Chekesha Kidd
Founder + CEO, Kinumi
Bio: Chekesha Kidd is the Founder and CEO of Kinumi, where she leverages her experience as a healthcare executive, investment banker, and family caregiver. Kinumi offers a tech-enabled concierge platform that helps older adults manage their health needs and supports caregivers and employers. As a champion of health equity, Chekesha serves as Chair of the Board of the Connecticut Health Foundation. She holds an MBA/MHSA from the University of Michigan and graduated magna cum laude from Florida A&M University.
Org Info: Kinumi partners with active older adults to help them age successfully. Our tech-enabled concierge platform provides essential resources and experiences for aging adults and their caregivers, while also offering employers a tool to support their teams and improve productivity impacted by caregiving demands. Navigating healthcare can be overwhelming—Kinumi offers personal support through a dedicated Care Concierge, helping older adults maintain independence and enjoy life. Members connect online, fostering a community feel. Kinumi brings a curated lifestyle approach to helping older adults manage their needs—so they and their loved ones can get back to the joy of living.
What motivated you to pursue your current work?
I created Kinumi after my mother, newly widowed after 53 years of marriage, struggled to manage alone. From handling contractors to navigating a confusing healthcare system, the constant demands overwhelmed us both. Unable to find comprehensive support, I realized many families faced similar challenges. With over 57 million older adults in the U.S. and 40 million unpaid caregivers, the need for a solution was clear. Kinumi provides personalized, tech-enabled support to help older adults manage healthcare and maintain social engagement, combating loneliness and promoting independence. This service helps families like ours get back to the joy of living.
What distinct value does your work bring to the digital health field?
Kinumi is bridging the gap between older adults and the digital world through a user-friendly platform. Often overlooked, older adults are more digitally savvy than expected, with over 70% using the internet regularly. Kinumi offers a comprehensive solution that combines personalized care management with social engagement, addressing both healthcare needs and the importance of community connections. By integrating these elements, Kinumi empowers older adults to manage their health and remain active while shifting the digital health paradigm to include this often-neglected demographic, proving they are ready for advanced digital solutions.
How does your work impact your target end-users or stakeholders?
Kinumi uniquely serves older adults by focusing on early intervention to extend independent living years. Unlike traditional models that address declining health, Kinumi promotes active aging through a whole-person health approach, integrating social engagement and healthy lifestyles. Research indicates that social isolation can increase premature death risk by 50%. Kinumi’s tailored health and lifestyle experiences help enhance longevity and reduce caregiver stress, which affects 40% of caregivers reporting high stress levels. Additionally, Kinumi mitigates caregiving-related productivity losses, estimated at $32 billion annually, supporting both caregivers and employers comprehensively.
What is one exciting update or near-term opportunity that you would like to share with the digital health community?
On July 17, 2024, Culture Capital, a new docuseries produced by Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs and Comcast RISE premiered on Black Experience on Xfinity channel, Peacock, and Xumo Play for viewers around the U.S. and I am one of the featured founders! Hosted by Felecia Hatcher, CEO of the Black Ambition Prize, the inspiring three-part docuseries will feature my story and the stories of eight other diverse founders and our journeys to build competitive businesses in today’s market. It not only highlights our unique challenges and achievements but also provides an in-depth understanding of our journeys and celebrates our innovative spirit that will help us transform our visions into our legacies.
Bio: Chekesha Kidd is the Founder and CEO of Kinumi, where she leverages her experience as a healthcare executive, investment banker, and family caregiver. Kinumi offers a tech-enabled concierge platform that helps older adults manage their health needs and supports caregivers and employers. As a champion of health equity, Chekesha serves as Chair of the Board of the Connecticut Health Foundation. She holds an MBA/MHSA from the University of Michigan and graduated magna cum laude from Florida A&M University.
Org Info: Kinumi partners with active older adults to help them age successfully. Our tech-enabled concierge platform provides essential resources and experiences for aging adults and their caregivers, while also offering employers a tool to support their teams and improve productivity impacted by caregiving demands. Navigating healthcare can be overwhelming—Kinumi offers personal support through a dedicated Care Concierge, helping older adults maintain independence and enjoy life. Members connect online, fostering a community feel. Kinumi brings a curated lifestyle approach to helping older adults manage their needs—so they and their loved ones can get back to the joy of living.
What motivated you to pursue your current work?
I created Kinumi after my mother, newly widowed after 53 years of marriage, struggled to manage alone. From handling contractors to navigating a confusing healthcare system, the constant demands overwhelmed us both. Unable to find comprehensive support, I realized many families faced similar challenges. With over 57 million older adults in the U.S. and 40 million unpaid caregivers, the need for a solution was clear. Kinumi provides personalized, tech-enabled support to help older adults manage healthcare and maintain social engagement, combating loneliness and promoting independence. This service helps families like ours get back to the joy of living.
What distinct value does your work bring to the digital health field?
Kinumi is bridging the gap between older adults and the digital world through a user-friendly platform. Often overlooked, older adults are more digitally savvy than expected, with over 70% using the internet regularly. Kinumi offers a comprehensive solution that combines personalized care management with social engagement, addressing both healthcare needs and the importance of community connections. By integrating these elements, Kinumi empowers older adults to manage their health and remain active while shifting the digital health paradigm to include this often-neglected demographic, proving they are ready for advanced digital solutions.
How does your work impact your target end-users or stakeholders?
Kinumi uniquely serves older adults by focusing on early intervention to extend independent living years. Unlike traditional models that address declining health, Kinumi promotes active aging through a whole-person health approach, integrating social engagement and healthy lifestyles. Research indicates that social isolation can increase premature death risk by 50%. Kinumi’s tailored health and lifestyle experiences help enhance longevity and reduce caregiver stress, which affects 40% of caregivers reporting high stress levels. Additionally, Kinumi mitigates caregiving-related productivity losses, estimated at $32 billion annually, supporting both caregivers and employers comprehensively.
What is one exciting update or near-term opportunity that you would like to share with the digital health community?
On July 17, 2024, Culture Capital, a new docuseries produced by Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs and Comcast RISE premiered on Black Experience on Xfinity channel, Peacock, and Xumo Play for viewers around the U.S. and I am one of the featured founders! Hosted by Felecia Hatcher, CEO of the Black Ambition Prize, the inspiring three-part docuseries will feature my story and the stories of eight other diverse founders and our journeys to build competitive businesses in today’s market. It not only highlights our unique challenges and achievements but also provides an in-depth understanding of our journeys and celebrates our innovative spirit that will help us transform our visions into our legacies.