Our Story

In a three year period, as college and high school students, both our father and mother died. Our lives changed forever and we received a masterclass in death and dying. 

In the years that followed, we navigated not just our grief but immense bureaucratic dysfunction that interrupted our lives: hours on the phone, mountains of paperwork, marathon meetings, nonstop travel, semesters deferred, work taken off. We faced these challenges with advisors, family, and friends to support us, but many Americans are not so fortunate.

We can’t change our past. But we hope, with BUILDco, we can change the future for America’s bereaved.

Our Philosophy

At BUILDco we believe:

  • Collaboration secures more sustainable change than conflict

  • The bereaved and institutions are not in a zero sum game

  • Improvement must be measurable

  • Research and data gathering must form the foundation of our work

  • Conversation is a start, not a solution

A population, housed within institutions, that is better able to recover from bereavement will be healthier, wealthier, and more resilient. We want to build that society and be a bridge between those who have lost and the institutions that serve them.

Our Future

The worst has happened. You’ve lost a loved one. Before you can even begin to grieve, you’re faced with a long list of things to do.

At work, your employer says, “Take all the time you need.” And they mean it. Your bereavement leave is generous. Your pay is fair. There’s no pressure to perform, no sense that your loss is an inconvenience.

After time with family and friends, you take on the heavy task of closing the institutional relationships that shaped your loved one’s life. But it’s less burdensome than expected. Most organizations can be notified with a single call, click, or visit. What once took years now takes weeks.

In the process, you discover that your loved one made choices about their digital legacy. Some data is shared—photos, playlists, public records—compressed into a folder you can keep. Other information remains private. Their wishes were honored. Their memory feels protected.

As you begin to look forward, you’re not left to navigate it all alone. A local community group welcomes the younger members of your family, helping them anticipate and understand the quieter ways grief can appear. The absence is still there. But so is the support.