The Memory Collective was founded on April 4, 2019, serendipitously on the 8th anniversary of my beloved Aunt Pat’s passing. Right now, I operate out of my home in Irvington, Indiana, which is a little historical community inside Indianapolis, IN. We are a small but mighty team right now–and eager to grow.

After a series of losses of immediate family members in my childhood, I had the early realization that when people die, they take their stories with them.

But it wasn’t until I was in my 20s until I realized that the stories, memories, and experienced I’d shared with those people I lost were rapidly fading. Memory loss isn’t something that just happens to “old people.”

No one in my family (myself included) thought to record the stories of my dad when he was getting sick with some unknown disease when I was 13. Or my Aunt Pat, when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. Or my three remaining grandparents, even though they were in their 90s.

I have no way of hearing their voices or stories or asking them questions.

But I could have, if a service like the one I’ve created had existed, and we’d known about it.

I founded The Memory Collective because this problem doesn’t exist in just my family. It’s a global problem. Every day, people die and take their stories with them. Every day, families lose parts of connection to those loved ones. And every day, a few more details slip away.

But now they don’t have to. I have a vision to change the way we think about legacy, memory, heritage, and even our own life reflections. Rather than leaving clues for future genealogists to piece together, let’s leave our whole stories. Let’s ensure we honor the people who came before us and protect ourselves and our children from the loss of priceless stories.

Hey guys, Kara here. I’m one of those multi-passionate people who could never figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. That was, until I found a career that allowed me to blend all of my passions, experiences, and skills in a way that challenges me, fulfills me, and gives back. That is to say, I had no idea what I would have done with my life if the idea for The Memory Collective hadn’t plopped into my lap.

I’ve always had my hands and mind in about a million things. Since childhood, I’ve been writing fiction and non-fiction, playing instruments, sculpting with clay, building with Lego and K’nex, designing inventions and contraptions, dreaming big, and telling stories. It’s an honor to be able to create resources for other people who love these things too (and so many more) to help them tell their stories, and to be able to help people stay close to their loved ones even beyond death.

I love to connect with people, so if you’re feeling like we could become friends, have a mutual experience, or you find yourself wondering how you can join this mission I’m on, seriously, reach out and let’s talk.