Eirene is a modern funeral home that offers cremation services online to better support Canadians in a time of need. Eirene provides compassion and flexibility, with 24/7 support from funeral directors who can guide the family from the comfort of their own home, from planning to paperwork and everything in between, with clear and honest pricing.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m the CEO and co-founder of Eirene, an innovative funeral services company that has been built on the core principles of simplicity, compassion, and honesty. We provide an online platform where families can arrange an affordable, direct cremation without the need for in-person consultations at a stressful time.
Before stepping into the world of funeral services, I was part of the founding team at Wealthsimple, a trailblazing fintech company. There, I wore many hats – marketing, HR, and communications – and was instrumental in growing the business from the ground up. That experience instilled in me the confidence and drive to rally people around a mission and build a sustainable business.
What led me to the funeral industry was a strong desire to make a real difference in people’s lives during their most vulnerable times. I believe we can leverage technology to revolutionize the way we approach death care, transforming it into a straightforward and transparent process that prioritizes the needs of grieving families.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
We’ve navigated a lot of regulatory hurdles and industry pushback, so the advice I would give myself is to trust the process and be patient. It’s essential to remember that real, meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight.
What problem does your business solve?
At Eirene, we’re fixing a broken system – the process of funeral arrangements. We know the topic of death is a tough one, one that people usually avoid. When the time comes, it’s often overwhelming and complicated, not to mention expensive. We’re changing all that. We make things simple, clear, and affordable. You can even plan ahead with us, choosing what you want and making the payment in advance – no stress, no hidden costs. With the growing need for better end-of-life planning, we’re here to make a tough time a little easier, giving peace of mind when it matters most.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Our inspiration at Eirene comes from our unique blend of personal connection, professional expertise, and a drive to make a difference. With family roots in the death care industry and experience in entrepreneurship and tech, we saw firsthand the struggles people face during end-of-life planning. We realized that the process was unnecessarily complex, stressful, and opaque.
We wanted to change this. We saw an opportunity to harness technology to simplify and humanize the process. It’s about using our personal experiences and professional expertise to foster conversations around death, providing comfort, clarity, and confidence when people need it most.
What is your magic sauce?
Our magic stems from our unparalleled commitment to service excellence. We pride ourselves on delivering, arguably, the most empathetic and attentive customer service within the industry. Every interaction with Eirene, whether via phone call, website visit, or email, is tailored to anticipate and meet your needs – often even before you realize them.
Take, for instance, our carefully designed cremation packages. These are not just about fulfilling the necessary requirements; we’ve thoughtfully included elements that will assist you post-cremation, such as help with settling the estate. This strategic approach is all about making the entire process smoother for you.
The foundation of Eirene’s exceptional customer service is our deep, genuine respect for the families we serve. Our service model is the result of keen listening to our families over the past three years, coupled with extensive research conducted before we launched. We’ve dedicated ourselves to understanding how we can lighten your load during a challenging time. That’s the Eirene way – service that truly serves.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We want to be the name you instantly associate with compassionate and top-notch cremation services. We aspire to provide you with a sense of comfort and assurance in knowing that we’re here for you when you need us most. But we’re not stopping there. We’re on a mission to flip the script on how we talk about death. We want to bring these conversations out of the shadows, making it easier for everyone to openly discuss and plan for end-of-life. That’s the future for Eirene: to be your dependable partner in navigating life’s toughest moments.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
When creating an entirely new category of innovation within an industry, regulation is often the biggest challenge. We’ve had a lot of pushback with licensing, stating that we were a threat to the industry and, even after licensing, had a fair amount of harassment and refusal to work with us. We generally drown out the noise, remain patient with the process, and have conviction in the importance of our services being available. We’ve found great support and partners along the way, which we are proud to have.
How can people get involved?
The best way to get involved with Eirene is to start at home by engaging in open and honest discussions about death and end-of-life planning. It’s a gift you can give to yourself and your loved ones, easing the emotional burden often left on family members.
If you find it challenging to start these conversations, Eirene is here to help. We offer guidance and support to facilitate these crucial discussions with sensitivity and understanding.
If you’re interested in learning more about our services, whether you’re currently in need or just planning for the future, visit our website at www.eirene.ca. Join us in our mission to bring comfort, clarity, and compassion to end-of-life planning.