A startup is like an ultra-marathon, but you have to go at a sprinter pace, the only variation being how steep the hill is in front of you on any given day. It’s crazy hard and from the start, you have to understand your why — why in fact you are doing this. It is the “why” […]

 

 

May 12, 2021

By: Jerome Knyszewski, CEO of HeavyShift

A startup is like an ultra-marathon, but you have to go at a sprinter pace, the only variation being how steep the hill is in front of you on any given day. It’s crazy hard and from the start, you have to understand your why — why in fact you are doing this. It is the “why” that gets you through those tough days, weeks, quarters, or even years. In the end, the reality of the idea of an “overnight success” is that it often takes a really, really long time.

As part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company” I had the pleasure of interviewing F. Scott Moody. He is the co-founder and CEO of K4Connect, a mission-driven technology company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, along with the people, communities, and organizations that serve them. The Company’s solutions made specifically for older adults — whether for senior living communities or homes — integrate the latest in smart technologies, applications, and services into a single comprehensive system.

Previously, Moody was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of AuthenTec, the fingerprint sensor technology company that was acquired by Apple in 2012. At AuthenTec, Moody raised over 70 million dollars in venture capital and led the Company’s successful IPO (NASDAQ). Focusing on the PC and cell phone industries, Moody helped grow AuthenTec to over 300 employees with development centers in Melbourne, Florida, Shanghai and Vught, the Netherlands. Upon its acquisition, the Company had more than 200 patents. AuthenTec remains the only public company ever acquired by Apple and its technologies are now the foundation for Apple’s Touch ID.

Moody began his career at Harris Semiconductor, now Intersil, in 1980 where he eventually became VP of a 200M dollars business division before co-founding AuthenTec.

In addition to K4Connect, Moody is also an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Blackstone Network, an advisor to the National Science Foundation’s ASSIST program at North Carolina State University, and a regional board member for Hope International. He is also the founder of First Talent Ventures, which advises and invests in early stage startups in the Southeast and Africa.

Moody received a BSIE from North Carolina State University and an executive MBA from the University of Florida.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I am the CEO, Co-Founder and Chief Member Advocate of K4Connect, a mission-driven tech company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities. I was previously the co-founder and CEO of AuthenTec, the only public company ever acquired by Apple and its technologies led to the introduction of the Touch ID.

What was the “Aha Moment” that led to the idea for your current company? Can you share that story with us?

After AuthenTec was acquired, I was on a clear path to retirement. The genesis of K4Connect happened through a few life-changing meetings on a mission trip to Rwanda, where I met an entrepreneur named Jennifer. And later, where I met a man named Eric living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Raleigh, NC.

In Rwanda, Jennifer was a mission worker who had started 15 orphanages there using the proceeds from a bakery and coffee shop that she also started to employ battered women. Quite frankly, I was embarrassed after I met her — I felt like I was incredibly blessed in life and I owe it to give back.

When I returned to Raleigh, I began to network within the startup ecosystem and started mentoring young entrepreneurs. There, I met Jonathan Gould (K4Connect’s Co-Founder & VP of Advanced Technologies) and he had the idea for the company to integrate products and software into a single platform in the space of Internet of Things (IoT).

The current technology on the market was either too hard to use or too expensive, but we didn’t have a vertical end market in mind. That is until I met with Eric, who was an advocate for the homeless and was living with MS. Eric explained his daily struggles and that he only had the energy for 1,000 good steps per day. If this IoT technology could help him be more productive with these 1,000 steps per day, it could also help other disabled and older people within the population. This was the inspiration to pursue this potential market of older adults and people living with disabilities with K4Connect.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

A few years ago, not long after we started K4Connect, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was benign, but the operation and recovery were more difficult and longer than thought. It was certainly no fun, and quite painful, yet as I look back at that time now, I really consider it a blessing. It is one thing to be empathetic to those we serve at K4Connect, but a whole other thing to walk (or for a few weeks not walk) in their shoes.

As I went through the various challenges I experienced, I just kept thinking, “what does a poor person do?” I had a caregiving wife, I had insurance, I had money, but what would have happened had I not? Who would have been there to help? I kept thinking about what it would have been like for my Dad. While he had a caring and loving wife, they did not have insurance and had very little in terms of money. I’m sure he would have recovered, but very likely not as well, certainly not as fast, and would have been even worse off financially. There is no doubt that experience helped shape me and our company, serving those that are so often both technologically and economically underserved.

