In this episode of The Aging Well Podcast, Dr. Armstrong is joined by Akshita Iyer, founder and CEO of Ome. Akshita discusses her journey in creating the Ome Smart Knob, a smart technology solution aimed at enhancing safety and independence for aging individuals. She shares insights on the challenges of naming a company, the importance of proactive technology, and how their innovative kitchen safety solutions work. The discussion also touches on the role of caregivers and the need for intuitive technology that seamlessly integrates into daily life. In this conversation, Akshita discusses the future of technology in aging well, emphasizing the importance of predictive safety and integration of smart home devices. She shares insights from her experience launching her product, highlighting the significance of understanding user needs and the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Akshita also provides practical advice for aging at home safely and reflects on her personal journey towards wellness and health as she navigates the challenges of... aging well.
Learn more about the Ome Smart Knob at https://www.omekitchen.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:08):
Welcome to the Aging World Podcast, where we explore the
science, stories and strategies behind living a longer,
healthier, and more purposeful life.
Today's guest is reimagining what it means to age in place
with the help of smart technology.
Akshita Ayer is the founder and CEO of OHM, a company that's
transforming the way we think about home safety and
independence for older adults. Instead of adding more gadgets
(00:31):
and complexity, Ohm's approach is all about intuitive,
proactive tech that actually makes life easier and safer.
From AI powered fall detection to smart kitchen and home
automation, Akshita is helping people thrive in the homes they
love. In this conversation, we explore
the innovations making aging at home not only possible, but
(00:52):
powerful, and how tech can quietly support well-being
without demanding major behaviorchange.
If you're interested in the future of aging, caregiving and
designing homes that help us live better, longer, this
episode is for you. Ikshita, welcome to the Aging
Well podcast. Let's start by having you tell
us a little bit about yourself. What inspired you to start home
(01:14):
and how did your background shape your mission to kind of
support aging at home through smart technology?
Well, thank you so much for having me on the podcast, Jeff.
It's a pleasure to be here. My journey into building home
and this company was a bit accidental, so I actually went
to school for neuroscience. I thought I was going to go to
Med school like most people do, I think, when they go to
(01:35):
college. And then I took a couple of gap
years. I worked in the hospital and my
mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's right when I
graduated from college. And I had never really spoken to
my parents about what aging meant.
My dad's 10 years older than my mom.
We didn't really talk about whatthis, you know, diagnosis for
her meant. And so it was only a couple
(01:56):
years later as her daily life just started to change a little
bit and she had to adapt where she accidentally left the stove
on one too many times and started a kitchen fire.
And this is not a new problem, as I'm sure you know, you know
#1 cause of house fires is people leaving the stove on.
I'm sure you have, you know, either had a near miss
(02:16):
overcooked food. I mean, it happens all the time.
We get distracted for whatever reason.
And I really felt the implications for my mom at that
time because she's getting olderand the first thing she was that
she had a huge fear of losing her independence.
And so with all the smart technology we had up until that
point, I mean, Nest had just been acquired and Ring was on
(02:38):
the rise, all these smart home retrofit devices.
I thought there has to be a solution for this because this
has been a problem for a long time.
Lo and behold, I realized that while there are some kitchen
safety devices out there, none of them were very intuitive or
easy to use and understand, affordable install.
And I also realized that the appliance industry is a bit
(02:59):
tricky because you have appliances that last a really
long time, right? 10/15/20 plus years.
So to build in technology into anew appliance and then ask a
consumer to buy a new appliance is a tough sell.
So I thought, how hard could it be to build a smart device that
can turn the burner off if you leave it on by accident?
I mean, what's a smart device? You know, board electronics,
(03:20):
some plastics, you know, you slap it all together, you put it
in a box, you ship it. Like that's really how easy I
thought it was. It wasn't that simple, but I'm
glad I was that ignorant when I started because I probably
wouldn't have if I if I wasn't. But we ended up building is a
smart knob. So this smart knob looks
functions like a regular stove knob.
You're not changing how you put.The only difference is that our
(03:42):
knob has a bunch of proprietary technology and sensors that
allow it to detect what setting a burners at how long it's been
on for. And then because of that motor,
like a door lock, we can actually proactively turn the
burner off. So first and foremost, people
everywhere, whether you're a parent or an elderly person, to
have that Peace of Mind and retain that independence and not
(04:03):
have to work. So first, before I really get
into the interview, where are you buying your appliances
lately that they last for 15 years?
Well, they're supposed to and they're built to, but I mean,
you know, we have customers we've heard that have had that
have stoves 20 plus years old. I mean, it's not, it's a major
purchasing decision, right? It's it's not something that you
(04:24):
can go out and buy. You go out and buy like once a
month. Just supposed to last a while at
least. At least 5 to 10 years
hopefully. I think we're buying the wrong
ones in my household but. It might depend on the brand
there. But we've tried a few brands
too, and I won't go off on dissing on some certain brands.
But so you've said that tech should work for people, not the
(04:46):
other way around. What does that look like in
practice as we talk about appliances lasting for 15 years,
but especially for older people,older adults?
Yeah. So, you know, I think what what
we at least mean by that and, and the way that we have always
approached innovation is not to build tech for the sake of tech,
but really thoughtful and meaningful functionality and
(05:10):
solutions that can quietly and unobtrusively PP keep people
safe in their daily routines, right.
So an example is, you know, the the knob or a door lock or a
doorbell, right, is designed to prevent something proactively.
And it's not something you have to think about.
You know, we've all had doorbells and we've all had door
locks, but you're adding, you know, something meaningful, but
(05:31):
but very intuitive and, and thatworks behind the scenes for you.
And so, you know, smart technology, with all the
innovation that we have today, should also really support us as
we age to preserve dignity, autonomy, our Peace of Mind, and
especially for caregivers and family members, to add that
layer of reassurance without being invasive.
And so we really took the approach of, you know, how do
(05:54):
you build solutions that are notreactive but proactive to make
sure that before we even get to a scenario where, you know,
you're in danger in some capacity, that all of this
technology is actually working for you and making daily life
easier. And I like that you say
proactive as opposed to reactive.
That's one of the kind of themesof this podcast is so much of as
(06:16):
we approach aging is reactive rather than proactive.
And so can you give us an overview of some of the key
products or features of OHM thatthey offer to kind of improve
the safety and independence for older adults?
Yeah, absolutely. So I already mentioned this, but
first and foremost, it's preventing any kind of cooking
(06:36):
hazard because of, you know, distraction or you know,
forgetfulness of the the burner being left.
So the way it works is you push,you turn, nothing about how you
use a burner changes. It's very simple and you use
your stove like you have been for the last 30 years.
But once the burner turns on, the knob itself can actually
detect that it is no longer in the off position.
(06:58):
It can detect what position it'sat, how long it's been on for.
And then we have an automatic shut off timer that is built
into the knob that you can adjust based on what your
cooking activity is. But we ship it with a default
timer, 15 minutes. So that means is that once the
burner turns on, that timer starts counting down.
If you either adjust the manually adjust the setting or
(07:22):
you set a cooking timer that'll reset that timer.
But if you don't, then it'll automatically turn off after
that automatic shut off is expired.
And it'll send you a notification if you're the one
who has the app or family membercaregiver.
But either way, the knob is still turning itself off.
So that is the primary and core functionality.
On top of that, you know, as I just mentioned, we do give real
(07:44):
time alerts. So a lot of our customers bought
this, this for an, an aging family member who might not use
their smartphone, that they don't have it around.
And so the alerts go to them so that they know and they're
reassured that, OK, you know, the, the burner was turned off.
Maybe I need to check on my, youknow, my loved one right now.
But then also if you want to make sure at 10:00 at night,
(08:06):
hey, let's make sure that the stove isn't on before, you know,
someone goes to sleep. You can, you have that remote
capability of checking the burners to see if they're on and
then you can remotely turn them off.
And so it's really around, you know, getting that reassurance,
as I mentioned, that Peace of Mind and also knowing that if
something does happen, the technology is going to do
something about it, not just alert you and say, hey, the
(08:26):
stove has been left on, but now what do you do, right.
And, and then the other piece that we started that that we've
started to expand on in the lastyear is actually how we use the
data and the insights that come from a smart device like this to
actually get a better sense of someone's general well-being.
So what that means is, you know,because the knob is connected to
(08:48):
Wi-Fi and we are getting all this information that I
mentioned, we can actually establish a baseline of
someone's cooking activity, right?
So my mom typically cooks every weekday morning and we are
creatures of habit, especially as we get older and we can
detect an anomaly, right? So if all of a sudden my mom
doesn't cook for a day or two, that can be an alert that hey,
maybe check on, you know, mom. And so it's another data point
(09:11):
we realize we can harness from asmart appliance of all things to
actually indicate what someones general activity and well-being
in the home looks like. And especially as you look at
long term preventative measures of Alzheimer's or dementia, if
that automatic shutoff starts engaging more frequently, that's
also something that we can fly that can be used along with a
(09:31):
lot of other insights that hopefully you have to to assess,
you know, if someone needs elevated care.
