After the loss of both of his parents, Donnell Beverly Jr. decided to launch the end-of-life planning startup Eazewell. He knew exactly who to call for help launching the business: his longtime friend, nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook. Beverly Jr. explained that the main focus for Westbrook in any business is how to impact people. He stated that they took personal pain and created a platform to help others.
Westbrook agreed to join the venture. Four-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker also came on board, and the trio officially launched Eazewell. Eazewell is an AI-driven platform designed to help families navigate and automate the administrative aspects of end-of-life and funeral planning. The startup’s AI agent acts as a constant resource, available every day of the week, assisting users with tasks from finding and booking a funeral home to canceling the credit card accounts of a deceased person.
The company partners with various service providers, including hospice care, funeral homes, and insurance companies. These partnerships allow the platform to be free for users, with the option to pay for more premium features. Westbrook shared that he had the opportunity to be close with Beverly Jr.’s family and go through the process with him. He expressed excitement about being a partner in this endeavor.
The idea for Eazewell came to Beverly Jr. after he lost both parents in a short period. Navigating the aftermath made him realize how burdensome the end-of-life process can be and how fragmented the market for these services is. Seeing recent advancements in artificial intelligence made him believe the technology could be used to reduce the number of administrative tasks grieving families face. He noted that while AI has impacted our lives, it is now entering a space where it impacts our lives after death.
Eazewell was founded in 2024. The company reports it has already helped more than 100,000 families since launching its platform earlier this year. The startup is now rolling out a new enterprise platform for hospice companies, senior living facilities, and life insurers. This allows those companies to integrate Eazewell’s automated features directly into their own management software.
Looking ahead, Eazewell hopes to help people manage a loved one’s digital assets after they pass away. This task has become more significant as people’s lives are increasingly online. Beverly Jr. pointed out that the average person has between 70 and 100 active digital accounts at any time, meaning families inherit all those digital accounts and assets. He sees a grand opportunity to help people and make this process more seamless.
For Russell Westbrook, Eazewell represents the perfect opportunity to go into business with a decades-long friend. It also allows him to use his platform to amplify a business that helps people, especially those from underserved and under-resourced communities, navigate a painful and costly experience. He stated that anytime he puts his name on anything, he tries to open doors and build trust. For him, using his platform to help families through a loss is a no-brainer.