The Heirloom Story: Designed to Protect All the World's Stories

A Lifetime of Memories

Since 1990, Geoff and Nancy Weber have documented their journey—capturing countless moments of love, family, and adventure. From early days with bulky VHS camcorders to more compact VHS-C, Hi8 handycams, and MiniDV recorders, they embraced every new technology. Rolls of film were developed at local pharmacies, eventually replaced by 3.5" floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs. They meticulously printed doubles, mailing them to friends and family worldwide, and took the time to carefully arrange photos in albums.

Changing Technology

Despite their best efforts, the Webers found themselves struggling to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. Boxes of printed photos, film reels, and cassette tapes from family piled up alongside outdated digital formats. Each new device brought stress—wondering if a treasured memory was still on a print in a shoebox, trapped on a broken hard drive, or lost to a deleted social media account. The tipping point came when Nancy asked Geoff to make copies of their only wedding video from VHS to DVDs. At that moment, Geoff realized that their irreplaceable memories deserved better.

A Frustrating Search

Determined to preserve their family’s legacy, Geoff searched the internet and tried numerous digitizing companies. Willing to spend thousands, he was disheartened by unresponsive customer service, poor-quality transfers, and the same cluttered DVDs that just presented more problems. What he found was not innovation, but indifference—a lack of commitment to preserving memories with care and permanence.

Solving the Problem

Refusing to settle, Geoff bought professional equipment and taught himself to digitize every photo, video, and letter. He transferred everything to a secure cloud storage account, ensuring their memories would never be lost again. Friends and family were amazed—“How did you get that 1960s video onto your phone?” they asked. But for Geoff, he was finally at ease knowing that all of his family memories were forever preserved with cloud redundancy.

A Friend's Shared Vision

As Geoff approached retirement from the U.S. government, he reconnected with his friend and fellow Navy intelligence officer, John Rahaghi. John had done a tour of duty serving for U.S. Digital Service at the White House, but was now at Facebook. They were both fearful of social media algorithms that obscured real life in favor of addicting users to a continuous scroll of less meaningful content. Together, they envisioned a platform where memories weren’t just stored—they were seamlessly organized, securely shared, and celebrated across generations.

Small Town Kids to Global Impact

Geoff and John grew up in neighboring small towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, influenced by the same teachers at their small high school—though seven years apart. Despite this connection, they never officially met until they miraculously wound up in the same training class to become intelligence officers immediately after 9/11. Bonded by a shared passion for data management, storytelling, and technology’s power to create positive change, they stayed connected over the years.

An Epiphany in the Cloud

While working for the Director of National Intelligence, Geoff faced the challenge of making Top Secret information accessible across 17 agencies—a task hampered by outdated methods. Initially skeptical about moving classified data to commercial cloud services, Geoff’s extensive research revealed that encrypted cloud was actuallly the safest way to protect and share priceless information. This epiphany energized his vision for how the world could better enjoy their photos & videos.

A Personal Turning Point

Meanwhile, Geoff was inspiring his son, who has a lifelong medical condition, to explore flexible work-from-home options. One day, frustrated by the lack of meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities, Geoff pointed to a shoebox of family photos his mother-in-law had sent. “Turn that into a business!” he exclaimed, realizing in that moment that he had just identified the problem that overwhelms millions of families—how to capture, curate, and connect their personal stories in a lasting way.

Launching a Startup

On April 30, 2019, driven by this vision, Geoff registered the domain https://heirloom.cloud and teamed up with John. Together, they embarked on a mission to build a company dedicated to preserving memories—not just for their own families, but for everyone around the world. Heirloom launched from South Carolina in 2022, on the day Geoff retired from active duty service.

A Legacy for Future Generations

At Heirloom, we believe that every photo, video, and memory holds a story worth saving. We’re committed to capturing, curating, and connecting these stories—ensuring they are safe, accessible, and cherished for generations to come. Join us on this journey to preserve your legacy and celebrate the moments that matter most.