The New Investment: Securing and Sharing Irreplaceable Memories
Investors eager to protect their financial legacies have always relied on wills, trusts and estate plans to ensure security and continuity for future generations. But in the digital age, people are asking a new question: “how can I safe guard my digital life story?” And it’s not just what’s housed on hard drives, social networks and photo sharing sites that’s on their minds. It’s the irreplaceable memories gathering dust inshoeboxes and attics--all but forgotten in the modern era of Facebook, Shutterfly and Instagram.
Glen Meakem first became aware of the need for a permanent place to keep cherished memories twenty years ago. The future venture capitalist and founder of Free Markets, Inc. had just returned from serving in the Gulf War and was visiting his grandparents to video tape their stories and gather keepsakes. “I was struck by the need to find something more secure and permanent than paper, video tape and storage boxes,” he said. Later, the arrival of new digital technologies (and the irinevitable obsolescence) only strengthened Mr. Meakem’s nagging fear that, with every passing day, his family’s most precious memories were more and more at risk.
“After Free Markets, I entered the venture capital world and saw some truly fantastic ideas,” he explained. “But when I came up with the idea for FOREVER™, I knew I had found my calling. I became CEO of FOREVER because I believe we have finally cracked the permanent digital storage dilemma once and for all.”
FOREVER is the world’s first and only permanent social storage company. Founded in Pittsburgh in 2012, the company launched FOREVER.com in August 2013 and is currently in its early, invitation-only phase.The website and future mobile app offer a dynamic social network where members preserve, protect and share their most treasured memories in safe, secure online albums. Storage on FOREVER.com is guaranteed for the duration of a member’s life, plus one hundred years or more, guaranteed. “The goal is to preserve our members’ life stories for more than a thousand years,” explained Mr. Meakem. Member fees go directly into the FOREVER Guarantee Fund, whichgrows like an endowment to cover the costs of social sharing, migrating to new formats and indefinitely maintaining secure back-ups around the world.
FOREVER makes privacy its highest priority. Members can decide with whom to share their images by choosing from several privacy levels. Or they can keep their content totally private. “FOREVER will never mine our members’ data, sell it to advertisers or in any way compromise their privacy, which is a real and growing concern with other social networks, “ commented Mr. Meakem. “With FOREVER.com, we have solved the digital rights issue.”
One of the most exciting FOREVER features is the Account Manager function, which allows members to designate one or more trusted individuals to take over their legacy on FOREVER.com when they no longer can. According to Mr. Meakem, many members are already adding Account Manager notification wishes to their wills.
FOREVER also employs a staff of Digital Archivists to convert physical media such as wedding videos, photo albums, children’s artwork and other personal artifacts to the latest digital formats, so they can be uploaded to the member’s FOREVER.com page. “It’s an extra service we provide to leave no memory unpreserved,” said Mr. Meakem. “Hard drives crash, photos fade, theft or damage takes a toll. But FOREVER lasts…well, you can finish the sentence.”
