Effie's story
Effie's story
I started Afterword after my dad died in August 2018. Never having planned a funeral before, my first instinct was to try to plan his service in the way that felt most comfortable to me – online. While I didn't grow up above a funeral home, Afterword is, in essence, a family business. My dad is the reason it exists, and the work we do is personal.
We know your work is personal, too. I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the crucial role that funeral directors play in the communities they serve. It’s because of this that we know software can never replace them. Regardless of age or generation, there will always be families who want to plan in-person. But there are also those, like me, who are more comfortable making these difficult decisions online. With this in mind, we've built the planning experience I wish I had years ago.
Empathy Meets Innovation
Before Afterword our team worked at some of the biggest tech companies like Google, Shopify, and Workday. We took our technical backgrounds and moved into a funeral home to learn as much as we could about how you serve your communities. We sat in arrangements, listened to first calls, attended removals, watched embalmings, and observed as you reentered the decedent's name into all of your systems. Similar to funeral service, everything we build has the family’s best interest at heart. We know that together we can blend tradition with innovation to meet the needs of today’s funeral planners.
Effie Anolik
Effie's Memorial Moment: Dinner at Cafe Polonez where she and her dad ate every week and then getting a scoop of his favorite chocolate ice cream, of course.
Zack Moy
Zack’s Memorial Moment: A cup of coffee (which he always swore he would never drink) with a sprinkle of cinnamon, just how his mentor liked it.