That's really fascinating. I mean, you think something as
simple as just a knob that turnssomething on and off shouldn't?
Really contribute much to society.
But in reality, what you're doing is really giving a lot of
data that can help people stay alive, help people know what how
(09:53):
their family members are doing. You know, we you, you talk in
terms of this being inspired from aging and your mother going
into Parkinson's. But I can imagine it would also
have benefits to younger families, you know, people who
have young children, you know, latchkey kids.
You find out the kid comes home,turns on the stove and forgets
about it. You're not going to have a house
fire. Yeah.
(10:14):
I mean, that's the other big, I mean, we, we kind of hit two
birds with one stone with our with our primary customer,
right. So it is, it is those
middle-aged adults who have young kids at home, whether
they're toddlers turning the burners on or teenagers who and
they want them to cook and learnhow to take care of themselves.
But it is a concern and that, but they also are now like we
(10:34):
call the sandwich generation, right.
So they also are now the ones who are taking care of their
aging family members who want tostay at home.
They don't want to go, so they don't want to leave what's
comfortable for them. And so we see kind of the
technology being applied to, youknow, different extremes, which
is great. It's really cool.
So fall prevention is also such a huge issue for older adults.
(10:56):
How can technology approach thischallenge differently than some
of the other traditional solutions?
Did you mean in terms of fall technology specifically?
Yeah, Yeah. I mean, you know, we, I think
when it comes to a holistic viewof what's happening in the home,
one thing that, you know, we're looking at more is how can we
(11:19):
integrate with other solutions to give more information, right?
So an example for us is we're integrating occupancy or motion
detection. And so because one of the things
that we realize is, you know, one, we want to make sure the
automatic shut off is as preciseas possible.
So if we know you're in the vicinity of the kitchen moving
around, then maybe that automatic shut off doesn't have
(11:40):
to engage. But then on top of that, if we
also have that integration, we can detect if, you know, they're
supposed to be movement every four to six hours and now there
isn't, right. And so then that can be another
flag. And, and so while we don't
create fall technology specifically, I do know, I mean,
there's so many solutions out there, but I think the key is
(12:02):
being able to bring everything together.
So all of these ambient sensors are talking to one another so
that you can get a much more holistic view instead of a, a
narrow scope of what might be happening.
Because you know, at the end of the day, whether it's, you know,
holistic medicine or holistic smart home, like you really want
all of these data points workingtogether to then give you the
(12:24):
most accurate information. And so how can technology be
designed in a way that really feels kind of natural to the
older generation, a bit more intuitive to use, and even for
someone who might not be that tech savvy?
Yeah. I mean, I have always taken the
approach. I mean, I don't have an
engineering background. And so I think that was in many
ways helpful in, in, in being a non-technical founder for this
(12:48):
company, because I thought of technology as not having to be
completely life changing. I mean, our, our, my philosophy
when I started was always to make something that works with
your habits and works with what you do everyday, not against it.
And so I think that intuitiveness and, and fitting
into your life is super important and not having a huge
(13:10):
learning or a steep learning curve.
I believe that the way to do that is to really look at what
already exists in the home instead of building new gadgets
and new technologies that peoplehave to, you know, understand.
And, you know, it's I, I think the smart knob, again, I'll go
back to it, is a perfect exampleof we use our stoves every
(13:33):
single day, right? It's the most used cooking
appliance. And the other route could have
been, well, let's build a brand new stove that operates
differently, that solves for allthese, you know, cooking
hazards. But I mean, the, the problem is
how do you get people to adopt that?
Because changing behavior when it comes to activities of daily
(13:53):
living is super tough. And so I think it's important at
this point where we're so like super saturated with devices all
around is let's take a look at what already exists.
And I and the appliance industryis actually a great industry to
look at because we have what 5-6different appliances in our
homes that in some capacity are all smart.
(14:15):
But are they smart in the right ways where it's actually solving
real problems and not adding onemore app or one more
notification we need for which information we don't really care
about. So I think that the approach to
it being intuitive is if there is a problem you think about,
well, how is someone navigating that problem today and what is
(14:37):
the, you know, path of least resistance to solving that
problem That doesn't change everything about how they're
approaching that activity. And I like that simplicity of
the technology being in something like the knob as
opposed to the entire device. This is a talking, I can't
remember if we talked about it on on air or off.
(14:57):
And I was talking about the lifetime of our appliances.
We recently, you know, a relatively new, very new
refrigerator, the motherboard went out and by the week after
that got fixed, the motherboard in the washing machine went out.
And it's like really these are things we had when we moved into
this house 1617 years ago. There are some Maytag washer and
(15:21):
dryer in the house that had to have been there for 20 years.
And we can't get something that can last.
And so the approach to making this technology simple and
accessible makes a lot more sense than recreating the wheel
and, you know, trying to, you know, create a auto driving car.
(15:42):
You know, it's like make it keepit simple.
And you can, I think, you know, the interesting is you can
eventually get there, right, Butin order to, you know, expose
people and consumers to a new way of solving for something.
So, you know, one of the challenges that we had was
everyone knows that leaving the stove on is is a problem, right?
(16:04):
Everyone has either done it themselves, overcooked eggs, or
their parents have done it, but they don't know that there's a
solution. And so 1, you have to educate
the customer that, hey, there's actually a way to solve for it.
But on top of it, if I was also saying, hey, buy a new appliance
that works completely different,yeah, it'll solve for, you know,
(16:26):
Peace of Mind and making sure you're, you're, you're safe at
home. But now relearn how to cook,
right. That's, that's, I think too
much. But I, I, I do believe that we
will eventually get there. And part of why we went with the
retrofit to start is to bridge that gap of nobody's really put
a motor and, you know, sensors on a surface cooking appliance
(16:51):
before. And so let's make sure that
people understand how it works, how to install it.
And then eventually, I know, andwe are already working with
companies to do this, is to build it in.
But now we have years of insightand data on how people use this
thing, right? And so then now we can go and
eventually build a new appliance, but retain that
(17:13):
intuitiveness and the ease and the familiarity.
Without this bridge, I think building a new appliance that
might even have this technology would completely change the
architecture and then ultimatelyhow we interact.
And I love it goes beyond just the the safety issue because my
coffee pot, I can set it to turnoff after three or four hours.
(17:34):
My ironing board or my iron willgo off after a period of time,
you know, so there's plenty of these devices that will
automatically shut off. But getting that information,
that data that is also feeding the loved ones of information
about, you know, their parents or their, you know, their loved
ones health and well-being is I think even more critical.
(17:55):
So that's. Pretty good.
Yeah. And I think part of that, too,
is it's without cameras and anything that might feel like
you're being spied on, right? And then most of us have, you
know, some fear of that at least, you know, maybe my
generation and up, I think more recent generations are OK with
with data. But, but I, but I think a big
(18:17):
benefit for the way that that we've approached it with these
ambient sensors is that this is all information that, you know,
whoever is in the home. And if it's an older adult,
they're usually OK sharing, right, Because it's not giving
any more information than is needed to make sure that they're
OK. And I think when it definitely
(18:38):
when it comes to assistive technologies and older adults, I
think it's really important to keep in mind privacy and just
even the fear of, you know, someone constantly monitoring
you in a way that might not evenbe helpful for.
You and yeah, there's even that concern about that monitoring.
Somehow that information is being transferred, it can be
(18:58):
hacked into and all those types of things.
Whereas this is not something that somebody hacks into your
stove knob. It's not going to be, you know,
really damaging to your, you know, your well-being.
Yeah. And we make sure to, that's a
good point that we have a lot offail safes when it comes to the
technology. We actually don't allow for
remote turn on at any point. So you have to push and turn
(19:22):
first, turn the burner on, then we know that, you know that the
burners on and then we can take over.
So you know, I think, you know, hacking and you know, the risk,
the security risks are very realand especially when you start
integrating with other devices. But we've tried to make sure
that as as far as the extent of our tech functionality goes,
(19:43):
that we're not causing that. We're only helping you and not
hurting you in any way. So what role do caregivers,
whether their family members or professionals, play in kind of
using and managing this kind of technology?
You've alluded that a little bit, but.
Yeah. I mean, I think the role here
too, even as we've talked about for the actual.
(20:05):
Older adult or resident or you know, whoever is in the home is
again, for it to be working in the background, right?
There's, this is not especially for caregivers.
They don't need more on their plate, right?
I mean, we, we've been working with senior living communities
and the last thing they want is another dashboard to look at or
another report to look at. And so the way we've approached
it with that too is, you know, we will let you know when
(20:27):
something looks off, right? And, and the technology itself
is taking care and, and being proactive when it needs to be.
And so you only have to intervene when, you know, we
tell you that you need to intervene.
