TAO Member Spotlight: Candice Smith

Where do you currently work?Caregiven, Inc.What’s your title? Founder & CEOIn which city (or cities) is your company located?Portland, OregonIn what year was your company founded?Founded in 2017, incorporated as an Oregon corporation in 2020.Describe the company you work for and its product/mission.Caregiven revolutionizes how we care and are cared for. We do this by eliminating the fear, uncertainty and overwhelm facing our aging and ailing loved ones in their final years. Caregiven’s intuitive mobile app is a single-point of shared decision making, communication, coordination, documentation and information; integrating all stakeholders - family, friends, and professionals. Care partners are personally guided through one of life’s most challenging experiences via a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, community experience and user input. The result, more meaningful moments, better health choices and outcomes, and the absence of overwhelm, fear and regret.Why is your company a member of TAO?As an Oregon start-up developing digital solutions we value the education and networking available through our TAO membership. Accessing the experiences and connections available through TAO enables us to do more with our limited resources. It also is a wonderful platform for my co-founder/CTO and I to give back to the community.What do you, personally, like best about being a TAO member? The enthusiasm and passion of a wide variety of individuals who are focused on using technology to make the world a better place.What’s your favorite thing about our region’s tech ecosystem?Oregon has been a national leader in creating meaningful products and solutions that improve the lives of the aging, ailing and the individuals caring for them. Being able to draw on the experiences of pioneers in aged care, and then being an instrumental part of this ecosystem, knowing what we are doing will lay the foundation for future innovation...that’s pretty amazing.What is your hope for the future of tech in Oregon & SW Washington? I hope that we don’t become like Silicon Valley, a place where start-ups can’t afford to attract and retain key talent or a place where those who want the Oregon lifestyle can’t afford to live and raise a family. I also hope that we can grow a network of funding opportunities so that start-ups like ours can stay based in Oregon.