So, how are things going today? How did your grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

At the end of the day, helping people and empowering them to live better lives is what drives K4Connect. Throughout this journey I kept thinking about the work Jennifer was doing and how I wanted to give back. I keep thinking about what Eric goes through — and others like him — on a daily basis and want to build and provide a tech (because that’s what I know best how to do) that can empower people like Eric.

Today, K4Connect is serving tens of thousands of older adults in over 800 senior living communities — and growing.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

The general public might not be aware that the first time in history older adults will outnumber children. By 2035, there will be 78 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.4 million under the age of 18 in the U.S, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

While the number of individuals over the age of 65 is rapidly growing, the number of caregivers available to take care of this population is declining. That’s a major issue. It’s true this has been an issue for some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic really brought global attention to this challenge in senior living. What makes us stand out is that we’ve developed a technology that can help solve this by integrating any type of tech. It’s called FusionOS and it brings all of a senior living community’s technology products and services into one single system — just like the operating system working behind the scenes to connect all of the apps and tools on your smartphone. Ultimately, this all benefits our primary end user — the resident.

Older adults living alone at home now have more responsive living environments through smart home automated devices such as lighting and temperature; at-home safety dramatically increases through passive motion-sensing and reporting devices. We had a gentleman with Parkinson’s Disease share that he uses his Amazon Alexa device to orient himself when he awakes confused, and a woman with macular degeneration use Alexa to read her favorite books and important information when eyesight was a challenge for her. Ultimately, these technologies are helping older adults and those with disabilities live more independently — we call it simpler, healthier and happier.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Two come to mind:

I think one of the most important character traits for any founder (really, anyone) is empathy. There is truth in the saying, “you don’t really understand someone until you walk in their shoes.” Of course, you can’t always do that, but people — particularly today — need to work hard to understand the relative experiences of others. And while empathy is something of value in every aspect of your life — and yet we all seem to show too little of it — it is critical for the founder of a business. To really understand the customer, you must walk in the shoes of those you serve.

A second important character trait that has been instrumental in my success are my management and leadership skills. How I see it — a good manager effectively sees a project through, while a good leader is someone who can inspire and motivate others to a common goal. Companies can choose who are the managers in a company, but leadership is something earned. Almost any definition of leadership will include honesty and integrity as being essential, and while true, I tend to think another particularly critical element for the entrepreneur is to recognize that they are a member of a much larger team. It seems to me that too many entrepreneurs today focus more on self-promotion than that of their company or other team members.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

When I had just started my previous company, AuthenTec, I knew someone who was the CEO of another semiconductor startup that told me, “Starting a company is like running a marathon.” Despite the hype around startups, it takes a very long time to breed that “overnight success.” Technologies and companies often toil in the netherworld for years before the technology or company goes center stage — or has any level of success. What that means is that you can’t just think near term, for example, pop out your product, generate lots of revenue, and sell your company for a billion dollars. It doesn’t happen like that. You have to have a vision. What my colleague did not tell me, however, is that you have to run that marathon at a sprinter’s pace! Everything you do is driven by speed. Sure, you have the think long term, but at the same time, you have to perform now. Unlike a real marathon, which just clocks your time in the end, in a startup, you can get kicked off the course at any time if you are not making enough progress fast enough!

What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?

You need to understand a market and customers well enough that you are solving problems that they don’t even know exist. If you ask a customer what they want, whatever you come out with will be late and wrong. Big companies focus on incrementalism, while startups have to focus on something that is material, something that will leapfrog what’s currently on the market. When I was 41 we started AuthenTec, we knew who we are selling to and had a vision for the fingerprint sensors to get in that market. You have to know enough about your customers and the market so you can come out with a product or solution that makes the difference.

Do due diligence on your idea. People are eager to start their entrepreneurial journey so they just go out with their idea. If you’re looking to get financing for your startup, due diligence on your own product must be done because venture capitalists and investors will be well in-tune with your market. You have to understand the competition and how the product/solution is differentiated.

It takes a really long time — perseverance. There is a lot of lost sleep; you never get away from it and you’ll go through ups and downs that you never expected. If you’re going around with something that you think is a great idea, 99% of investors will reject you. You have to be determined.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company”? Please share a story or an example for each.

