StoryCall- The Gift of a Legacy

Capturing the stories of an elder loved one can be a daunting task. Where do you start? What medium should you use to record the stories? How will you save them and how will future generations consume them? We all have good intentions of doing this — and perhaps we've started — but we often forget to continue.StoryCall is a startup with a lot of heart. They are a service and web tool that engages the entire family in the process of capturing stories. It is the gift of a legacy and I can't wait for you to hear from founder and CEO, Alok Depshade below.

What is StoryCall?

StoryCall makes it easy to capture stories from a loved one. When you sign up, you select a biographer to conduct 30 minute interviews (called StoryCalls) with your loved one. Your family gets a website where they can see all the interview questions and can add/edit to customize the experience. Then, after a call, you can click on a question and hear the voice of the person answering it.We’re trying to make capturing legacies simple, yet personal. It’s very rewarding for our team and customers.

What is the problem you are trying to solve?

Regret from lost stories. When my grandfather passed following a battle with Alzheimer’s, I realized that we never captured any of his stories. It was painful.I wanted to make sure my son didn’t face the same regret and starting searching for services to capture my parent’s stories. Unfortunately, nothing fit the bill. They weren’t interested in writing in memory books but they both agreed to simply answer questions from a real person. So that became the key driver to StoryCall.Many people want to capture stories from their parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles but don’t know where to start. It can be a daunting process. We’re on a mission to make it easy for both younger and older generations.

Who are the biographers? Where do you find them?

We had 500+ applications in less than a week for biographers! I was blown away. There are so many journalists, counselors, nurses, stay-at-home moms, etc. that want to do something meaningful and make a little extra money.We selected 24 people from that pool to serve as our first cohort of biographers. The group spans multiple races, religions, languages, interests, and backgrounds. We want our customers to find the right fit.

Who is your ideal customer?

Mothers with children and aging parents. Often, when you have children, you realize how much your parents (and grandparents) have done for you. The sacrifices, struggles, triumphs, etc. -- you want to preserve their story. We find that when tell a parent that you want to help them preserve their stories, it’s an amazing feeling for both parties.

How do you share StoryCall? How do you get distribution?

We primarily share StoryCall through our biographers. They build their own clientele. They share with friends, family and their broader community. We will add biographers throughout 2015 to expand.In addition, we’re starting to build corporate level relationships with senior living communities, hospice, cancer centers, etc.

What do you love most about being in the Village?

That’s easy -- the energy. Everyday I come to the Village and see people working on their vision, their passion. It’s inspiring on so many levels. It keeps us on our toes and focused.

Any words of wisdom?

Follow your heart and be patient. Some of the greatest products and services have come from people who followed their passion and a vision -- even if others didn’t immediately see it.

We’ve gone through several twists and turns over the past few years and expect that continue. Still, we know our true north is making it easy to capture stories.

How do we get involved?

The best fuel for startups are customers and feedback. If you believe StoryCall would be a good gift for someone in your family, try us out. You can give us a call at 1-877-429-6840 or email us at hello@storycall.us if you want to discuss.And, in the spirit of giving back to those that support the Village, I would like to give a special 20% off. Just use the code ATVLOVE20 (all Caps)