And so I would hope that, you know, the same applies of, of
kind of the technology working in the background and just, you
(20:47):
know, constantly monitoring and,and being that fail safe that
it's like that for the caregivers too, because there's
so many other things that caregivers have to deal with.
I mean, I even look at my dad and you know, managing my mom's
medications and he's got like 1,000,001 things on his mind.
And so the last thing that should be on his mind is, Oh, I
need to go and, you know, check this app or check notifications.
(21:11):
You know, you want to make sure that caregivers when it comes to
smart technology specifically that it's all just working, you
know, in the background. I've always, I've always talked
about our technology and the waywe look at technology as an
iceberg. Like you can kind of see that,
yeah, OK, there's a knob and youknow, but a lot of the
functionality is hard coded in and it's just working in the
(21:33):
background. And so you don't ever have to
see that or touch it. And that's our job, right?
As the as the build of the technology to make sure that
everything works seamlessly for you so that you can continue to
live the life that you've been living.
And if everything's working well, then you don't ever notice
that that technology is there. Exactly.
Exactly. So looking at the broader
(21:54):
landscape, what other tech trends do you think will have a
big impact on aging well in the next 5-10 years?
Yeah. So I, I think definitely and
aging and even in the broader context of the smart home, I
think technology around predictive safety and predictive
automation. And we've talked about this in
(22:14):
already and in various contexts,but you know, these sensors and
smart systems that can talk to one another, everything's
connected to the cloud. I mean, matter is trying to
bring everything under one platform so that communication
can be easier, so that these systems can anticipate issues
before they become emergencies. And so whether it's AI powered,
(22:35):
you know, fall detection to, youknow, real time cooking, hazard
alerts, it's all about, I think it's going to be all about
proactive care. And I also believe, and I've
said this too, but I can't emphasize this enough, that all
of our companies and technologies can't be working in
silos. We really need to figure out how
(22:56):
you bring all of this energy under one roof, all of us.
I mean, I at least had to realize at some point that I
can't build every single sensor that can give input into this.
There was a time where I was like, I want to build, you know,
this entire, you know, full-fledged cooking system.
And and then I had to take a step back and be like, what is
our bread and butter? And it's really around the
(23:20):
cooking safety and how we can solve for it in the most
intuitive and affordable way. But then there are, there are
already other companies that have all these other sensors
like I talked about, you know, the motion or occupancy sensors
or you know, door sensors, like there's all sorts of other
systems that exist that we are now looking to integrate with.
And at the end of the day, I don't need to be the one that
(23:43):
integrates all of it together. Like we're very open to joining
another platform or integrating with another platform because
that's really the only way someone has to give somewhere.
I think it's really the only, only way to build a cohesive
system that, that consumers can understand and that, and that's
easy for consumers to use. So, so, so I, I, I think it's
(24:07):
really going to be about utilizing all the technology
that we already have and how we,you know, build better, better
algorithms and build better predictive analytics into it.
Yeah, it seems like we just needsomebody with the skill set to
be able to integrate all the stuff that we already have.
I mean, I think my TV will ask me after a period of time, are
(24:28):
you still watching? Yeah, You know, so that's
information, that's data that can go somewhere and and can be
useful. Oh, absolutely.
You know, same thing with your. I was gonna say your security
system, right. So I mean, one integration for
us that we're working on is integrating with your security
system so that when you press, you know, away or good night or
(24:49):
whatever it is that your security system uses to say that
you're either out of the house or you're turning in for the
night, that it then can check, right?
Check to make sure the stove is off, check to make sure your
garage door is closed. Check to make sure your door is
locked. I mean that one data point like
you said of your TV, just askingif you're still there is very
powerful to be able to talk to other devices that exist in
(25:09):
your. Home.
I have a feeling Alexa's going to be taking over the world
here. Yeah.
I mean, I, I mean, I will say that when it comes to voice
control, I think they've done the best job of, you know, any
of the, you know, smart systems and voice control to build
enough skill sets that people use.
(25:31):
And, and I think even for older adults, I've seen a lot of
communities that have utilized Alexa because it's just super
easy for an older adult to just talk.
And so I think, I mean, there isa lot, there's a lot that came
out about in the last month and what it's recording or not
recording. But aside from that, I think
that there are a lot of good usecases, especially in the
(25:52):
kitchen, where typically your hands are full and you're doing,
you know, 10 different things where voice can really play a
powerful role. Yeah, I'm on it.
I don't worry so much about something like Alexa, what
information it can pick up from me because first of all, I don't
feel like I'm doing anything illegal that I have to work.
Worry about. It's not spying on me a way that
it's, you know, filming me or doing any of that.
(26:14):
And if it can benefit society bygetting information that can
help save lives and, you know, keep people well, then the
biggest concern then is the people that are going to be
irresponsible with the data thatthey're able to capture.
Absolutely. I think that that's always the.
I think that's always where the parameters and you know kind of
the where the concerns and riskscome from.
(26:39):
So I mean it's same thing. So there's, I don't know if you
know what UL is so, but it's Underwriter Laboratories and
they basically they're third party certification company for
all your major consumer electronics, your appliances
included. And So what we've been working
on is getting our Knob technology UL certified and it's
(27:00):
a similar thing where they're not, they understand the the
impact on safety in a positive way that this technology needs,
right. There's there were two big
appliance manufacturers in the last year that recalled over
1,000,000 1/2 ranges because of accidental knob turn on.
And so, but they're not hesitantto update the standard to, to
(27:21):
mandate technologies like ours because not because they don't
know that it is needed, but because of those use cases and
those, you know, edge cases where what if someone uses it in
a way that then becomes dangerous.
And so I think that's the balance with technology is, I
mean 99% of it is good, but thenyou have to account for the 1%
(27:45):
that might, you know, use it in a way that that's harmful for.
Yeah, it's kind of sad that the 1% that might do harm with
something can really hold up theinnovation that the 99% are
trying to develop. Absolutely, completely agree.
So what's been the most surprising thing you've learned
(28:06):
since launching Home, Either about tech, the users, or just
the aging process itself? Oh, that's a lot of things.
I don't know anything and I maybe know slightly more than I
did before. I think, you know, I mean
there's multiple answers here from the side of technology.
I definitely under appreciated what it takes to build a
(28:29):
physical product of any kind, a product that is connected, that
has, you know, software, firmware, you know, an app, a
back end infrastructure, you're collecting data on top of supply
chain manufacturing. I mean, I remember there's a
time where I was telling my team, I'm surprised the iPhone
only costs what it costs becauselike, it's, I mean, just how
(28:49):
much really goes into it and howseamless it is.
I mean, it's no small task. And I also was someone who used
to get and probably still to an extent now, but maybe less.
So I would get really frustratedwhen an app wouldn't connect to
Wi-Fi or it dropped its connection and I'd get so like
irritated, like, what's wrong with these people?
And then I went through it and I'm like, Oh my gosh, like, I
mean, you have to be able to work with all these different
(29:11):
Wi-Fi. So I really had a newfound
appreciation for what it takes to build any product, even even
the packaging, right? I mean, when you think about the
unboxing experience and does someone even understand what
your product does when they lookat it?
If they're buying it in a retailstore, they might not even ever
see it online. And so there's so much I didn't
(29:31):
realize that goes into building a product and marketing it and
getting people to understand it that I most certainly didn't
have an appreciation of before that.
I was also, I think, pleasantly surprised by the power of word
of mouth, you know, marketing and, you know, organic outreach,
(29:51):
especially when it comes to safety and Peace of Mind.
Because, I mean, we're a small company.
We've never really had, you know, much of A marketing
budget. And a lot of our customers have
come through word of mouth through other customers or
someone who saw our product and said, Hey, you need this.
And I know someone who left the stove and I know someone who had
a house fire. And, and especially when it
(30:13):
comes to older adults, because typically they're not the ones
that are for buying this, it's really their family members and
caregivers who you really want to be able to get in front of.
And I think that was a learning experience as well of how you
actually get to your end customer and really, you know,
doing your research and being thoughtful about the channels in
(30:35):
which you get to them. I really had no rhyme or reason
as to how this company started. And I mean, it was just kind of
flying by the seat of my pants. And so in that way, I, I,
there's a lot of good in that because I think you're not will,
I mean, I, I was so willing to just try everything whether it
worked or not. And so I know a lot of what
(30:55):
doesn't work and, you know, through that learning process.
And I think it's only through that learning process, you can
figure out what does work. And you should 9 times out of
10, be very surprised by the outcomes that you get because
we're not right. Most of us are not right most of
the time, especially when you'rebuilding a new product.
So. So those are a couple that come
to mind. How about the users?
(31:16):
Has there been any surprises in terms of who's actually using
the product? Say surprises.
I wasn't expecting as much of A pull towards aging in place as
we have seen. I will say that, I mean, I
really thought our target demographic were busy parents
and who have kids and who already have like smart home
(31:38):
security systems, who have Alexa, who have Ring and now
those are a core part of our demographic.
But in the last two years, we really saw this prime, you know,
opportunity within aging in place.
