NBA stars Russell Westbrook and Kemba Walker are taking their talents from the court to the tech world with their latest venture, “Eazewell,” an AI-powered end-of-life planning startup designed to make one of life’s hardest experiences a little easier, TechCrunch reports.
The pair’s co-founding partner, Donnell Beverly Jr., created the platform after he lost both of his parents and realized how overwhelming the end-of-life process could be. From managing funeral arrangements to closing accounts, there was no centralized way to handle it all. So Beverly Jr. turned his pain into purpose and called on his longtime friend, Westbrook, to help bring the idea to life.
“The main thesis with Russ across every business that he touches is how do we impact people?” Beverly Jr. told TechCrunch. “He’s been very vocal about that throughout his career. I always say we really took personal pain and then created a platform to really help people.”
Westbrook didn’t hesitate. Shortly after, four-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker also joined the company, and the trio launched Eazewell. This AI-driven platform helps families navigate the administrative side of loss. The tool provides 24/7 support, guiding users through everything from booking a funeral home to canceling credit cards, all while partnering with service providers like hospice care, funeral homes, and insurance companies.
“I had an opportunity to be able to be close with his family and go through the process with [Beverly Jr.],” Westbrook said. “He’s done an amazing job of idealizing this idea and bringing it to life. I’m excited to kind of be a partner with him [and] alongside him on this.”
Founded in 2024, Eazewell has already helped over 100,000 families since its launch earlier this year. Earlier this month, the company introduced an enterprise version of its platform for hospice centers, senior living facilities, and life insurance companies, enabling them to seamlessly integrate its automated tools into their existing systems.
Beverly Jr. said advances in AI inspired him to build Eazewell as a way to lighten the load for grieving families. “We’ve seen how AI has impacted our lives while we’re here, but you know now we’re entering a space where it’s impacting our lives after death,” he said.
The company’s next step is to tackle one of the growing challenges of the digital age: managing online assets after a loved one passes away. “The average person has anywhere between 70 and 100 digital accounts that are active at any time,” Beverly Jr. shared. “Your family is inheriting all those digital accounts and those digital assets as well. And that’s not typical. We’re stepping into a new kind of realm within that. When we look at the whole landscape, we see a grand opportunity to not only help people but just make it a lot more seamless.”
For Westbrook, a nine-time NBA All-Star, joining Eazewell is about more than innovation; it’s about making a real impact.
“Anytime I put my name on anything, I try to find ways to open doors, build trust, find ways to play a big role in it and be present because I think that’s important,” he said. “And this isn’t about me or being super technical by any means, but it’s more importantly about families finding ways to be able to help them through a loss. And for me, using my platform to be able to do that is a no-brainer.”
With Eazewell, Westbrook, Walker, and Beverly Jr., are proving that technology, when rooted in empathy, can help families navigate even the most challenging moments with more ease and dignity.
Cover photo: Russell Westbrook & Kemba Walker Team Up to Launch AI-Powered End-of-Life Startup “Eazewell”/Photo credit: Eazewell/Instagram