content with friends and family, and memoryKPR pulls it together in a cohesive way. These features make it simple to create memorial-type stories and narrate the beginning and end of life. “It would be like an obituary, where people can record a story in print, voice, photo, or video for family,” McNaughton shares. “A soul will be alive as long as it is remembered.”
Whether it’s in memory of someone, a journal for kids, or corporate storytelling, the platform’s goal is to hold onto people who have passed and keep their impact alive. This nostalgic piece of the project initially attracted Fox to get involved, but she was also intrigued to take on the challenge of digital storytelling.
The team is working with early beta testers, and they are anticipating a launch date soon. People who want to learn more about memoryKPR can reach out through their website or connect with the team on social media. Funerals and memorial purposes are where the platform is starting, but weddings will be the next natural step. “We are creating an event where everyone can contribute,” McNaughton says.
Specifically, in this unprecedented time, a tool like this allows a community to celebrate one’s life digitally, without having to gather in one spot. The COVID-19 Pandemic has seen celebrations and gatherings put on hold around the globe. The memoryKPR team is working fast to get their products to market to allow grievers and or people celebrating to have the ability to connect with their groups, without having to be physically connected. The team believes this will help individuals through tough times by being able to connect to the community who are going through the same experience.
With Saskatchewan’s supportive and helpful community, the team is excited to build memoryKPR here. “I get really thoughtful answers,” Fox smiles. “We’re humbled by having all of the support in the world. Collaboration is different here, and there is a level of trust and a happy-to-help attitude. I’ve done business across Canada, and I’ve never seen it anywhere like this. ”
“People here don’t think about if they can help, they think about how they can help,” says McNaughton, “whether it is the many driven talented students who have helped along the way, professional peers who show up just because they want us to succeed or those who have gone before us who have experience to share, everyone is driven and willing to help, that really is the Saskatchewan Advantage”.
memoryKPR (pronounced Memory Keeper)
Cofounders: Jessica McNaughton, Taylor Fox
Incorporation Date: January 2020
Employees: 5 Website:
 |  |  |  |