Throughout this interview I talked about most of these, but here are some thoughts for individuals considering starting their own company:

1. A startup is like an ultra-marathon, but you have to go at a sprinter pace, the only variation being how steep the hill is in front of you on any given day. It’s crazy hard and from the start, you have to understand your why — why in fact you are doing this. It is the “why” that gets you through those tough days, weeks, quarters, or even years. In the end, the reality of the idea of an “overnight success” is that it often takes a really, really long time.
2. Don’t believe your own BS, or that of others. First, you have to understand everyone is hyping his or her company. Do you really think that everyone actually lives the life they show on social media? It’s the same with startups, they only tell folks the good stuff. The zoo in the back room, well, not so much. Outside, share your holistic vision in all its grandeur. Inside, keep plugging all those holes, because there will be plenty of them!
3. It’s all about the team. I don’t care how smart you are, or likely how smart you think you are, it takes a team coming together to make it happen.
4. That team includes your investors, look for those that can truly add value, that know what they are doing. Fact is that they can help make your company a success or they can squeeze the life out of it, and you.
5. This is not the most important thing in your life. For me, that is God and family, bar none. Your family has to buy into the idea of your doing a startup, since they will be affected too. As they say, it doesn’t do any good to win the battle if you lose the war.

How can our readers further follow you online?

Visit www.k4connect.com and follow us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!

 

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More from Thrive Global, here!

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most important lessons from 2020, especially for senior living communities, was the tremendous value of technology in times of crisis. Our K4Community, operating system, approach plays an absolutely critical role, surfacing all of the technology a senior living community needs in one one easy to use place.

 

 

May 6, 2021

By: Cindy Phillips, K4Advisors Managing Partner

We’ve passed the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 in the United States, and we continue to reflect on the past year. We learned a lot of lessons, but one of the most important, especially for senior living communities, was the tremendous value of technology in times of crisis.

We saw this happen around the world, and we continue to see it making an impact today. Residents in lockdown relied on technologies to help keep them informed on important community news and information, stay engaged with access to virtual activities and, most importantly, create ways to maintain contact with family and loved ones through digital communications like video chat.

But although COVID accelerated the need for these solutions, technology traditionally has not been developed to serve the older adult user — this brings inherent challenges. For residents, that’s often learning new apps and devices, managing personal accounts and using new technologies designed for younger demographics. For staff members, managing and supporting all of these different systems on top of everything else they are managing day-to-day, not to mention during a crisis, becomes incredibly difficult. Ultimately, the more barriers to adoption and usage, the higher the risks of technology actually providing value to the users (in this case, residents and staff).

This is where the operating system, or OS, approach plays an absolutely critical role, surfacing all of the technology a community needs in one one easy to use place. The OS acts as a centralized management system that propels the technology helping senior living residents live their lives to the fullest.

Among many benefits of an OS, there were three categories we saw increase in importance over the past year, and we expect it to continue well into the future as senior living continues to adopt more and more tech.

Stay informed – scaled communication

We’ve learned during the past year just how important it is for senior living community staff and operators to ensure residents stay informed of important news and events, from emergency protocols to daily menus. But delivering this information at scale — and often to different groups — is incredibly difficult without a digital component. Communication during a crisis is all about speed, alignment and coverage — printed materials slipped under doors or posted to common areas is not going to cut it. This process is time consuming for staff and also leaves a significant gap where residents are lacking information.

Having a system throughout a campus that can provide information about COVID-19 safety procedures, or emergency information or more general community news announcements, is key. For example, digital resident communications solutions such as common area digital signage and in-room community TV channels provide a dependable and efficient method of disseminating information quickly and at scale.

Managing and integrating multiple communications systems, however, often is challenging for staff members. Details can get lost between the different communication channels, or information can quickly become out of date or misaligned — the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about mask policies, the day’s menu items, corporate branding collateral, etc.

An OS makes it possible to not just ensure that residents and staff alike receive the right messages; it also gives staff members the tools to do so efficiently. Staff can manage these tasks simply — and even remotely — in one singular interface that speaks to all of these communications channels, saving time while ensuring accuracy.

Stay engaged – Diverse, virtual programming

It’s vitally important for older adults to stay engaged with activities with the surrounding community and the world at large — something that became almost impossible for much over the past year. As activity rooms and group events shut down, communities were hustling to find ways to consistently reach residents inside their homes to keep them engaged. An OS gives senior living communities access to all sorts of apps that do this — from mindfulness to entertainment — and seamlessly deliver it through connected tools such as a mobile application or an in-room TV channel. Staff members no longer are needing to find time to create socially distanced or at-home programming on top of the crisis management they’re tasked with; instead, they are bringing engagement content directly to residents with expansive libraries of activities and experiences.

Other apps allow older adults to easily access virtual activity calendars and get updates about a community’s clubs and organizations. Some communities might offer their own social media system to help residents develop connections. It’s even possible to record video content to share with others. We’ve also seen some of our communities engage in socially distanced hallway singalongs using Amazon Alexa, which shows how technology can empower creative solutions.

