After Karine Nissim and Héloïse Buune D'Agostino lost their husbands in a shocking and unexpected way, they faced all the challenges that surfaced during the grieving process, including the difficult tasks of organizing and arranging the funeral. I realized that there was no right place to face the challenges. You can also donate your belongings or look for support groups online.
A seasoned entrepreneur himself, Nissim sold his startup DogVacay to Rover in 2017, and Bune D'Agostino co-founded Tentrr and Handwriting.io. The Widow founders decided to take matters into their own hands and build what they call “360 degrees of healing.” A platform that provides a wide range of services and resources to help with grief and other challenges such as divorce, illness, and trauma.
Available now on the App Store, Google Play Store, and the web, DayNew brings together a new grief support platform, social community, education hub, and task manager app in 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 was no single place that could carry us through our entire journey,” Nissim told TechCrunch. told. “So we set out to create a customized roadmap that was highly tailored to each individual, based on the type of trauma…When you come to DayNew, we set out to create an organizational, emotional, We are ready to provide social support.”
Some people find it difficult to ask for help because they don't want to burden their family or friends. DayNew's community feed serves as a dedicated space for users to tell supporters directly what they want, whether it's money to buy groceries, a place to sell and donate belongings, or babysitting job openings.
“[Eloise and I] I received lots of flowers and casseroles. It's beautiful and generous and thoughtful, but I also got a lot of comments like, “Whatever you need.” We always didn't feel ready or comfortable with how to answer it… Community pages take the discomfort of the question outside. It also eliminates discomfort on the part of the supporter. Because they will actually understand what you need and you will no longer feel like they are bothering you. ” Nissim said.
There's also a Find a Buddy feature where users can get one-on-one support from people who have experienced similar tragedies. Users can search for others with the same hashtag (#partnerloss, #parentloss, #cancerloss, #covidloss, etc.) in their profile.
Like other grief support platforms (Grief Refuge, Untangle, Grief Works), DayNew has a journal feature that allows users to write their own journals by answering prompts or freehanding entries that speak to their heart. You can voice your feelings. The company compares the prompts to homework from a therapist, asking tough, thought-provoking questions like, “Is there something about grief that I didn't know before?” “What would you like to tell your younger self?” Depending on your comfort level, you can keep your diary entries private or share them publicly on your community feed.
Additionally, there is a daily mood tracker component where users can check in with themselves and record their mood on a scale of 1 to 10.
Image credit: DayNew
DayNew offers personalized lists that allow users to complete a plethora of tasks at their own pace (such as selling assets, purchasing life insurance, and applying for social security benefits for widows), as well as lists for users powered by ChatGPT. , offers a variety of features to assist users throughout their journey. A “Learn and Grow” page with AI tools that provide emotional advice and 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 classes cost about $36 and feature special guests such as experts, scientists, and psychologists. The first session will be held on May 21st and will be hosted by the founder himself. An in-person retreat will be held in Mexico in mid-July for approximately $1,800.
In the next iteration of the platform, DayNew plans to introduce a gifting feature that will allow friends and family to purchase classes and gift them to loved ones.
DayNew is free to join, but a $5/month subscription is also available for users who want access to premium features such as the Find a Buddy service, direct messages, and the ability to comment on public community posts.
In the digital age, users are embracing grief-related products and services to help them cope with death. Once considered a taboo topic, grievers can now talk openly about their loss and find comfort in knowing they are not alone. However, it is important to understand that these services are not a substitute for proper treatment or counseling, but should serve as an additional means of expressing emotions.