Growing up, Connor Burrows (BASM ’23) wanted to be “that business guy,” wearing a suit to the office, his briefcase stuffed with important papers.

“It didn’t really end up that way,” says Burrows, Chief Operating Officer at Passingon, a virtual service helping Canadians plan funerals online. While he still wears a suit occasionally, his important documents are on a laptop; his office is in his house.

Working in the funeral industry “was never something that crossed my mind,” Burrows says. He majored in supply chain management and worked in a warehouse for his practicum. But then a family tragedy changed his trajectory: his stepbrother died.

“We were the same age, so we were super close,” he says. “Nobody really knew how to even start planning a funeral.”

But Burrows and his family could draw on the knowledge and support of his sister, Kayla Ashton, who had worked as a funeral director for years and who helped them navigate the funeral planning process from home.

The experience clarified an idea Ashton had often tossed around with Burrows. Burned out from her job’s endless, erratic hours, she thought a website could help make funeral planning easier. Their family’s loss “was a big push for us to get going,” Burrows says.

Passingon went live in September 2022, loaded with information and pricing from providers across the country.

“Arranging a funeral is tons of work at a desperate time of need. We felt we had to make it easier to find what you’re looking for — and to give clear direction at each step,” says Burrows. “Our vision is no matter when you’re planning a funeral, whether it’s urgent or you’re pre-planning, the process shouldn’t be such a struggle. You should have all the answers in one place.”

As a sort of SkipTheDishes for funerals, Passingon is catching on. Burrows says funeral directors are  “really excited” by the concept. The businesses pay a referral fee — five percent of the basic funeral service — and Burrows is continually adding new funeral information to the free website.

“It’s a one-stop shop to buy flowers and memorial items, fill out required paperwork, and plan the funeral from home. That’s not really a service offered online a lot of the time,” Burrows says. Most funeral websites only list contact information for funeral homes and generate revenue from posting obituaries.

It’s an industry that’s ready for disruption. As Passingon’s CEO, Ashton brings her knowledge of “old-school traditional stuff that hasn’t been changed in years,” while Burrows brings business knowledge gleaned from “real-life experiences” studying business administration.

Together Burrows and his sister are, well, killing it. “We are both pretty young and into tech,” he says. “We thought, ‘There’s something we can change here.’”