But, no matter how it’s accomplished, staying engaged is important for the well-being of residents, and it’s an easy to use system can make all these things come together easily and efficiently.

Stay connected – Dependable family connections

At the top of the list for any older adults’, or any age for that matter, quality-of-life is to stay connected to loved ones. Every grandparent wants to see and hear their grandchildren or children. Over the years, friends may have moved around the country but still want to remain close. It’s also crucially important to have a communication system in place to contact family members in case of an emergency.

But it’s tricky for many older adults to stay on top of the latest communication trends, such as Zoom or FaceTime, that make keeping these connections easy. An OS can create easy-to-manage ways for residents to have a video chat with family and friends, integrating a variety of tools and apps that allow residents to communicate however they prefer. This can even include hands-free communication via voice-activated devices to dial a phone number or to have an email read out loud.

An OS propels the technologies that help older adults keep in touch with those closest to their hearts — as well as with all forms of communications that keep them informed and engaged. At the same time, it gives staff the support they need to seamlessly deliver and manage these new solutions at scale. Having an OS in place allows communities to accomplish what they need to today while laying a technology foundation that allows them to easily expand as their needs evolve — something that proved invaluable during the crisis of the past year. Whether a global pandemic or other crisis scenario that brings similar challenges, the OS approach ensures communities have the ability to quickly, and at scale, launch the tools and resources they need.

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More from McKnight’s Senior Living, here!

Aging in place start-up K4Connect has been selected for the National Association of Realtors’ 2021 Tech Accelerator. The program will support forward-thinking small businesses, investments today which will allow us to overcome the complex problems of tomorrow.

 

May 5, 2021

By: Eleanor Garth

North Carolina start-up K4Connect is behind the K4Community solution, a single “operating system” for senior living communities that brings together a wide range of smart products for residents, staff and operators in a single, simple interface. Now Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors, has announced that K4Connect is one of eight technology companies selected for the 2021 REACH scale-up programme.

SCV, which claims to be the most active global venture fund in real estate technology, operates the award-winning REACH growth programme in five major, international markets. The 2021 REACH cohort will focus on scaling high-growth potential technology companies in and beyond the residential real estate sector.

 

Longevity.Technology: According to the report Three Trends Shaping the Politics of Aging in America: “Between 2016 and 2026, the employment of home health and personal care aides will increase by 41%, far outpacing the average growth of all occupations [1].”

We are glad to see K4Connect given further opportunity to scale up, building on their Amazon partnership. Aging in place (the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level) is becoming a paramount concern as the silver tsunami looms ever larger, so much so, that Longevity.Technology is preparing a market intelligence report on aging in place to be published later this year.

SCV President and NAR CEO Bob Goldberg said the REACH programme will “support forward-thinking small businesses, investments today which will allow us to overcome the complex problems of tomorrow.”

Companies selected for the 2021 REACH programme offer pioneering tools and solutions for multiple aspects of the market, including senior living services and independent living strategies. Collectively, these companies have raised more than $700 million in capital, employ more than 125 people worldwide and represent a valuation in excess of $1 billion.

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More of the story on Longevity Technology, here!

From safety features to community engagement, our K4Community technology solutions are making senior living resident’s lives simpler, healthier, and happier. 

 

May 4th, 2021

By: Ed Crump

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — If you have a family member living in a senior community then you probably know how important technology has been to them during the pandemic.

Video calls alone have helped seniors fight the feeling of isolation when COVID-19 ravaged many senior communities.

Now, the CEO of a Raleigh company says those efforts to connect seniors with technology should continue to expand.

“The real issue is the failure of the technological market really to serve this population with technologies that really could help them,” NC State graduate Scott Moody said. Moody is best known as the man who came up with the fingerprint ID system used on smart phones.

After retiring in Raleigh he decided to start K4Connect, a company that develops technology catered to seniors.

That technology is being used at more than 800 senior living communities across the U.S.

Tad Bowen, 82, recently got the K4Connect app when he and his wife moved to The Reserve at Mills Farm, a senior living community in Apex.

“I really like how user friendly it is. I’m not sure it can be more user friendly than it is,” Bowen told ABC11, adding that K4Connect can be also be used on a tablet, a laptop or desktop computer.

It’s a vital connection to what’s going on in the community he noted saying, “Dinner menus, lunch menus, residents, services, events, it’s all right there on my phone.”

Residents can also use the app and their voice to command Amazon Alexa–opening up a world of technological possibilities.

