K4Connect Expands Board of Directors with Veteran Senior Care Executive and Esteemed Technology Investor
Raleigh, North Carolina (PRWEB) January 03, 2017 -- K4Connect, a mission-centered technology company that creates solutions that serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, today announced the expansion of the Company’s Board of Directors with the addition of Ben Yu, Ph.D., Managing Director at Sierra Ventures and Stephen Morton, a veteran senior care executive and Founder of Ravn Senior Solutions.
Mr. Morton and Dr. Yu have joined K4Connect as a result of the Company’s recent $8 million Series A funding, which was led by Intel Capital. Both new board members also participated in K4Connect’s $2 million Series Seed funding in 2015 and have long-term connections with K4Connect’s co-founder and CEO, Scott Moody. Mr. Morton was involved early in K4Connect’s history in guiding the development of its first product, K4Community, which is specifically tailored for the residents and operators of senior living communities. Dr. Yu was an investor and a board member of Mr. Moody’s prior startup, AuthenTec (acquired by Apple in 2012, now the Touch ID).
"I am personally delighted that both Steve and Ben are joining the K4Connect Board. They both bring significant industry and startup experience to our team,” said Moody. “Steve’s expertise within the senior living sector will provide unparalleled insight into creating products that truly benefit older adults and senior living community operators. Ben adds a tremendous depth of experience in building groundbreaking technologies and can help K4Connect become a successful market leader. More importantly, both are fully committed to the mission of our company – to serve the underserved. We are extremely fortunate to have both as part of our team,” he added.
Mr. Morton joins K4Connect as an accomplished senior living executive with more than thirty years of experience building, leading, and managing successful senior living and care companies, which have included independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer care, and skilled nursing facilities. A passionate advocate for better senior health and a noted leader in the field of care management, Mr. Morton is currently a board member, and angel investor in a range of companies in the senior living, senior care technology and services, real estate, and hospitality industries.
Previously, Mr. Morton was the President and CEO of Bell Senior Living, where he was brought in to improve a portfolio of thirty-two underperforming communities. While there, he improved occupancy, operating margins, and the overall value of the portfolio ahead of a sale to Five Star Senior Living for more than $300 million. Prior to that, Mr. Morton was the Co-Founder, President, and COO of Southern Assisted Living Inc., where he oversaw 41 communities in the Southeast, before it was acquired by Brookdale in 2006.
Mr. Morton received his B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine.
“I am excited to be working with Scott on his newest venture with K4Connect,” said Morton. “I’ve worked in the senior living industry for many years, and the product (K4Community) the Company has built it truly a game changer. It will not only allow older adults live a more connected life, but it will also provide adult children a more meaningful daily interaction with their loved ones, while offering operators insightful information as to how they can better serve their residents on an individual basis”.
Dr. Yu is currently a Managing Director at Sierra Ventures, a highly respected Silicon Valley venture fund that has raised over $1.2 billion for investments in early stage startups. His investment focus is within the IoT, IT & Cloud Computing, and Mobile Communications industries, to name a few. Dr. Yu is fascinated by disruptive technologies and, as an investor, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs turn technologies into successful products that the world has not seen before, creating new categories. Prior to Sierra Ventures, Dr. Yu was a Senior Systems Architect and Project Manager at 3Com.
Dr. Yu holds both a Ph.D. and Masters of Arts from Princeton and a Bachelor of Engineering with first class honors from the University of Western Australia.
“I’ve seen many tech companies throughout my career and K4Connect has truly developed something unique,” said Dr. Yu. “The product brings the whole idea of the Internet of Everything (IoE) to life and uses it in a meaningful way. I am proud to be a part of such a pioneering company.”
To learn more about K4Connect, visit http://www.k4connect.com.
About K4Connect
K4Connect creates solutions that serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, enhancing lives through an integrated whole-life software that brings together the best in home automation products, health and wellness technologies, and communication and social functionality. The Company’s products enable simpler, smarter living environments and healthier lives, while fostering family and community engagement. For more information, please visit http://www.k4connect.com.
Lindsay Hull, Zer0 to 5ive, +1 (508) 963-1356, [email protected]
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