Latest news with #Eazewell
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Russell Westbrook Announcement Made Amid Nuggets-OKC Thunder Series
Denver Nuggets star Russell Westbrook has made an announcement on his social media. Amid the ongoing second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook has launched an AI-driven startup, Eazewell, along with former NBA All-Star Kemba Walker and longtime friend Donnell Beverly Jr. Reflecting on their struggles to find purpose amidst personal pain, Beverly and Westbrook came up with the idea for Eazewell. The tragic loss of their high school peer, Khelcey Barrs III, due to an enlarged heart, continues to impact both Westbrook and Beverly. Advertisement Beverly faced additional challenges with the death of both his parents, which added unprecedented mental strain when combined with the emotional realities of funeral planning. It was these circumstances that drove the trio to design a solution that helps people during difficult times in a genuinely supportive manner. The goal of the startup is to use AI technology to automate and alleviate the logistical burden, paperwork and financial planning associated with funerals, thus simplifying and modernizing the often stressful experience of mourning and funeral planning. It has been revealed that the platform has already been utilized by over 1,000 families during its beta phase, demonstrating its potential to transform the funeral planning industry. As far as the playoff series against the Thunder is concerned, Westbrook played a pivotal role in the Nuggets' victory over the Thunder in Game 1. Coming off the bench, he contributed 18 points and delivered the decisive assist to Aaron Gordon, who nailed the game-winning 3-pointer with just 2.8 seconds remaining. OKC bounced back in Game 2, defeating the Nuggets 149-106 to even the series 1-1. Game 3 is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Friday on ESPN as the series shifts to Denver.
NBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
NBA star Russell Westbrook launches AI-enabled funeral planning startup
National Basketball Association superstar Russell Westbrook is taking a shot off the court at simplifying funeral planning with artificial intelligence. The famed Denver Nuggets point guard on Wednesday announced the launch of Eazewell, a startup that uses AI technology to streamline the process for coordinating funerals. Westbrook founded the venture with former Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker and childhood friend Donnell Beverly Jr., who serves as president of Russell Westbrook Enterprises and CEO and co-founder of Eazewell. 'My whole career, on and off the court, has been about stepping up decisively in the moments that matter most,' Westbrook wrote in a statement to CNBC. Westbrook and the Nuggets are currently facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference semifinals. 'Eazewell is exactly that — a decisive solution to a very real problem.' The Los Angeles-based company uses AI to curate funeral options catered to each user's budgets and preferences. The platform assists with paperwork, budget planning, invitations and overlooked tasks such as canceling a deceased loved one's utility bills and social media accounts. Eazewell currently has 11 employees and has already tested its beta platform with more than 1,000 families. Eazewell has not disclosed funding but has revenue agreements with partner services. The startup is also working on partnerships with finance and life insurance companies in the space. The service is free to use and does not have an ads component 'at this stage,' a company spokesperson said. 'We're trying to take the weight off people's shoulders as much as we can, and make this process so much easier for people,' Walker told CNBC in a phone interview. Walker played college basketball with Beverly at the University of Connecticut. Learning from an early loss Eazewell traces its origins to Westbrook and Beverly's high school days, when their friend and basketball teammate Khelcey Barrs III passed away unexpectedly from an enlarged heart. Westbrook commemorates Barrs to this day by wearing a bracelet with the initials 'KB3' in every NBA game he plays and on his signature Jordan Why Not Zer0.6 'Khelcey Barrs' shoe. 'It's a reminder that life can change in an instant,' Westbrook said. 'You don't get to choose the moment, but you do get to choose how you respond.' The experience left a lasting effect on the two friends, Beverly said, but it wasn't until the death of Beverly's parents that he experienced funeral planning hurdles firsthand. Beverly said the experience was 'messy' and 'grueling.' Disillusioned and frustrated by the process after the death of his mother and father in 2016 and 2023, respectively, Beverly turned to his close friends to come up with the solution that became Eazewell. 'It just seems like the perfect time to really turn our shared pain into purpose,' Beverly said. One of Eazewell's most innovative features is its voice-activated AI agent that can gather cost quotes and call funeral homes on a user's behalf. Recent advancements in AI have only recently made it possible to automate tasks and create agents that can manage these jobs in an empathetic and compassionate manner, said Viviane Ghaderi, Eazewell's tech chief and a former Amazon executive. Stephen Stokols, an Eazewell investor and CEO of Tru Skye Ventures, an early-stage sports technology and wellness venture firm, said these 'transformational' AI advancements helping bring the funeral industry out of the 'dark ages' initially drew him to the project. Walker said he hopes Eazewell can offer users the tools to navigate a topic that is not taught in school or early life. 'We know how important it is to have someone by your side to help with the details that come after a loss,' Westbrook said.
