Our story

About Kindred

Revolutionizing funeral home management with modern, user-friendly technology

Our Mission

Funeral homes deserve modern, intuitive software that helps them focus on what matters most—serving families during their most difficult times.

At Kindred, our mission is to provide funeral management software that is both powerful and easy to use.

Built by funeral home professionals, for funeral home professionals. Kindred was designed and developed by people who understand the unique challenges and workflows of funeral service. We've walked in your shoes, which is why our software addresses the real needs of funeral homes rather than generic business requirements.

The LarkTek Journey: Decades in the Making

  • A Vision of Integration

    The seeds of LarkTek were planted in the 1980s. While still in college, and carrying on the family legacy in the funeral profession, Lance Larkin sat with a professor to discuss a bold concept: the vertical integration of the funeral profession. Lance and his family business didn't just study the theory; they built the reality. Over the following decades, the Larkin family expanded their service, acquiring floral shops and cemeteries, and establishing dedicated vault and headstone divisions.

  • The Search for the Perfect Fit

    By the late 90s, as the business grew in complexity, the need for better organization became clear. The team pivoted to digital management using a custom Microsoft Access database. While it served its purpose for a time, the family soon found themselves outgrowing every solution they tried. Whether developed in-house or with third-party partners, the software options on the market were either too rigid, too expensive, or lacked the ability to let the different divisions—mortuary, floral, and cemetery—speak to one another.

  • Bridging Heritage and Engineering

    The turning point came when the next generation joined the mission. David Larkin, having spent years in data analytics, software development, and operational management for major corporations, brought a high-level technical perspective back to the family business. He saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between deep-rooted funeral traditions and modern, scalable engineering.

  • Born from Necessity, Shared with the Profession

    LarkTek was created to be the "perfect fit" that didn't exist elsewhere. We designed a suite of products—Kindred, Orkyd, and Petra—specifically to handle the intricate workflows of funeral homes, floral shops, and monument divisions.

    What began as a private tool to help the Larkin family serve their community more efficiently soon caught the attention of the wider profession. Today, LarkTek is proud to offer these same dynamic capabilities to our peers. We didn't just build software; we built a way to keep the focus where it belongs: on the families you serve.

Why Kindred

We named our software Kindred because its user-friendly, efficient nature allows funeral service professionals to focus on what truly matters: the families they serve.

The term "Kindred" refers to familial connections that run deep. Just as you support families through their most difficult times, our software is designed to support you with that same reliability and care. By streamlining your operations, we help you dedicate more time to nurturing those essential human connections.

What We Do

Kindred is a comprehensive funeral management platform designed specifically for funeral homes. We provide web-based software that can be accessed from anywhere, with enterprise-grade security to protect sensitive information. Our platform is built with user-friendliness in mind, ensuring that funeral home staff can quickly learn and efficiently use the system.

Customizable Solutions

We understand that every funeral home is unique. That's why we work closely with our clients to customize their Kindred instance to match their specific workflows, preferences, and business needs. Our team is dedicated to ensuring your software works exactly how you need it to.

Why Choose Kindred?

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Web-Based Access

No software installation required. Access your funeral management system from any device with an internet connection.

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Secure Data Storage

Your sensitive data is protected with industry-leading security measures and encrypted storage.

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User-Friendly Design

Our interface is designed with the end user in mind, making it easy for staff to learn and use effectively.

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Dedicated Support

Our team is here to help you succeed, with ongoing support and training to ensure you get the most out of your Kindred system.

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AI That Supports Your Team

Built-in AI tools streamline everyday tasks so funeral directors spend less time on paperwork and more time with families.

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Accounting that fits your workflow

Use Kindred’s built-in accounting tools, or connect or export to QuickBooks® Online or QuickBooks® Desktop—choose what matches how your firm already works.

Meet the Team

LarkTek is built by professionals who have lived the work firsthand. From funeral service to floral operations to software engineering, our team blends real-world experience with practical technology.