And so we really curated our efforts towards assist being an
assistive technology for older adults to start.
(31:59):
And then eventually, I mean there are applications like
we've already talked about for every, you know, age
demographic. I feel like a lot of that just
has come around the increased importance of, you know, aging
at home and the priority that that's been given.
So I think a lot of that has just been timing that in the
last couple years this has become a huge topic of
discussion especially in the appliance industry.
(32:21):
So at the kitchen and bath show last year at CES, the last
couple years aging in place has made a huge.
So I think that that also helped.
And there's also that populationthat isn't necessarily aging in
place. They're going into senior living
communities and things like that.
And I would think that that would be a tremendous market for
you, given that, you know, you have these facilities that have,
(32:43):
you know, relatively independentliving, but they, they're still
overseeing these individuals. And, you know, if you don't see,
you know, Mary for a couple daysand, you know, you get that
information, that little, you know, ping from the, you know,
and you don't have to be monitoring people, but you get
little pings that say, hey, you know, go check on Mary because
(33:04):
her stove has been on and there's no activity in the
apartment. Yeah.
It can save your building. It saves lives.
There's so much benefit to it. Definitely.
I will say that that's a good point.
I was pleasantly surprised at the reception we got from senior
living communities as well, because like you said, this is a
problem that they know they have.
(33:24):
They haven't found a solution that solves for it well enough.
And so we found, I mean, it's been a catch 22 with senior
living because anyone and I'm sure you know, anyone who's
familiar with senior living knows that it's tough to break
into the market. It's you need a few big
communities to really get the dominoes to fall.
(33:45):
At the same time, you know, I just did a lot of cold calling
and just, I mean, that's mostly a lot of what entrepreneurs do.
So but I did a lot of cold calling and I was pleasantly
surprised by the impact, not just on safety and and, you
know, their efficiency, but alsoon the implications for
(34:06):
insurance, right. And so for a long time, we were
trying to go after the big insurance providers because
they're spending a billion dollars a year because of
unattended cooking and house fires due to United Cooking.
And so I was like, oh, let me gotalk to your Liberty Mutual and
State Farm. And yeah, of course they'll love
this. And what I eventually realized
is that, you know, they're behemoths and they're slow and
(34:27):
it takes them a long time to adopt technology.
But what I could do was actuallythrough these senior living
communities, you give them the data because again, we have all
this data. We know how many times the
automatic shut off is engaging. That is every time that happens,
that is a potential hazard or fire that you prevented.
And then I, I realized I could use them as like a conduit to
(34:49):
the insurance companies. And so they can take this to
their insurance broker and say, look, we've had some incidences
in the past. Now we have this technology and
so can we get a discount on our premium?
And that was actually a huge of perspective shift for me where I
was like, well, maybe I don't have to go directly to the
(35:11):
insurance companies. Maybe I need to go to their
customers, right? And the ones who are paying the
premiums every month and especially when you get into
multi unit buildings and you know, commercial insurance, I
mean, that's a whole other ball game.
So the senior living route was definitely a pleasant surprise
and I'm glad we were able to tapinto that because no one is
really, at least when it comes to cooking, safety has really
(35:34):
focused there. So if our listeners and viewers
that are considering how to safely age at home or support
aging parents, so that's sandwich generation.
What is 1 simple piece of adviceor action they can take today in
addition to buying your device? Oh, that is a great question.
So, so from the caregiver perspective or.
(35:57):
Yeah, I guess, I guess depends where they are.
If they're attempting themselvesto age at home and they want to
kind of up their safety, or if you're looking at my parents are
planning on staying at home, what can I do to just make sure
they're a little bit safer? Yeah, I mean, I would say just
thinking about my own parents is, you know, what are the
biggest risks, You know, for my mom it is, you know, cooking.
(36:21):
It's, you know, fall detection. It's, you know, medication
management. And so I think really it's,
it's, I think it can be really overwhelming with all the
technology out there. And you know, there's crab bars
and there's, you know, differenttoilet seats.
And like, I mean, there's so much you can do.
But really to start at, you know, what are my biggest
problems today? And I think with time, I, we
(36:43):
have to here too, like we talkedabout, you know, proactive
versus reactive. You don't want to wait to have
all these issues and then, you know, kind of renovate or
retrofit your home, renovate or retrofit your home.
But I think it's really about taking baby steps and really
just identifying, OK, what concerns me the most?
Maybe it's cooking, maybe it's fall risk, maybe it's, you know,
(37:05):
taking a shower, maybe, you know, whatever it is, and then
slowly start to, you know, integrate technology that works
for you. And I'd say also do your
research because there's so muchout there and, you know, not all
of it, it actually solves a problem.
And so I think the the best technologies one, I would say,
(37:27):
you know, have been in the market for a little bit and, you
know, look at what the use casesare and, you know, try to even
get, you know, some, some, you know, referrals, right?
If you have a friend, ask your friends.
I know my parents have asked their neighbors.
They live in a 55 and up, you know, retirement community.
And so they've asked their neighbors like, you know, what
have you put in your home? So I think there's a lot of
(37:48):
information out there that you just have to weed through to
make sure that you're building ahome with a technology that you
need for you, not that someone else might.
OK, so we asked this question ofall our guests and so it'll off
topic of the the home company, but what are you doing
personally to age well? Well, right now I have
especially it's, it's a coincidence that you ask, but
(38:11):
especially in the last month, I really, really honed in on what
I'm eating and just, you know, being much more proactive and
aware of the ingredients that I buy and what I cook at home and
what I eat out because I have some gut issues actually.
And, and as I get older every year, I mean, things start to
(38:33):
pop up, right? I like strain my back a few days
ago and I was like, I've never done that before, but but I've
had to kind of take a step back And I, for me, you know, eating
at home, cooking at home and making that a priority and just
being very aware of what I'm putting into my body is, is the
thing that I'm focusing on now. And then also, I would say even
(38:55):
just spending time with my parents, talking to them more
about aging and what's working for them, what's not working for
them. I spend a lot of time with my
parents. I talk to them every day.
And so they're a great case study of, you know, things that
I need to be looking out for because I think, you know,
whether genetics plays a role or, you know, I am very
(39:17):
realizing with everyday, I'm very much like my parents that,
you know, you can, you know, look out for things.
And, and I think in in this day and age where we're really in
that bridge of, you know, my parents grew up with no
technology and now there's all this technology of figuring out
what actually works for them. And and then hopefully just kind
(39:37):
of integrating that into my own life as I get.
Older and hopefully you're taking a little bit of step away
from your tech work. When you're interacting with
your parents, your gears aren't always spinning saying, oh, what
other invention can I come up with here that can help?
Because I can imagine, you know,in your position, you know,
being a young entrepreneur, probably with a lot of ideas
(39:58):
spinning in your head, it's hardto just step back, get that
more. Take care of myself, you know,
get that meditative, meditative piece in, get some exercise in.
Eat right, not just be eating onthe go, doing all the stuff that
can help you to age well as you you go forward.
Oh, that's been a huge mindset shift I had to make from the
(40:19):
first day I started the company or the first couple years to now
is really being able to take a step back and, and focus on just
your own personal health and Wellness.
And you know, some of our investors actually do retreats
for us, not just not to talk about your company and how you
(40:39):
get this hockey stick growth andhow you, you know, give them a
big return, but actually to focus on you and your personal
growth because unless you are atyour best personally, the
company's not going to. So I think that that's been a
big shift and it's hard as a especially as a first time
entrepreneur, you're like, I always have to be on and I
always have to be ahead. And, you know, I'm, I'm already
late with what I'm doing or I should have done more.
(41:01):
And so it's, it's been a big a learning process.
And, you know, certainly as I've, you know, gotten older and
even just seeing, you know, my parents getting older is really
just trying to take stock of everything that you have every
day and be grateful for all that, you know, you've been able
to accomplish and, and just makethe most of every day is the
best all we all can do. That's good advice.
(41:23):
So where can our listeners and viewers connect with you?
I know there's a web page, there's social media.
Where can I find out more about you and more about OM?
Yeah. So our website isomkitchen.com,
you can also find us on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook at OM
for Home. And then you can also find me on
(41:44):
LinkedIn. Any of those.
Is there anything we missed talking about today?
We covered quite a bit, I think.Yeah, I think it was great.
Thank you so much. I'm going to have to look more
into this product and I don't know if we need it yet for our
home. But again, you want to be
proactive. And the knobs owner, like I
said, we got some crappy appliances that are supposed to
be pretty good. So we're constantly replacing
(42:06):
knobs. So we might as well replace one
of them with a high tech knob that might actually last.
And replacement knobs are unnecessarily expensive of just
like job plastic knobs. So yeah.
Especially when you're replacingabout every six months, yeah.
Absolutely. So this has been eye opening and
it's been a pleasure. Honestly, I didn't know how
(42:27):
exciting it would be to talk about knobs for my kitchen
stove, but this has been very interesting and I've actually
really learned a lot. And I'm excited for your product
because I think it does kind of step into an area that can be
very beneficial to a lot of families and be helpful.