The program can also connect to a Garmin smartwatch that monitors things like blood pressure, heart rate and exercise.

It’s helpful to the senior living community’s staff who can monitor residents around-the-clock to make sure they’re OK.

“With the motion sensors in each apartment, we’re able to see if there has been motion from our residents,” said Kim Dahl the marketing director at The Reserve at Mills Farm.

She said those safety features have been one of the biggest selling points to prospective residents and their families.

It’s part of what Moody says are the K4Connect goals, to make seniors’ lives simpler, healthier, and happier.

“And when you do those things, when they provide real value, first order value to that older adult, then they use it,” he said. “Then when they use it, you have the data necessary in many ways to help improve their lives.”

 

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More from ABC 11, here!

Companies selected for the 2021 REACH program offer pioneering tools and solutions for multiple aspects of the market, including financing, senior living services, home maintenance and repair, marketing tools and more.

 

April 27, 2021

CHICAGO – Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors, announced Monday the selection of eight technology companies for the 2021 REACH scale-up program. Among them: Raleigh-based K4Connect.

SCV, which is the most active global venture fund in real estate technology, operates the award-winning REACH growth program in five major, international markets. The 2021 REACH cohort will focus on scaling high-growth potential technology companies in and beyond the residential real estate sector.

“In spite of a once-in-a-century health crisis and all of the challenges it has created, U.S. residential real estate has fared remarkably well over the past 13 months,” said SCV President and NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. “However, there are factors which will pose long-term challenges to America’s housing market, and every problem we face will require innovative solutions from both the private and public sectors. Through the REACH program, we are able to help facilitate these critical conversations by supporting forward-thinking small businesses, investments today which will allow us to overcome the complex problems of tomorrow.

“We’re excited to welcome eight transformative technologies to the 2021 REACH program alongside the nine companies named to the 2021 REACH Commercial program earlier this month.”

Companies selected for the 2021 REACH program offer pioneering tools and solutions for multiple aspects of the market, including financing, senior living services, home maintenance and repair, marketing tools and more. Collectively, these companies have raised more than $700 million in capital, employ more than 125 people worldwide and represent a valuation in excess of $1 billion.

“The continued success of our industry is dependent on technology that benefits homebuyers, sellers and the Realtor^® community,” said Kia Nejatian, executive director of REACH. “This group of eight companies has been hand selected from an impressive pool of applicants based on the incredible potential for their solutions to transform the real estate transaction.”

The eight companies selected for the 2021 REACH program are:

• Aryeo: modern content management platform enabling creators and real estate professionals to collaborate seamlessly;
• Feather: next-generation approach to furniture and home decor rental;
• K4Connect: leading enterprise technology solutions for residents, staff and operators of senior living communities;
• Knock:fast-growing fintech company whose flagship product, Home Swap™, makes it easy for consumers to buy their dream home before even listing their current house;
• Landis: mission-driven program that helps agents provide their clients with an innovative and accelerated path to homeownership;
• Milestones: end-to-end digital customer experience platform for the next generation of homeowners;
• Plunk: the first mobile app leveraging AI to forecast home valuation and remodeling projects in real time; and
• Super: technology-enabled home care and repair subscription service.

“We are very excited to welcome these eight companies into our global REACH community,” said Dave Garland, managing partner of Second Century Ventures. “Growth is the root of everything we do at Second Century Ventures and REACH. By working hand-in-hand with the top entrepreneurs in the property technology field, we deliver scale to new technologies, help real estate professionals find new ways to use technology and in turn help advance the rapidly evolving global real estate ecosystem.”

REACH announced the companies selected to its commercial real estate technology program earlier this month. Both U.S. based cohorts will experience an intensive program which includes education, mentorship, a curated insight panel, exclusive networking opportunities and significant exposure to the global real estate marketplace. Learn more about the 2021 REACH program and how you can get involved at narreach.com.

 

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Read more from WRAL Tech Wire, here!

K4Connect named a 2021 REACH Company as part of their intensive residential real estate technology program. The program includes education, mentorship, a curated insight panel, and significant exposure to the global real estate marketplace. 

 

April 26, 2021

Wesley Shaw

CHICAGO (April 26, 2021) – Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors®, announced today the selection of eight technology companies for the 2021 REACH scale-up program. SCV, which is the most active global venture fund in real estate technology, operates the award-winning REACH growth program in five major, international markets. The 2021 REACH cohort will focus on scaling high-growth potential technology companies in and beyond the residential real estate sector.

