In a senior care industry often driven by commissions and limited listings, Purple Door Finders is charting a new path with transparency, equity, and compassion. Founded by Christina Bremner and joined by Jen Lee, the company helps families connect directly with all types of senior living communities, especially smaller, often-overlooked care homes.
Their innovative approach earned them first place in the Traction Cohort of the Startup Challenge in March 2024, where they stood out for their clear mission, thoughtful execution, and potential for impact. With no referral fees and real-time listings, their platform offers a more honest, accessible alternative for families navigating senior care decisions.
In the Q&A below, Bremner and Lee share the inspiration behind Purple Door Finders, lessons from the Startup Challenge, and how they’re rebuilding trust in a system that’s long overdue for change.
Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
From Frustration to Innovation: The Birth of Purple Door Finders
What inspired you to create Purple Door Finders, and how did your background in senior living shape the idea?
Christina Bremner: I was inspired to create Purple Door Finders from a deep-seated frustration I experienced firsthand as a senior-living marketing director—repeatedly seeing families and seniors struggle with time-consuming, emotionally fraught searches when a bed needed to be found yesterday.
The origin of the name Purple Door Finders has meaning behind it. The color purple is a nod to the Alzheimer’s Association. As for “door finders,” when my two sons were young and we were on road trips, they’d eventually get bored and ask, “Mom, when are we going to get there?” I’d challenge them to find a purple-colored door—a rare and difficult sight. That search became a metaphor: helping families find their “purple door”—the senior living community that truly fits for them.
You’ve taken a strong stance against traditional online referral agencies. Can you share a moment when you realized the system needed to change?
Christina Bremner: I strongly oppose the big online referral agencies because their gated websites act like mousetraps—designed to capture family contact information rather than truly help them.
One of the largest agencies claims to partner with 14,000 to 17,000 communities. That may sound impressive, but there are over 31,000 senior living communities in the U.S., meaning families only see half of their options. The reason? These agencies only list communities willing to pay hefty referral fees—sometimes thousands of dollars.
This is exceptionally unfair because smaller homes—often converted 3-bedroom houses tucked into quiet neighborhoods—offer more affordable, high-touch care without the luxury extras like restaurants, gyms, or theaters.
These homes are some of the best-kept secrets in senior care, but the current system keeps them hidden.
In June 2024, Senator Bob Casey launched a Senate inquiry into A Place for Mom, raising concerns that it misleads families by only promoting paying partners and steering them toward higher-cost facilities. He accused the company of deceptive practices and requested disclosures on its business model. The investigation remains open.
From Hypothesis to Impact: Evolving Through the Startup Challenge
What problem does Purple Door Finders solve that other platforms or referral agencies don’t?
Christina Bremner: Our platform shows all communities, including small, independent board and care homes that are often excluded from other sites. Families get clear, unbiased access to all senior care options in one place—especially during a crisis.
- No referral fees: Communities pay a flat, affordable subscription to list vacancies. No commissions collected, ever.
- Live vacancy search: Families can search real-time availability with photos, prices, and contact info.
- Direct-to-community: Families can communicate with communities directly—there is no gatekeeping or middlemen. Discharge planners and case workers can quickly place patients into appropriate care.
How did participating in the Startup Challenge help you grow your business or clarify your direction?
Christina Bremner: The Startup Challenge helped us realize we needed to pivot our messaging to consumers. They guided us through a structured process of hypothesis testing and real-world experimentation. By creating a hypothesis, running tests, measuring outcomes, and defining success criteria, we discovered that we needed to do more than just display listings to increase consumer traffic. We learned that many users are navigating emotionally charged situations, often triggered by a medical crisis, so we added senior living counselors to provide personalized support and guidance during their search. We’re already seeing meaningful growth in user engagement.
What kind of feedback did you receive from the judges or mentors during the pitch program, and how have you applied it since?
Christina Bremner & Jen Lee: Rapid experimentation to quickly test theories and optimize results. We’ve discovered that by testing assumptions, we can prioritize scalable solutions. As a startup, our resources are scarce, and by micro testing experiments, we are able to move quickly in identifying what works and what doesn’t.
Blending Compassion with Technology
Senior living decisions can be really emotional and complex. How do your tools and resources support families during that process?