(42:47):
And so best of luck to you, keepin touch with us, let us know
when there's more innovation in your company and you want to add
to the conversation and just keep aging well.
Absolutely. It's been a pleasure to be here.
Thank you for listening. I hope you benefited from
today's podcast and until next time, keep aging well.
Welcome to the Aging World Podcast, where we explore the
science, stories and strategies behind living a longer,
healthier, and more purposeful life.
Today's guest is reimagining what it means to age in place
with the help of smart technology.
Akshita Ayer is the founder and CEO of OHM, a company that's
transforming the way we think about home safety and
independence for older adults. Instead of adding more gadgets
(00:31):
and complexity, Ohm's approach is all about intuitive,
proactive tech that actually makes life easier and safer.
From AI powered fall detection to smart kitchen and home
automation, Akshita is helping people thrive in the homes they
love. In this conversation, we explore
the innovations making aging at home not only possible, but
(00:52):
powerful, and how tech can quietly support well-being
without demanding major behaviorchange.
If you're interested in the future of aging, caregiving and
designing homes that help us live better, longer, this
episode is for you. Ikshita, welcome to the Aging
Well podcast. Let's start by having you tell
us a little bit about yourself. What inspired you to start home
(01:14):
and how did your background shape your mission to kind of
support aging at home through smart technology?
Well, thank you so much for having me on the podcast, Jeff.
It's a pleasure to be here. My journey into building home
and this company was a bit accidental, so I actually went
to school for neuroscience. I thought I was going to go to
Med school like most people do, I think, when they go to
(01:35):
college. And then I took a couple of gap
years. I worked in the hospital and my
mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's right when I
graduated from college. And I had never really spoken to
my parents about what aging meant.
My dad's 10 years older than my mom.
We didn't really talk about whatthis, you know, diagnosis for
her meant. And so it was only a couple
(01:56):
years later as her daily life just started to change a little
bit and she had to adapt where she accidentally left the stove
on one too many times and started a kitchen fire.
And this is not a new problem, as I'm sure you know, you know
#1 cause of house fires is people leaving the stove on.
I'm sure you have, you know, either had a near miss
(02:16):
overcooked food. I mean, it happens all the time.
We get distracted for whatever reason.
And I really felt the implications for my mom at that
time because she's getting olderand the first thing she was that
she had a huge fear of losing her independence.
And so with all the smart technology we had up until that
point, I mean, Nest had just been acquired and Ring was on
(02:38):
the rise, all these smart home retrofit devices.
I thought there has to be a solution for this because this
has been a problem for a long time.
Lo and behold, I realized that while there are some kitchen
safety devices out there, none of them were very intuitive or
easy to use and understand, affordable install.
And I also realized that the appliance industry is a bit
(02:59):
tricky because you have appliances that last a really
long time, right? 10/15/20 plus years.
So to build in technology into anew appliance and then ask a
consumer to buy a new appliance is a tough sell.
So I thought, how hard could it be to build a smart device that
can turn the burner off if you leave it on by accident?
I mean, what's a smart device? You know, board electronics,
(03:20):
some plastics, you know, you slap it all together, you put it
in a box, you ship it. Like that's really how easy I
thought it was. It wasn't that simple, but I'm
glad I was that ignorant when I started because I probably
wouldn't have if I if I wasn't. But we ended up building is a
smart knob. So this smart knob looks
functions like a regular stove knob.
You're not changing how you put.The only difference is that our
(03:42):
knob has a bunch of proprietary technology and sensors that
allow it to detect what setting a burners at how long it's been
on for. And then because of that motor,
like a door lock, we can actually proactively turn the
burner off. So first and foremost, people
everywhere, whether you're a parent or an elderly person, to
have that Peace of Mind and retain that independence and not
(04:03):
have to work. So first, before I really get
into the interview, where are you buying your appliances
lately that they last for 15 years?
Well, they're supposed to and they're built to, but I mean,
you know, we have customers we've heard that have had that
have stoves 20 plus years old. I mean, it's not, it's a major
purchasing decision, right? It's it's not something that you
(04:24):
can go out and buy. You go out and buy like once a
month. Just supposed to last a while at
least. At least 5 to 10 years
hopefully. I think we're buying the wrong
ones in my household but. It might depend on the brand
there. But we've tried a few brands
too, and I won't go off on dissing on some certain brands.
But so you've said that tech should work for people, not the
(04:46):
other way around. What does that look like in
practice as we talk about appliances lasting for 15 years,
but especially for older people,older adults?
Yeah. So, you know, I think what what
we at least mean by that and, and the way that we have always
approached innovation is not to build tech for the sake of tech,
but really thoughtful and meaningful functionality and
(05:10):
solutions that can quietly and unobtrusively PP keep people
safe in their daily routines, right.
So an example is, you know, the the knob or a door lock or a
doorbell, right, is designed to prevent something proactively.
And it's not something you have to think about.
You know, we've all had doorbells and we've all had door
locks, but you're adding, you know, something meaningful, but
(05:31):
but very intuitive and, and thatworks behind the scenes for you.
And so, you know, smart technology, with all the
innovation that we have today, should also really support us as
we age to preserve dignity, autonomy, our Peace of Mind, and
especially for caregivers and family members, to add that
layer of reassurance without being invasive.
And so we really took the approach of, you know, how do
(05:54):
you build solutions that are notreactive but proactive to make
sure that before we even get to a scenario where, you know,
you're in danger in some capacity, that all of this
technology is actually working for you and making daily life
easier. And I like that you say
proactive as opposed to reactive.
That's one of the kind of themesof this podcast is so much of as
(06:16):
we approach aging is reactive rather than proactive.
And so can you give us an overview of some of the key
products or features of OHM thatthey offer to kind of improve
the safety and independence for older adults?
Yeah, absolutely. So I already mentioned this, but
first and foremost, it's preventing any kind of cooking
(06:36):
hazard because of, you know, distraction or you know,
forgetfulness of the the burner being left.
So the way it works is you push,you turn, nothing about how you
use a burner changes. It's very simple and you use
your stove like you have been for the last 30 years.
But once the burner turns on, the knob itself can actually
detect that it is no longer in the off position.
(06:58):
It can detect what position it'sat, how long it's been on for.
And then we have an automatic shut off timer that is built
into the knob that you can adjust based on what your
cooking activity is. But we ship it with a default
timer, 15 minutes. So that means is that once the
burner turns on, that timer starts counting down.
If you either adjust the manually adjust the setting or
(07:22):
you set a cooking timer that'll reset that timer.
But if you don't, then it'll automatically turn off after
that automatic shut off is expired.
And it'll send you a notification if you're the one
who has the app or family membercaregiver.
But either way, the knob is still turning itself off.
So that is the primary and core functionality.
On top of that, you know, as I just mentioned, we do give real
(07:44):
time alerts. So a lot of our customers bought
this, this for an, an aging family member who might not use
their smartphone, that they don't have it around.
And so the alerts go to them so that they know and they're
reassured that, OK, you know, the, the burner was turned off.
Maybe I need to check on my, youknow, my loved one right now.
But then also if you want to make sure at 10:00 at night,
(08:06):
hey, let's make sure that the stove isn't on before, you know,
someone goes to sleep. You can, you have that remote
capability of checking the burners to see if they're on and
then you can remotely turn them off.
And so it's really around, you know, getting that reassurance,
as I mentioned, that Peace of Mind and also knowing that if
something does happen, the technology is going to do
something about it, not just alert you and say, hey, the
(08:26):
stove has been left on, but now what do you do, right.
And, and then the other piece that we started that that we've
started to expand on in the lastyear is actually how we use the
data and the insights that come from a smart device like this to
actually get a better sense of someone's general well-being.
So what that means is, you know,because the knob is connected to
(08:48):
Wi-Fi and we are getting all this information that I
mentioned, we can actually establish a baseline of
someone's cooking activity, right?
So my mom typically cooks every weekday morning and we are
creatures of habit, especially as we get older and we can
detect an anomaly, right? So if all of a sudden my mom
doesn't cook for a day or two, that can be an alert that hey,
maybe check on, you know, mom. And so it's another data point
(09:11):
we realize we can harness from asmart appliance of all things to
actually indicate what someones general activity and well-being
in the home looks like. And especially as you look at
long term preventative measures of Alzheimer's or dementia, if
that automatic shutoff starts engaging more frequently, that's
also something that we can fly that can be used along with a
(09:31):
lot of other insights that hopefully you have to to assess,
you know, if someone needs elevated care.
That's really fascinating. I mean, you think something as
simple as just a knob that turnssomething on and off shouldn't?
Really contribute much to society.
But in reality, what you're doing is really giving a lot of
data that can help people stay alive, help people know what how
(09:53):
their family members are doing. You know, we you, you talk in
terms of this being inspired from aging and your mother going
into Parkinson's. But I can imagine it would also
have benefits to younger families, you know, people who
have young children, you know, latchkey kids.
