A Handyman Service Inspired By Grandma

The founders of Umbrella are helping retirees make some cash and new friends at the same time.

- Elizabeth O'brien

AT JUST 27, Sam Gerstenzang has worked for a who’s who of Internet darlings, including Buzz Feed and Alphabet spin off Sidewalk Labs.

When he found it was time for something new, his next venture came from an unlikely source. “I was not expecting my next project to come from my grandmother,” says the Brooklyn-based Gerstenzang, who has worked as both software engineer and an investor.

Last year, Gerstenzang cofounded Umbrella, a service that helps older adults stay in their homes by connecting them to a vetted group of mostly retired handy people who help with chores that can become more difficult with age. Umbrella’s part-time workforce ranges from age 25 to 72, while customers range from age 65 to 98, Gerstenzang says.

The company is modeled on a firm of the same name that began in Albany, N.Y., in the 1990s and continues to serve more than 500 households in upstate New York as a nonprofit. When Gerstenzang’s grandmother, an enthusiastic customer, told him about the original Umbrella, he and cofounder Lindsay Ullman figured they could use their expertise to scale it up. They’ve received one round of venture capital funding so far.