“In spite of a once-in-a-century health crisis and all of the challenges it has created, U.S. residential real estate has fared remarkably well over the past 13 months,” said SCV President and NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. “However, there are factors which will pose long-term challenges to America’s housing market, and every problem we face will require innovative solutions from both the private and public sectors. Through the REACH program, we are able to help facilitate these critical conversations by supporting forward-thinking small businesses, investments today which will allow us to overcome the complex problems of tomorrow.

“We’re excited to welcome eight transformative technologies to the 2021 REACH program alongside the nine companies named to the 2021 REACH Commercial program earlier this month.”

Companies selected for the 2021 REACH program offer pioneering tools and solutions for multiple aspects of the market, including financing, senior living services, home maintenance and repair, marketing tools and more. Collectively, these companies have raised more than $700 million in capital, employ more than 125 people worldwide and represent a valuation in excess of $1 billion.

“The continued success of our industry is dependent on technology that benefits homebuyers, sellers and the Realtor® community,” said Kia Nejatian, executive director of REACH. “This group of eight companies has been hand selected from an impressive pool of applicants based on the incredible potential for their solutions to transform the real estate transaction.”

The eight companies selected for the 2021 REACH program are:

• Aryeo: modern content management platform enabling creators and real estate professionals to collaborate seamlessly;
• Feather: next-generation approach to furniture and home decor rental;
• K4Connect: leading enterprise technology solutions for residents, staff and operators of senior living communities;
• Knock: fast-growing fintech company whose flagship product, Home Swap™, makes it easy for consumers to buy their dream home before even listing their current house;
• Landis: mission-driven program that helps agents provide their clients with an innovative and accelerated path to homeownership;
• Milestones: end-to-end digital customer experience platform for the next generation of homeowners;
• Plunk: the first mobile app leveraging AI to forecast home valuation and remodeling projects in real time; and
• Super: technology-enabled home care and repair subscription service.

REACH announced the companies selected to its commercial real estate technology program earlier this month. Both U.S. based cohorts will experience an intensive program which includes education, mentorship, a curated insight panel, exclusive networking opportunities and significant exposure to the global real estate marketplace.

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Read more about the 2021 REACH program, here!

About REACH

REACH is a unique real estate technology program created by Second Century Ventures, the most active venture fund in the global real estate technology space. Backed by the National Association of Realtors®, SCV and REACH leverage the association’s more than 1.4 million members and an unparalleled network of executives within real estate and adjacent industries. The REACH program helps technology companies launch into the real estate vertical and its adjacent markets. The program provides education, mentorship and market exposure to one of the world’s largest industries. For more on REACH, visit www.narreach.com

 

Cedar Community is proud to be the first senior living community in Wisconsin to adopt the K4Connect program. As the modules are rolled out across the campuses, the technology will help create even more enriching and engaging experiences for residents, streamlining the connectivity of amenities and services Cedar Community has to offer in an up-to-date, immediate platform.

 

By: Nicole Pretre & Carrie Sturn, Cedar Communities

Spring 2021

If there is one thing that most of us have adapted to over the past year, it is how to use technology to stay connected with our family and friends, and as an organization, Cedar Community has used virtual platforms to conduct many of our business functions. Technology certainly is not new to senior living, but it has emerged as a very important part of our lives, keeping us all connected and informed. As we continue to grow and improve, Cedar Community is working on a large project to upgrade the technology infrastructure on all of our campuses. We have also partnered with an organization that will help integrate many of our technology programs and platforms.

While there are hundreds of programs to choose from, K4Connect is bringing many of those solutions together through one single system. “Our technology solutions help to streamline and unify the team member experience, and the goal is to have a single source of information from which you can distribute relevant information to residents, team members, and families,” says Bethany Gale, K4Connect Growth Director.

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Read the full story from Cedar Community, here!

K4Connect CEO & Co-Founder, Scott Moody, talks about starting a mission-driven technology that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, along with the people, communities, and organizations that serve them.

 

An Interview With Jerome Knyszewski

April 21, 2021

A startup is like an ultra-marathon, but you have to go at a sprinter pace, the only variation being how steep the hill is in front of you on any given day. It’s crazy hard and from the start, you have to understand your why — why in fact you are doing this. It is the “why” that gets you through those tough days, weeks, quarters, or even years. In the end, the reality of the idea of an “overnight success” is that it often takes a really, really long time.

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As part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company” I had the pleasure of interviewing F. Scott Moody. He is the co-founder and CEO of K4Connect, a mission-driven technology company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, along with the people, communities, and organizations that serve them. The Company’s solutions made specifically for older adults — whether for senior living communities or homes — integrate the latest in smart technologies, applications, and services into a single comprehensive system.