David Larkin

David Larkin

President

As the President and lead developer of LarkTek, David combines elite technical capability with a deep personal understanding of funeral and memorialization operations. Originally from Salt Lake City, he earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Before building the LarkTek platform, he served as an Operations Manager at McMaster-Carr and Associate Director of Member Experience Strategy & Operations at Ro.

David's transition into the memorial technology space was inspired by his firsthand experience at his family's business, Larkin Mortuary. Seeing operational bottlenecks up close, he recognized the need for a cohesive and intuitive technology foundation. As the platform architect and primary coder, he built LarkTek from the ground up and now leads ongoing development of Kindred (funeral management software), Orkyd (floral point of sale software), and Petra (vault and headstone software). His mission is to equip funeral homes, florists, and monument builders with reliable tools so they can focus on supporting families.

Rob Larkin

Rob Larkin

Vice President

Rob brings decades of executive leadership and diverse operational experience to the team. With a B.S. in Business Management from Western Governors University and an Associate's in Accounting, he spent much of his career successfully managing complex business operations as the President of Larkin Mortuaries and its subsidiaries. A dedicated community leader, Rob has served on multiple advisory boards, including the facilities committee for The Tracy Aviary.

Outside of the office, Rob loves spending time with his wife, Robyn, their four children, and 12 grandchildren. He also brings a uniquely vibrant set of hobbies to the team: he is a former step aerobics instructor and a certified Master Gardener who loves the challenge of cultivating rare, subtropical palm trees in his Utah garden.

Brandon Glade

Brandon Glade

Director of CX

Born in Salt Lake City and raised in Houston, Brandon brings more than two decades of industry experience to LarkTek. Since graduating from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in 2001, he has worked across nearly every part of the profession, including management, crematory operations, cemetery oversight, and mortuary science education.

Brandon also holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management and a master's degree in Education from Western Governors University. After teaching and then returning to funeral home operations in Northeast Texas, he joined LarkTek in 2026. He lives in Pittsburg, Texas, with his wife, Nicole, and enjoys supporting his children, playing golf, fishing, and spending time with their dogs Gus and Lilo.

Jed Chang

Yu Di (Jed) Chang

Software Engineer

Yu Di brings a strong foundation in modern software engineering and data integrity to his work, blending technical precision with a collaborative approach. With a diverse background spanning backend development, quality assurance, and system optimization, he understands that reliable technology is built on a foundation of clean code and rigorous testing.

A graduate of Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering, Yu Di is proficient in a wide array of languages and frameworks, including Java, JavaScript, and Python. He is also an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and holds a certification in Data Science, reflecting his passion for staying at the forefront of industry-standard principles and emerging technologies. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, playing basketball and golf, and exploring new foods.

Kylie Tanner

Kylie Tanner

CX Specialist

Kylie brings a lifetime of hands-on experience in both the floral industry and her family's business, Larkin Mortuary, to her role at LarkTek. After years spent supporting families and crafting meaningful experiences, she understands this profession is built on care, trust, and compassion.

Today, she bridges traditional customer service and modern technology. Kylie pairs deep industry knowledge with LarkTek's software tools to help funeral and floral professionals evolve with the times while staying true to the values that matter most.

Melissa Anderson

Melissa Anderson

CX Specialist

Melissa's deep roots in both funeral and floral operations provide invaluable insight for the software we build. Growing up in her family's mortuary and floral businesses in Salt Lake City, she gained experience across nearly every facet of the profession, from the Rose Shop and mortuary accounting office to serving as a funeral arranger.

With an accounting background from Ensign College and a passion for helping families honor loved ones, Melissa understands the needs of death-care professionals and their partners. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor adventure with her husband Derek and their four children, including marathon and triathlon training and waterskiing at Jackson Lake in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Get Started

Ready to modernize your funeral home operations? Contact us today to learn more about how Kindred can help streamline your business and improve your service to families.

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