For the last two years of my grandad's life, it became increasingly difficult to communicate with him. We tried to help him adapt to smartphones, then tablets, but they were inappropriate for him, as he suffered with poor dexterity, eyesight, and a fading memory.
I looked online for other solutions, but couldn't find anything with the accessibility features we required, a simple interface, yet still gave my grandad dignity and autonomy.
So... The Ken was born.
It is named after him of course, and I set out on a mission to create the perfect Ken for families to stay in touch with the people they love.
We wanted to message, to speak, and to have video calls. That's it, nothing fancy or complicated.
As thoughts of The Ken developed, we recalled he'd been scammed twice in the preceding 12 months. So in came ‘Approved Contacts’, and out went the methods which scammers used to reach him - browsers, email, and a phone number - all absent from The Ken.
He was an engineer by trade, working for Bush Radio and Kenwood for periods of his youth, and I told him I was working on something “Engineer-y which could allow us to keep in touch”. It resonated, and he offered some advice for the build.
It was a race: could I build The Ken in time for my grandad to use it? Unfortunately not. His health deteriorated rapidly, and he passed in July 2026, before I was able to even get a prototype to him.
While he never got to see our creation come to fruition, he loved the intent and purpose of The Ken, and it's what drives me every day to create something perfect for the families who need it.
Howard Stone
Founder, The Ken