Previously, Moody was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of AuthenTec, the fingerprint sensor technology company that was acquired by Apple in 2012. At AuthenTec, Moody raised over $70 million in venture capital and led the Company’s successful IPO (NASDAQ). Focusing on the PC and cell phone industries, Moody helped grow AuthenTec to over 300 employees with development centers in Melbourne, Florida, Shanghai and Vught, the Netherlands. Upon its acquisition, the Company had more than 200 patents. AuthenTec remains the only public company ever acquired by Apple and its technologies are now the foundation for Apple’s Touch ID.

Moody began his career at Harris Semiconductor, now Intersil, in 1980 where he eventually became VP of a $200M business division before co-founding AuthenTec.

In addition to K4Connect, Moody is also an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Blackstone Network, an advisor to the National Science Foundation’s ASSIST program at North Carolina State University, and a regional board member for Hope International. He is also the founder of First Talent Ventures, which advises and invests in early stage startups in the Southeast and Africa.

Moody received a BSIE from North Carolina State University and an executive MBA from the University of Florida.

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Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I am the CEO, Co-Founder and Chief Member Advocate of K4Connect, a mission-driven tech company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities. I was previously the co-founder and CEO of AuthenTec, the only public company ever acquired by Apple and its technologies led to the introduction of the Touch ID.

What was the “Aha Moment” that led to the idea for your current company? Can you share that story with us?

After AuthenTec was acquired, I was on a clear path to retirement. The genesis of K4Connect happened through a few life-changing meetings on a mission trip to Rwanda, where I met an entrepreneur named Jennifer. And later, where I met a man named Eric living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Raleigh, NC.

In Rwanda, Jennifer was a mission worker who had started 15 orphanages there using the proceeds from a bakery and coffee shop that she also started to employ battered women. Quite frankly, I was embarrassed after I met her — I felt like I was incredibly blessed in life and I owe it to give back.

When I returned to Raleigh, I began to network within the startup ecosystem and started mentoring young entrepreneurs. There, I met Jonathan Gould (K4Connect’s Co-Founder & VP of Advanced Technologies) and he had the idea for the company to integrate products and software into a single platform in the space of Internet of Things (IoT).

The current technology on the market was either too hard to use or too expensive, but we didn’t have a vertical end market in mind. That is until I met with Eric, who was an advocate for the homeless and was living with MS. Eric explained his daily struggles and that he only had the energy for 1,000 good steps per day. If this IoT technology could help him be more productive with these 1,000 steps per day, it could also help other disabled and older people within the population. This was the inspiration to pursue this potential market of older adults and people living with disabilities with K4Connect.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

A few years ago, not long after we started K4Connect, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was benign, but the operation and recovery were more difficult and longer than thought. It was certainly no fun, and quite painful, yet as I look back at that time now, I really consider it a blessing. It is one thing to be empathetic to those we serve at K4Connect, but a whole other thing to walk (or for a few weeks not walk) in their shoes.

As I went through the various challenges I experienced, I just kept thinking, “what does a poor person do?” I had a caregiving wife, I had insurance, I had money, but what would have happened had I not? Who would have been there to help? I kept thinking about what it would have been like for my Dad. While he had a caring and loving wife, they did not have insurance and had very little in terms of money. I’m sure he would have recovered, but very likely not as well, certainly not as fast, and would have been even worse off financially. There is no doubt that experience helped shape me and our company, serving those that are so often both technologically and economically underserved.

So, how are things going today? How did your grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

At the end of the day, helping people and empowering them to live better lives is what drives K4Connect. Throughout this journey I kept thinking about the work Jennifer was doing and how I wanted to give back. I keep thinking about what Eric goes through — and others like him — on a daily basis and want to build and provide a tech (because that’s what I know best how to do) that can empower people like Eric.

Today, K4Connect is serving tens of thousands of older adults in over 800 senior living communities — and growing.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

The general public might not be aware that the first time in history older adults will outnumber children. By 2035, there will be 78 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.4 million under the age of 18 in the U.S, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

While the number of individuals over the age of 65 is rapidly growing, the number of caregivers available to take care of this population is declining. That’s a major issue. It’s true this has been an issue for some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic really brought global attention to this challenge in senior living. What makes us stand out is that we’ve developed a technology that can help solve this by integrating any type of tech. It’s called FusionOS and it brings all of a senior living community’s technology products and services into one single system — just like the operating system working behind the scenes to connect all of the apps and tools on your smartphone. Ultimately, this all benefits our primary end user — the resident.