You find out the kid comes home,turns on the stove and forgets
about it. You're not going to have a house
fire. Yeah.
(10:14):
I mean, that's the other big, I mean, we, we kind of hit two
birds with one stone with our with our primary customer,
right. So it is, it is those
middle-aged adults who have young kids at home, whether
they're toddlers turning the burners on or teenagers who and
they want them to cook and learnhow to take care of themselves.
But it is a concern and that, but they also are now like we
(10:34):
call the sandwich generation, right.
So they also are now the ones who are taking care of their
aging family members who want tostay at home.
They don't want to go, so they don't want to leave what's
comfortable for them. And so we see kind of the
technology being applied to, youknow, different extremes, which
is great. It's really cool.
So fall prevention is also such a huge issue for older adults.
(10:56):
How can technology approach thischallenge differently than some
of the other traditional solutions?
Did you mean in terms of fall technology specifically?
Yeah, Yeah. I mean, you know, we, I think
when it comes to a holistic viewof what's happening in the home,
one thing that, you know, we're looking at more is how can we
(11:19):
integrate with other solutions to give more information, right?
So an example for us is we're integrating occupancy or motion
detection. And so because one of the things
that we realize is, you know, one, we want to make sure the
automatic shut off is as preciseas possible.
So if we know you're in the vicinity of the kitchen moving
around, then maybe that automatic shut off doesn't have
(11:40):
to engage. But then on top of that, if we
also have that integration, we can detect if, you know, they're
supposed to be movement every four to six hours and now there
isn't, right. And so then that can be another
flag. And, and so while we don't
create fall technology specifically, I do know, I mean,
there's so many solutions out there, but I think the key is
(12:02):
being able to bring everything together.
So all of these ambient sensors are talking to one another so
that you can get a much more holistic view instead of a, a
narrow scope of what might be happening.
Because you know, at the end of the day, whether it's, you know,
holistic medicine or holistic smart home, like you really want
all of these data points workingtogether to then give you the
(12:24):
most accurate information. And so how can technology be
designed in a way that really feels kind of natural to the
older generation, a bit more intuitive to use, and even for
someone who might not be that tech savvy?
Yeah. I mean, I have always taken the
approach. I mean, I don't have an
engineering background. And so I think that was in many
ways helpful in, in, in being a non-technical founder for this
(12:48):
company, because I thought of technology as not having to be
completely life changing. I mean, our, our, my philosophy
when I started was always to make something that works with
your habits and works with what you do everyday, not against it.
And so I think that intuitiveness and, and fitting
into your life is super important and not having a huge
(13:10):
learning or a steep learning curve.
I believe that the way to do that is to really look at what
already exists in the home instead of building new gadgets
and new technologies that peoplehave to, you know, understand.
And, you know, it's I, I think the smart knob, again, I'll go
back to it, is a perfect exampleof we use our stoves every
(13:33):
single day, right? It's the most used cooking
appliance. And the other route could have
been, well, let's build a brand new stove that operates
differently, that solves for allthese, you know, cooking
hazards. But I mean, the, the problem is
how do you get people to adopt that?
Because changing behavior when it comes to activities of daily
(13:53):
living is super tough. And so I think it's important at
this point where we're so like super saturated with devices all
around is let's take a look at what already exists.
And I and the appliance industryis actually a great industry to
look at because we have what 5-6different appliances in our
homes that in some capacity are all smart.
(14:15):
But are they smart in the right ways where it's actually solving
real problems and not adding onemore app or one more
notification we need for which information we don't really care
about. So I think that the approach to
it being intuitive is if there is a problem you think about,
well, how is someone navigating that problem today and what is
(14:37):
the, you know, path of least resistance to solving that
problem That doesn't change everything about how they're
approaching that activity. And I like that simplicity of
the technology being in something like the knob as
opposed to the entire device. This is a talking, I can't
remember if we talked about it on on air or off.
(14:57):
And I was talking about the lifetime of our appliances.
We recently, you know, a relatively new, very new
refrigerator, the motherboard went out and by the week after
that got fixed, the motherboard in the washing machine went out.
And it's like really these are things we had when we moved into
this house 1617 years ago. There are some Maytag washer and
(15:21):
dryer in the house that had to have been there for 20 years.
And we can't get something that can last.
And so the approach to making this technology simple and
accessible makes a lot more sense than recreating the wheel
and, you know, trying to, you know, create a auto driving car.
(15:42):
You know, it's like make it keepit simple.
And you can, I think, you know, the interesting is you can
eventually get there, right, Butin order to, you know, expose
people and consumers to a new way of solving for something.
So, you know, one of the challenges that we had was
everyone knows that leaving the stove on is is a problem, right?
(16:04):
Everyone has either done it themselves, overcooked eggs, or
their parents have done it, but they don't know that there's a
solution. And so 1, you have to educate
the customer that, hey, there's actually a way to solve for it.
But on top of it, if I was also saying, hey, buy a new appliance
that works completely different,yeah, it'll solve for, you know,
(16:26):
Peace of Mind and making sure you're, you're, you're safe at
home. But now relearn how to cook,
right. That's, that's, I think too
much. But I, I, I do believe that we
will eventually get there. And part of why we went with the
retrofit to start is to bridge that gap of nobody's really put
a motor and, you know, sensors on a surface cooking appliance
(16:51):
before. And so let's make sure that
people understand how it works, how to install it.
And then eventually, I know, andwe are already working with
companies to do this, is to build it in.
But now we have years of insightand data on how people use this
thing, right? And so then now we can go and
eventually build a new appliance, but retain that
(17:13):
intuitiveness and the ease and the familiarity.
Without this bridge, I think building a new appliance that
might even have this technology would completely change the
architecture and then ultimatelyhow we interact.
And I love it goes beyond just the the safety issue because my
coffee pot, I can set it to turnoff after three or four hours.
(17:34):
My ironing board or my iron willgo off after a period of time,
you know, so there's plenty of these devices that will
automatically shut off. But getting that information,
that data that is also feeding the loved ones of information
about, you know, their parents or their, you know, their loved
ones health and well-being is I think even more critical.
(17:55):
So that's. Pretty good.
Yeah. And I think part of that, too,
is it's without cameras and anything that might feel like
you're being spied on, right? And then most of us have, you
know, some fear of that at least, you know, maybe my
generation and up, I think more recent generations are OK with
with data. But, but I, but I think a big
(18:17):
benefit for the way that that we've approached it with these
ambient sensors is that this is all information that, you know,
whoever is in the home. And if it's an older adult,
they're usually OK sharing, right, Because it's not giving
any more information than is needed to make sure that they're
OK. And I think when it definitely
(18:38):
when it comes to assistive technologies and older adults, I
think it's really important to keep in mind privacy and just
even the fear of, you know, someone constantly monitoring
you in a way that might not evenbe helpful for.
You and yeah, there's even that concern about that monitoring.
Somehow that information is being transferred, it can be
(18:58):
hacked into and all those types of things.
Whereas this is not something that somebody hacks into your
stove knob. It's not going to be, you know,
really damaging to your, you know, your well-being.
Yeah. And we make sure to, that's a
good point that we have a lot offail safes when it comes to the
technology. We actually don't allow for
remote turn on at any point. So you have to push and turn
(19:22):
first, turn the burner on, then we know that, you know that the
burners on and then we can take over.
So you know, I think, you know, hacking and you know, the risk,
the security risks are very realand especially when you start
integrating with other devices. But we've tried to make sure
that as as far as the extent of our tech functionality goes,
(19:43):
that we're not causing that. We're only helping you and not
hurting you in any way. So what role do caregivers,
whether their family members or professionals, play in kind of
using and managing this kind of technology?
You've alluded that a little bit, but.
Yeah. I mean, I think the role here
too, even as we've talked about for the actual.
(20:05):
Older adult or resident or you know, whoever is in the home is
again, for it to be working in the background, right?
There's, this is not especially for caregivers.
They don't need more on their plate, right?
I mean, we, we've been working with senior living communities
and the last thing they want is another dashboard to look at or
another report to look at. And so the way we've approached
it with that too is, you know, we will let you know when
(20:27):
something looks off, right? And, and the technology itself
is taking care and, and being proactive when it needs to be.
And so you only have to intervene when, you know, we
tell you that you need to intervene.
And so I would hope that, you know, the same applies of, of
kind of the technology working in the background and just, you
(20:47):
know, constantly monitoring and,and being that fail safe that
it's like that for the caregivers too, because there's
so many other things that caregivers have to deal with.
I mean, I even look at my dad and you know, managing my mom's
medications and he's got like 1,000,001 things on his mind.
And so the last thing that should be on his mind is, Oh, I
need to go and, you know, check this app or check notifications.