CNBC
07-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
NBA star Russell Westbrook launches AI-enabled funeral planning startup
Russell Westbrook, #4 of the Denver Nuggets, dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round 2, Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 5, 2025. National Basketball Association superstar Russell Westbrook is taking a shot off the court at simplifying funeral planning with artificial intelligence. The famed Denver Nuggets point guard on Wednesday announced the launch of Eazewell, a startup that uses AI technology to streamline the process for coordinating funerals. Westbrook founded the venture with former Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker and childhood friend Donnell Beverly Jr., who serves as president of Russell Westbrook Enterprises. "My whole career, on and off the court, has been about stepping up decisively in the moments that matter most," Westbrook wrote in a statement to CNBC. Westbrook and the Nuggets are currently facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference semifinals. "Eazewell is exactly that — a decisive solution to a very real problem." The Los Angeles-based company uses AI to curate funeral options catered to each user's budgets and preferences. The platform assists with paperwork, budget planning, invitations and overlooked tasks such as canceling a deceased loved one's utility bills and social media accounts. Eazewell currently has 11 employees and has already tested its beta platform with more than 1,000 families. Eazewell has not disclosed funding but has revenue agreements with partner services. The startup is also working on partnerships with finance and life insurance companies in the space. The service is free to use and does not have an ads component "at this stage," a company spokesperson said. "We're trying to take the weight off people's shoulders as much as we can, and make this process so much easier for people," Walker told CNBC in a phone interview. Walker played college basketball with Beverly at the University of Connecticut. From left to right: Donnell Beverly Jr., Kemba Walker, Donnell Beverly (Donnell's dad, now deceased) and Russell Westbrook at Donnell's mom's funeral. Eazewell traces its origins to Westbrook and Beverly's high school days, when their friend and basketball teammate Khelcey Barrs III passed away unexpectedly from an enlarged heart. Westbrook commemorates Barrs to this day by wearing a bracelet with the initials "KB3" in every NBA game he plays and on his signature Jordan Why Not Zer0.6 "Khelcey Barrs" shoe. "It's a reminder that life can change in an instant," Westbrook said. "You don't get to choose the moment, but you do get to choose how you respond." The experience left a lasting effect on the two friends, Beverly said, but it wasn't until the death of Beverly's parents that he experienced funeral planning hurdles firsthand. Beverly said the experience was "messy" and "grueling." Disillusioned and frustrated by the process after the death of his mother and father in 2016 and 2020, respectively, Beverly turned to his close friends to come up with the solution that became Eazewell. "It just seems like the perfect time to really turn our shared pain into purpose," Beverly said. Kemba Walker, then #15 of the Charlotte Hornets, in action against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, on March 17, 2019. One of Eazewell's most innovative features is its voice-activated AI agent that can gather cost quotes and call funeral homes on a user's behalf. Recent advancements in AI have only recently made it possible to automate tasks and create agents that can manage these jobs in an empathetic and compassionate manner, said Viviane Ghaderi, Eazewell's tech chief and a former Amazon executive. Stephen Stokols, an Eazewell investor and CEO of Tru Skye Ventures, an early-stage sports technology and wellness venture firm, said these "transformational" AI advancements helping bring the funeral industry out of the "dark ages" initially drew him to the project. Walker said he hopes Eazewell can offer users the tools to navigate a topic that is not taught in school or early life. "We know how important it is to have someone by your side to help with the details that come after a loss," Westbrook said. WATCH: The AI boom needs to stay in the U.S., says Energy Capital's Doug Kimmelman