Older adults living alone at home now have more responsive living environments through smart home automated devices such as lighting and temperature; at-home safety dramatically increases through passive motion-sensing and reporting devices. We had a gentleman with Parkinson’s Disease share that he uses his Amazon Alexa device to orient himself when he awakes confused, and a woman with macular degeneration use Alexa to read her favorite books and important information when eyesight was a challenge for her. Ultimately, these technologies are helping older adults and those with disabilities live more independently — we call it simpler, healthier and happier.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Two come to mind:

I think one of the most important character traits for any founder (really, anyone) is empathy. There is truth in the saying, “you don’t really understand someone until you walk in their shoes.” Of course, you can’t always do that, but people — particularly today — need to work hard to understand the relative experiences of others. And while empathy is something of value in every aspect of your life — and yet we all seem to show too little of it — it is critical for the founder of a business. To really understand the customer, you must walk in the shoes of those you serve.

A second important character trait that has been instrumental in my success are my management and leadership skills. How I see it — a good manager effectively sees a project through, while a good leader is someone who can inspire and motivate others to a common goal. Companies can choose who are the managers in a company, but leadership is something earned. Almost any definition of leadership will include honesty and integrity as being essential, and while true, I tend to think another particularly critical element for the entrepreneur is to recognize that they are a member of a much larger team. It seems to me that too many entrepreneurs today focus more on self-promotion than that of their company or other team members.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

When I had just started my previous company, AuthenTec, I knew someone who was the CEO of another semiconductor startup that told me, “Starting a company is like running a marathon.” Despite the hype around startups, it takes a very long time to breed that “overnight success.” Technologies and companies often toil in the netherworld for years before the technology or company goes center stage — or has any level of success. What that means is that you can’t just think near term, for example, pop out your product, generate lots of revenue, and sell your company for a billion dollars. It doesn’t happen like that. You have to have a vision. What my colleague did not tell me, however, is that you have to run that marathon at a sprinter’s pace! Everything you do is driven by speed. Sure, you have the think long term, but at the same time, you have to perform now. Unlike a real marathon, which just clocks your time in the end, in a startup, you can get kicked off the course at any time if you are not making enough progress fast enough!

What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?

You need to understand a market and customers well enough that you are solving problems that they don’t even know exist. If you ask a customer what they want, whatever you come out with will be late and wrong. Big companies focus on incrementalism, while startups have to focus on something that is material, something that will leapfrog what’s currently on the market. When I was 41 we started AuthenTec, we knew who we are selling to and had a vision for the fingerprint sensors to get in that market. You have to know enough about your customers and the market so you can come out with a product or solution that makes the difference.

Do due diligence on your idea. People are eager to start their entrepreneurial journey so they just go out with their idea. If you’re looking to get financing for your startup, due diligence on your own product must be done because venture capitalists and investors will be well in-tune with your market. You have to understand the competition and how the product/solution is differentiated.

It takes a really long time — perseverance. There is a lot of lost sleep; you never get away from it and you’ll go through ups and downs that you never expected. If you’re going around with something that you think is a great idea, 99% of investors will reject you. You have to be determined.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company”? Please share a story or an example for each.

Throughout this interview I talked about most of these, but here are some thoughts for individuals considering starting their own company:

1. A startup is like an ultra-marathon, but you have to go at a sprinter pace, the only variation being how steep the hill is in front of you on any given day. It’s crazy hard and from the start, you have to understand your why — why in fact you are doing this. It is the “why” that gets you through those tough days, weeks, quarters, or even years. In the end, the reality of the idea of an “overnight success” is that it often takes a really, really long time.
2. Don’t believe your own BS, or that of others. First, you have to understand everyone is hyping his or her company. Do you really think that everyone actually lives the life they show on social media? It’s the same with startups, they only tell folks the good stuff. The zoo in the back room, well, not so much. Outside, share your holistic vision in all its grandeur. Inside, keep plugging all those holes, because there will be plenty of them!
3. It’s all about the team. I don’t care how smart you are, or likely how smart you think you are, it takes a team coming together to make it happen.
4. That team includes your investors, look for those that can truly add value, that know what they are doing. Fact is that they can help make your company a success or they can squeeze the life out of it, and you.
5. This is not the most important thing in your life. For me, that is God and family, bar none. Your family has to buy into the idea of your doing a startup, since they will be affected too. As they say, it doesn’t do any good to win the battle if you lose the war.

How can our readers further follow you online?

Visit www.k4connect.com and follow us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!