(21:11):
You know, you want to make sure that caregivers when it comes to
smart technology specifically that it's all just working, you
know, in the background. I've always, I've always talked
about our technology and the waywe look at technology as an
iceberg. Like you can kind of see that,
yeah, OK, there's a knob and youknow, but a lot of the
functionality is hard coded in and it's just working in the
(21:33):
background. And so you don't ever have to
see that or touch it. And that's our job, right?
As the as the build of the technology to make sure that
everything works seamlessly for you so that you can continue to
live the life that you've been living.
And if everything's working well, then you don't ever notice
that that technology is there. Exactly.
Exactly. So looking at the broader
(21:54):
landscape, what other tech trends do you think will have a
big impact on aging well in the next 5-10 years?
Yeah. So I, I think definitely and
aging and even in the broader context of the smart home, I
think technology around predictive safety and predictive
automation. And we've talked about this in
(22:14):
already and in various contexts,but you know, these sensors and
smart systems that can talk to one another, everything's
connected to the cloud. I mean, matter is trying to
bring everything under one platform so that communication
can be easier, so that these systems can anticipate issues
before they become emergencies. And so whether it's AI powered,
(22:35):
you know, fall detection to, youknow, real time cooking, hazard
alerts, it's all about, I think it's going to be all about
proactive care. And I also believe, and I've
said this too, but I can't emphasize this enough, that all
of our companies and technologies can't be working in
silos. We really need to figure out how
(22:56):
you bring all of this energy under one roof, all of us.
I mean, I at least had to realize at some point that I
can't build every single sensor that can give input into this.
There was a time where I was like, I want to build, you know,
this entire, you know, full-fledged cooking system.
And and then I had to take a step back and be like, what is
our bread and butter? And it's really around the
(23:20):
cooking safety and how we can solve for it in the most
intuitive and affordable way. But then there are, there are
already other companies that have all these other sensors
like I talked about, you know, the motion or occupancy sensors
or you know, door sensors, like there's all sorts of other
systems that exist that we are now looking to integrate with.
And at the end of the day, I don't need to be the one that
(23:43):
integrates all of it together. Like we're very open to joining
another platform or integrating with another platform because
that's really the only way someone has to give somewhere.
I think it's really the only, only way to build a cohesive
system that, that consumers can understand and that, and that's
easy for consumers to use. So, so, so I, I, I think it's
(24:07):
really going to be about utilizing all the technology
that we already have and how we,you know, build better, better
algorithms and build better predictive analytics into it.
Yeah, it seems like we just needsomebody with the skill set to
be able to integrate all the stuff that we already have.
I mean, I think my TV will ask me after a period of time, are
(24:28):
you still watching? Yeah, You know, so that's
information, that's data that can go somewhere and and can be
useful. Oh, absolutely.
You know, same thing with your. I was gonna say your security
system, right. So I mean, one integration for
us that we're working on is integrating with your security
system so that when you press, you know, away or good night or
(24:49):
whatever it is that your security system uses to say that
you're either out of the house or you're turning in for the
night, that it then can check, right?
Check to make sure the stove is off, check to make sure your
garage door is closed. Check to make sure your door is
locked. I mean that one data point like
you said of your TV, just askingif you're still there is very
powerful to be able to talk to other devices that exist in
(25:09):
your. Home.
I have a feeling Alexa's going to be taking over the world
here. Yeah.
I mean, I, I mean, I will say that when it comes to voice
control, I think they've done the best job of, you know, any
of the, you know, smart systems and voice control to build
enough skill sets that people use.
(25:31):
And, and I think even for older adults, I've seen a lot of
communities that have utilized Alexa because it's just super
easy for an older adult to just talk.
And so I think, I mean, there isa lot, there's a lot that came
out about in the last month and what it's recording or not
recording. But aside from that, I think
that there are a lot of good usecases, especially in the
(25:52):
kitchen, where typically your hands are full and you're doing,
you know, 10 different things where voice can really play a
powerful role. Yeah, I'm on it.
I don't worry so much about something like Alexa, what
information it can pick up from me because first of all, I don't
feel like I'm doing anything illegal that I have to work.
Worry about. It's not spying on me a way that
it's, you know, filming me or doing any of that.
(26:14):
And if it can benefit society bygetting information that can
help save lives and, you know, keep people well, then the
biggest concern then is the people that are going to be
irresponsible with the data thatthey're able to capture.
Absolutely. I think that that's always the.
I think that's always where the parameters and you know kind of
the where the concerns and riskscome from.
(26:39):
So I mean it's same thing. So there's, I don't know if you
know what UL is so, but it's Underwriter Laboratories and
they basically they're third party certification company for
all your major consumer electronics, your appliances
included. And So what we've been working
on is getting our Knob technology UL certified and it's
(27:00):
a similar thing where they're not, they understand the the
impact on safety in a positive way that this technology needs,
right. There's there were two big
appliance manufacturers in the last year that recalled over
1,000,000 1/2 ranges because of accidental knob turn on.
And so, but they're not hesitantto update the standard to, to
(27:21):
mandate technologies like ours because not because they don't
know that it is needed, but because of those use cases and
those, you know, edge cases where what if someone uses it in
a way that then becomes dangerous.
And so I think that's the balance with technology is, I
mean 99% of it is good, but thenyou have to account for the 1%
(27:45):
that might, you know, use it in a way that that's harmful for.
Yeah, it's kind of sad that the 1% that might do harm with
something can really hold up theinnovation that the 99% are
trying to develop. Absolutely, completely agree.
So what's been the most surprising thing you've learned
(28:06):
since launching Home, Either about tech, the users, or just
the aging process itself? Oh, that's a lot of things.
I don't know anything and I maybe know slightly more than I
did before. I think, you know, I mean
there's multiple answers here from the side of technology.
I definitely under appreciated what it takes to build a
(28:29):
physical product of any kind, a product that is connected, that
has, you know, software, firmware, you know, an app, a
back end infrastructure, you're collecting data on top of supply
chain manufacturing. I mean, I remember there's a
time where I was telling my team, I'm surprised the iPhone
only costs what it costs becauselike, it's, I mean, just how
(28:49):
much really goes into it and howseamless it is.
I mean, it's no small task. And I also was someone who used
to get and probably still to an extent now, but maybe less.
So I would get really frustratedwhen an app wouldn't connect to
Wi-Fi or it dropped its connection and I'd get so like
irritated, like, what's wrong with these people?
And then I went through it and I'm like, Oh my gosh, like, I
mean, you have to be able to work with all these different
(29:11):
Wi-Fi. So I really had a newfound
appreciation for what it takes to build any product, even even
the packaging, right? I mean, when you think about the
unboxing experience and does someone even understand what
your product does when they lookat it?
If they're buying it in a retailstore, they might not even ever
see it online. And so there's so much I didn't
(29:31):
realize that goes into building a product and marketing it and
getting people to understand it that I most certainly didn't
have an appreciation of before that.
I was also, I think, pleasantly surprised by the power of word
of mouth, you know, marketing and, you know, organic outreach,
(29:51):
especially when it comes to safety and Peace of Mind.
Because, I mean, we're a small company.
We've never really had, you know, much of A marketing
budget. And a lot of our customers have
come through word of mouth through other customers or
someone who saw our product and said, Hey, you need this.
And I know someone who left the stove and I know someone who had
a house fire. And, and especially when it
(30:13):
comes to older adults, because typically they're not the ones
that are for buying this, it's really their family members and
caregivers who you really want to be able to get in front of.
And I think that was a learning experience as well of how you
actually get to your end customer and really, you know,
doing your research and being thoughtful about the channels in
(30:35):
which you get to them. I really had no rhyme or reason
as to how this company started. And I mean, it was just kind of
flying by the seat of my pants. And so in that way, I, I,
there's a lot of good in that because I think you're not will,
I mean, I, I was so willing to just try everything whether it
worked or not. And so I know a lot of what
(30:55):
doesn't work and, you know, through that learning process.
And I think it's only through that learning process, you can
figure out what does work. And you should 9 times out of
10, be very surprised by the outcomes that you get because
we're not right. Most of us are not right most of
the time, especially when you'rebuilding a new product.
So. So those are a couple that come
to mind. How about the users?
(31:16):
Has there been any surprises in terms of who's actually using
the product? Say surprises.
I wasn't expecting as much of A pull towards aging in place as
we have seen. I will say that, I mean, I
really thought our target demographic were busy parents
and who have kids and who already have like smart home
(31:38):
security systems, who have Alexa, who have Ring and now
those are a core part of our demographic.
But in the last two years, we really saw this prime, you know,
opportunity within aging in place.
And so we really curated our efforts towards assist being an
assistive technology for older adults to start.
(31:59):
And then eventually, I mean there are applications like
we've already talked about for every, you know, age
demographic. I feel like a lot of that just
has come around the increased importance of, you know, aging
at home and the priority that that's been given.
So I think a lot of that has just been timing that in the
last couple years this has become a huge topic of
discussion especially in the appliance industry.
