After losing their husband in a devastating and unexpected way, Karine Nissim and Eloise Bune D’Agostino discovered that there was no appropriate place to go to deal with all the challenges that arise during the grieving process, including including arduous tasks such as arranging a funeral ceremony and donating possessions and scouring the internet for support groups.
Being seasoned entrepreneurs themselves – Nissim sold her startup DogVacay to Rover in 2017 and Bune D’Agostino co-founded Tentrr and Handwriting.io – the two widowed founders decided to take matters into their own hands and build what they call “360° healing”. platform that provides a range of services and resources to help cope with grief and other difficulties like divorce, illness and trauma.
Now available on the App Store, Google Play Store, and web, DayNew is a new grief support platform, social community, education hub, and task management app rolled into one easy-to-use package. At its core, DayNew aims to be a safe space for users to connect with others, share their stories, and receive support from the community.
“From hospice centers, to bereavement groups, to online therapy, to regular therapists and psychiatrists, to funeral homes and all the other services, there wasn’t a single place we could go that could accommodate us the entire trip,” Nissim told TechCrunch. “So we decided to create a personalized roadmap that is truly tailored to each person based on their type of trauma… When you come to DayNew, we are ready to meet you with organizational, emotional and social support.”
Some people have difficulty asking for help because they don’t want to feel like a burden to their family and friends. DayNew’s community feed acts as a dedicated space for users to directly express what they want from supporters, from money for groceries to a place to sell and donate goods , or a job offer for a babysitter.
“(Eloise and I) received lots of flowers and pots. While this is beautiful, generous, and thoughtful, we also received a lot of “Whatever you need” comments, and we were always ill-equipped to answer that question or didn’t feel comfortable… The community page takes the lead on the issue. out. It also takes the dislike out of supporters because they now really know what you need and no longer feel like they’re bothering you. Nissim said.
There is also a “Find a Buddy” feature allowing users to get one-on-one support from people going through similar tragedies. Users can search for other people with the same hashtags in their profiles, including #partnerloss, #parentloss, #cancerloss, #covidloss, etc.
Similar to other grief support platforms (Grief Refuge, Untangle, and Grief Works), DayNew has a journal feature where users can express how they are feeling by responding to prompts or writing by handwriting raised an entry that speaks from the heart. The company likens the prompts to a therapist’s homework, asking difficult and thought-provoking questions such as “What’s something about grief that you’ve never experienced before?” “” and “What would you like to be able to say to your child?” » Depending on comfort level, the journal entry can be kept private or shared publicly on the community feed.
Additionally, there is a daily mood tracking component allowing users to record themselves and their moods on a scale of 1 to 10.
Image credits: DayNew
DayNew offers various other features to help users along their journey, including personalized lists for users to check off tedious tasks (selling assets, purchasing life insurance, applying for Social Security benefits for widows, etc.) .) at their own pace, a system powered by ChatGPT. AI tool that provides emotional guidance and a Learn & Grow page with educational and motivational content.
Nissim explained that the platform is also launching virtual workshops and in-person events to bring people together and teach them the benefits of “grounding and meditation” to promote healing. Online courses cost around $36 and feature special guests such as experts, scientists and psychologists. The first session will take place on May 21 and will be led by the founders themselves. In mid-July there will be an in-person retreat in Mexico for around $1,800.
In the next iteration of the platform, DayNew plans to introduce a gifting feature allowing friends and family members to purchase courses to gift to a loved one.
DayNew is free to join, but it also offers a $5 per month subscription for users who want access to premium features, including the “Find a Buddy” service, direct messages, and the ability to comment on public posts from the community.
In the digital age, people are adopting grief-related products and services to cope with death. What was once considered a taboo subject, grieving people can now discuss loss openly and take comfort in knowing they are not alone. However, it is important to understand that these services should not replace proper therapy and counseling, but should be an additional way to express their feelings.
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