Jake Reisch has a knack for the headphone business.
After graduating from Cornell College, he created a company called Party Headphones that rented out wireless headphones to silent discos in 47 states.
Reisch oversaw the company for over three years when he started thinking about headphones in a new context.
“I had just moved a loved one into a senior living community and I realized not everyone with a hearing impediment has access to hearing aids,” Reisch (pictured below) said.
Not only were hearing aids expensive, but Reisch said they don't do a good job of targeting a single audio source. This can be extremely frustrating for people using them because when all of the sounds around them are amplified, they can't focus on specific audio sources, like TV, a music concert or a movie.
That's when he created Eversound, a wireless headphone system that helps seniors in living communities tune into discrete audio sources.
Eversound's headset microphones come with a wireless transmitter and a personal volume dial so users can fine-tune their personal listening experience, hearing what's going on around them clearly.
Geared toward seniors living with hearing impediments or hearing loss, which includes the 80 percent of people who will have hearing loss by age 85, the headphones can connect to any audio source including their community's A/V system, television, music player device and more.
The headphones are also ergonomically designed so they can be worn comfortably for extended periods of time. Seniors or their caretakers can charge, transport and protect the headphones and transmitter with a custom case that comes with each set.
Fresh off a new $3 million seed round, Reisch said he looks forward to expanding the network of senior living communities Eversound serves and improving the company’s product.
Currently, Eversound serves seven of the 20 largest senior living communities across 17 states, including The Residence at Otter Creek, which has locations in every New England state except Maine. When Reisch shows Eversound to senior living providers, he said they often seem relieved to start using the product.
In a six-month survey conducted by LCB Senior Living, the company running Otter Creek, researchers found a 28 percent increase in engagement among hearing-impaired seniors using Eversound’s headphones.
“Right now we’re focusing on expanding relationships with senior living communities in a way that supports them and their residents,” Reisch said. “It’s a challenging job to service 150 different senior citizens with different personalities and different levels of care.”
Eversound’s Boston team is 10 employees, but Reisch said he’s looking to hire eight people over the next six months.
