Martha Stewart and Hint Co-Founder & CEO Yih-Han Ma at Fast Company Innovation Festival [Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company]


Gotta be honest. I was in a funk. My 98 year old mom has fallen 11 times in 10 months. She’s never broken a bone or even bled. In fact, a chunk of my stand-up routine [did I mention I do stand up here in NYC?], is entitled, “My mother is never going to die.” She’s absolutely indestructible. 

We’ve been to the ER countless times and the trips between her apartment, assisted living facility and the rehab center have really dragged me down. Thankfully she’s OK, but I was depressed thinking about what could have happened.

Two weeks ago, I attended the mecca of Innovation in NYC – the annual Fast Company Innovation Festival. This was my 4th year and it did not disappoint: Tyra Banks, Selena Gomez, Elizabeth Banks and Russell Wilson, on the celeb front. And the CEOs of Adidas, Walmart, OnlyFans, ESPN and so many more. 1000 people. Millions of ideas. The air was electric.

Then Martha Stewart stepped onto the stage –standing room only. She has been an extraordinary storyteller for decades. She took the ordinary parts of life, cooking, gardening, decorating, caring for a home, and made us see them differently. Author of 102 books. Last year’s Sport’s Illustrated swimsuit cover girl. At 85, she’s telling a new chapter of that story.

Innovation leaders know that some of the hardest problems to solve are the unsexy ones hiding in plain sight. She came to the Festival to launch HINT (short for Home Intelligence), a new AI platform for homeowners.

Her vision for HINT actually started decades ago: “The subject of living is complicated, and the subject of taking care of one’s home… I thought we can use the computer for this.” Long before AI, Martha imagined technology helping homeowners manage everything from utilities and roofs to paint and warranties. When she found the right team, she revived the idea.

Her brand promise is now embedded in the product: make home care expert, elegant and accessible. Investor and advisor Brian Kelly, The Points Guy, brought the homeowner’s anxiety into focus: “I firmly believe the homeowner is stressed out, but does not have enough resources. HINT gets ahead of home maintenance… so you don’t pay a contractor three times the price.” He also sees another potential benefit: “I believe HINT homes will sell for more,” because homeowners can document improvements and prove stewardship.

It’s like being able to text Martha Stewart all your homeowner questions. 

For innovation leaders, there’s a lesson in there. Find the anxiety hiding in plain sight. Combine lived expertise with technology, build trust into the product, and remember that a great innovation story doesn’t have to start from scratch. You might just be in your 4th or 5th evolution now.

Same goes for me. I was a ball of anxiety in plain sight. But Martha’s unquenchable thirst for learning was inspiring. Her ability to re-invent herself every decade from caterer to convict to CBD entrepreneur with Snoop Dog and now AI platform developer, snapped me out of my funk and got me to ask, “What’s next for me and mom?” 

She’s diving into rehab. I’m setting my sights on my next chapter, because the innovation stories never stop.