(32:21):
So at the kitchen and bath show last year at CES, the last
couple years aging in place has made a huge.
So I think that that also helped.
And there's also that populationthat isn't necessarily aging in
place. They're going into senior living
communities and things like that.
And I would think that that would be a tremendous market for
you, given that, you know, you have these facilities that have,
(32:43):
you know, relatively independentliving, but they, they're still
overseeing these individuals. And, you know, if you don't see,
you know, Mary for a couple daysand, you know, you get that
information, that little, you know, ping from the, you know,
and you don't have to be monitoring people, but you get
little pings that say, hey, you know, go check on Mary because
(33:04):
her stove has been on and there's no activity in the
apartment. Yeah.
It can save your building. It saves lives.
There's so much benefit to it. Definitely.
I will say that that's a good point.
I was pleasantly surprised at the reception we got from senior
living communities as well, because like you said, this is a
problem that they know they have.
(33:24):
They haven't found a solution that solves for it well enough.
And so we found, I mean, it's been a catch 22 with senior
living because anyone and I'm sure you know, anyone who's
familiar with senior living knows that it's tough to break
into the market. It's you need a few big
communities to really get the dominoes to fall.
(33:45):
At the same time, you know, I just did a lot of cold calling
and just, I mean, that's mostly a lot of what entrepreneurs do.
So but I did a lot of cold calling and I was pleasantly
surprised by the impact, not just on safety and and, you
know, their efficiency, but alsoon the implications for
(34:06):
insurance, right. And so for a long time, we were
trying to go after the big insurance providers because
they're spending a billion dollars a year because of
unattended cooking and house fires due to United Cooking.
And so I was like, oh, let me gotalk to your Liberty Mutual and
State Farm. And yeah, of course they'll love
this. And what I eventually realized
is that, you know, they're behemoths and they're slow and
(34:27):
it takes them a long time to adopt technology.
But what I could do was actuallythrough these senior living
communities, you give them the data because again, we have all
this data. We know how many times the
automatic shut off is engaging. That is every time that happens,
that is a potential hazard or fire that you prevented.
And then I, I realized I could use them as like a conduit to
(34:49):
the insurance companies. And so they can take this to
their insurance broker and say, look, we've had some incidences
in the past. Now we have this technology and
so can we get a discount on our premium?
And that was actually a huge of perspective shift for me where I
was like, well, maybe I don't have to go directly to the
(35:11):
insurance companies. Maybe I need to go to their
customers, right? And the ones who are paying the
premiums every month and especially when you get into
multi unit buildings and you know, commercial insurance, I
mean, that's a whole other ball game.
So the senior living route was definitely a pleasant surprise
and I'm glad we were able to tapinto that because no one is
really, at least when it comes to cooking, safety has really
(35:34):
focused there. So if our listeners and viewers
that are considering how to safely age at home or support
aging parents, so that's sandwich generation.
What is 1 simple piece of adviceor action they can take today in
addition to buying your device? Oh, that is a great question.
So, so from the caregiver perspective or.
(35:57):
Yeah, I guess, I guess depends where they are.
If they're attempting themselvesto age at home and they want to
kind of up their safety, or if you're looking at my parents are
planning on staying at home, what can I do to just make sure
they're a little bit safer? Yeah, I mean, I would say just
thinking about my own parents is, you know, what are the
biggest risks, You know, for my mom it is, you know, cooking.
(36:21):
It's, you know, fall detection. It's, you know, medication
management. And so I think really it's,
it's, I think it can be really overwhelming with all the
technology out there. And you know, there's crab bars
and there's, you know, differenttoilet seats.
And like, I mean, there's so much you can do.
But really to start at, you know, what are my biggest
problems today? And I think with time, I, we
(36:43):
have to here too, like we talkedabout, you know, proactive
versus reactive. You don't want to wait to have
all these issues and then, you know, kind of renovate or
retrofit your home, renovate or retrofit your home.
But I think it's really about taking baby steps and really
just identifying, OK, what concerns me the most?
Maybe it's cooking, maybe it's fall risk, maybe it's, you know,
(37:05):
taking a shower, maybe, you know, whatever it is, and then
slowly start to, you know, integrate technology that works
for you. And I'd say also do your
research because there's so muchout there and, you know, not all
of it, it actually solves a problem.
And so I think the the best technologies one, I would say,
(37:27):
you know, have been in the market for a little bit and, you
know, look at what the use casesare and, you know, try to even
get, you know, some, some, you know, referrals, right?
If you have a friend, ask your friends.
I know my parents have asked their neighbors.
They live in a 55 and up, you know, retirement community.
And so they've asked their neighbors like, you know, what
have you put in your home? So I think there's a lot of
(37:48):
information out there that you just have to weed through to
make sure that you're building ahome with a technology that you
need for you, not that someone else might.
OK, so we asked this question ofall our guests and so it'll off
topic of the the home company, but what are you doing
personally to age well? Well, right now I have
especially it's, it's a coincidence that you ask, but
(38:11):
especially in the last month, I really, really honed in on what
I'm eating and just, you know, being much more proactive and
aware of the ingredients that I buy and what I cook at home and
what I eat out because I have some gut issues actually.
And, and as I get older every year, I mean, things start to
(38:33):
pop up, right? I like strain my back a few days
ago and I was like, I've never done that before, but but I've
had to kind of take a step back And I, for me, you know, eating
at home, cooking at home and making that a priority and just
being very aware of what I'm putting into my body is, is the
thing that I'm focusing on now. And then also, I would say even
(38:55):
just spending time with my parents, talking to them more
about aging and what's working for them, what's not working for
them. I spend a lot of time with my
parents. I talk to them every day.
And so they're a great case study of, you know, things that
I need to be looking out for because I think, you know,
whether genetics plays a role or, you know, I am very
(39:17):
realizing with everyday, I'm very much like my parents that,
you know, you can, you know, look out for things.
And, and I think in in this day and age where we're really in
that bridge of, you know, my parents grew up with no
technology and now there's all this technology of figuring out
what actually works for them. And and then hopefully just kind
(39:37):
of integrating that into my own life as I get.
Older and hopefully you're taking a little bit of step away
from your tech work. When you're interacting with
your parents, your gears aren't always spinning saying, oh, what
other invention can I come up with here that can help?
Because I can imagine, you know,in your position, you know,
being a young entrepreneur, probably with a lot of ideas
(39:58):
spinning in your head, it's hardto just step back, get that
more. Take care of myself, you know,
get that meditative, meditative piece in, get some exercise in.
Eat right, not just be eating onthe go, doing all the stuff that
can help you to age well as you you go forward.
Oh, that's been a huge mindset shift I had to make from the
(40:19):
first day I started the company or the first couple years to now
is really being able to take a step back and, and focus on just
your own personal health and Wellness.
And you know, some of our investors actually do retreats
for us, not just not to talk about your company and how you
(40:39):
get this hockey stick growth andhow you, you know, give them a
big return, but actually to focus on you and your personal
growth because unless you are atyour best personally, the
company's not going to. So I think that that's been a
big shift and it's hard as a especially as a first time
entrepreneur, you're like, I always have to be on and I
always have to be ahead. And, you know, I'm, I'm already
late with what I'm doing or I should have done more.
(41:01):
And so it's, it's been a big a learning process.
And, you know, certainly as I've, you know, gotten older and
even just seeing, you know, my parents getting older is really
just trying to take stock of everything that you have every
day and be grateful for all that, you know, you've been able
to accomplish and, and just makethe most of every day is the
best all we all can do. That's good advice.
(41:23):
So where can our listeners and viewers connect with you?
I know there's a web page, there's social media.
Where can I find out more about you and more about OM?
Yeah. So our website isomkitchen.com,
you can also find us on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook at OM
for Home. And then you can also find me on
(41:44):
LinkedIn. Any of those.
Is there anything we missed talking about today?
We covered quite a bit, I think.Yeah, I think it was great.
Thank you so much. I'm going to have to look more
into this product and I don't know if we need it yet for our
home. But again, you want to be
proactive. And the knobs owner, like I
said, we got some crappy appliances that are supposed to
be pretty good. So we're constantly replacing
(42:06):
knobs. So we might as well replace one
of them with a high tech knob that might actually last.
And replacement knobs are unnecessarily expensive of just
like job plastic knobs. So yeah.
Especially when you're replacingabout every six months, yeah.
Absolutely. So this has been eye opening and
it's been a pleasure. Honestly, I didn't know how
(42:27):
exciting it would be to talk about knobs for my kitchen
stove, but this has been very interesting and I've actually
really learned a lot. And I'm excited for your product
because I think it does kind of step into an area that can be
very beneficial to a lot of families and be helpful.
(42:47):
And so best of luck to you, keepin touch with us, let us know
when there's more innovation in your company and you want to add
to the conversation and just keep aging well.
Absolutely. It's been a pleasure to be here.
Thank you for listening. I hope you benefited from
today's podcast and until next time, keep aging well.
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