Christina Bremner: Our tools and resources are designed for clarity, compassion, and real-time support. Families can view real-time vacancies with photos, prices, and contact info—helping them make informed decisions without pressure or delays. Most importantly, we’ve added senior living counselors who provide personalized guidance during urgent situations like hospital discharges or sudden health changes. By combining technology with human support, we help families feel confident, seen, and supported every step of the way.
Our free assessment tools—like our readiness checklist, timeline planner, and financial calculator—can be found on our Resources page.
What have been some of your biggest challenges in building a two-sided marketplace with both communities and families in mind?
Christina Bremner: Many small board and care homes are unfamiliar with tech platforms or skeptical after years of dealing with expensive referral agencies. Convincing them to try a flat-fee, no-commission model meant we had to educate, build trust, and show clear results.
Families often come to us during a crisis and need help fast, so we built easy-to-use tools and added counselors to provide compassionate support.
Like any two-sided marketplace, we had to grow listings and family traffic simultaneously. Too many listings without inquiries frustrate providers; too few listings frustrate families. Finding that balance took time, outreach, and ongoing optimization.
The biggest challenge? Changing the mindset. Most of the industry is built on high referral commissions. We had to prove there’s a better, more transparent way—for families and providers—to connect without the middleman.
These challenges have pushed us to innovate faster, listen more closely, and stay focused on our mission: making senior living searches easier, more honest, and more accessible.
What makes your pricing model and business structure more sustainable and fair for the communities you work with?
Christina Bremner: Purple Door Finders offers a more sustainable and fair pricing model than traditional online referral agencies like A Place for Mom. It is built on transparency, affordability, and long-term value, not high-stakes commissions.
Unlike our competition, A Place for Mom, which charges a one-time referral fee averaging $5,400 (sometimes up to 100–120% of the first month’s rent for small homes), Purple Door Finders charges a simple, flat-rate monthly subscription.
- no percentage cut
- no surprise bills
- no penalty for success
This model allows communities to grow sustainably, without sacrificing their margins to get noticed.
We give small, independent board and care homes the same exposure as larger providers—unlike traditional platforms that exclude or bury communities that can’t afford high commissions.
In short, our model is fairer because providers pay for exposure—not outcomes they can’t control—and more sustainable because it respects the economics of senior care, especially for smaller operators
Scaling with Purpose: What’s Next for Purple Door Finders
What are your next big milestones or goals for Purple Door Finders in the next year?
Christina Bremner: Our milestones for Purple Door Finders over the next year focus on scaling impact, expanding reach, and deepening trust with families and senior care providers. Here’s what we’re working toward:
Our goal is to triple the number of active communities on the platform within the next 12 months. We’ve organically grown across 40 states.
We’ll begin releasing market reports and data insights to help families and providers understand local trends, pricing, and availability, starting with California and expanding nationally.
Our mission is clear:
To become the go-to and trusted nationwide platform where families can find all their senior living options, from the bigger congregate-style communities to the smaller board and care homes in residential neighborhoods.
What advice would you give to other founders working on mission-driven platforms in highly regulated or sensitive industries.
Christina Bremner:
Lead with purpose, not product. Start with a clear mission that solves a real, human problem. In sensitive spaces like healthcare, housing, or senior care, your mission isn’t a marketing line—it’s the compass that guides your toughest decisions.
For us, it was about giving families transparent access to care options, especially those hidden by outdated systems.
Respect the system but, be ready to challenge it. Understand the regulations, but don’t be afraid to question industry norms that no longer serve people.
Referral commissions were “standard,” but we saw how they excluded small homes and misled families, so we built a better way.
Design with trust, transparency, and empathy. When people are vulnerable—emotionally, financially, or medically—how you build matters. Prioritize clear language, ethical practices, and human support.
In our case, that meant removing lead forms, listing all options (not just paying ones), and offering human help rather than sales scripts.
Final Thought: If you’re solving a broken system, be prepared for resistance—but stay grounded in why you started. In mission-driven work, integrity is your most valuable asset.
Wrap-Up
Purple Door Finders is not just a tech platform, it’s a values-driven movement advocating for fairness, transparency, and compassion in senior care. As Christina and Jen continue to grow their reach and refine their services, their work is a powerful reminder of what happens when entrepreneurs lead with empathy and stand up for the underserved.
Interested in more Startup Stories? Check them out here.