Storytailor pivots its AI-infused storytelling tech into therapy tool to combat childhood traumas

Kansas City-built Storytailor has a new pitch for parents facing a world of screen time: using its tech platform as a key resource for children’s mental health via therapeutic storytelling.

Herston Fails, chief product officer for Storytailor, details changes to the platform during a demo day event for LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“As adults, we often turn to comedy, satire, or metaphorical fiction to process our emotions,” shared JQ Sirls, founder and CEO of Storytailor. “Children do this in their own way, through make-believe and imaginative play. Their world may seem simpler, but their emotions are just as complex.” 

The startup’s leaders unveiled Storytailor’s market repositioning — led by Sirls and Herston Fails, chief product officer — during a recent demo day for LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio.

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With the pivot, Storytailor’s artificial intelligence-driven platform becomes a bibliotherapy resource, Sirls said, noting its designed to help children ages 3-8 process their emotions, build resilience, and find comfort through the power of personalized storytelling.

Click here to read more about Storytailor’s selection as one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2024.

Cohort members and organizers from LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio; photo courtesy of Jacqueline Erickson Russell, Social Impact Advising Group

Stories that heal

Through a subscription-based model, Storytailor offers parents and caregivers the ability to create customized stories that reflect their child’s unique identity and experiences, Fails detailed. 

“You can define how the hero looks, their age, their ethnicity, or how they identify racially,” he said. “You can also include inclusivity traits that make them unique, like ADHD or anxiety, but the story doesn’t focus on it — it just includes it naturally.”

Such stories come with a set of off-screen activities designed to encourage family connection. 

“The objective is not to let the child sit mindlessly for hours on an iPad,” Fails continued. “This is about building a story with your child, whether it’s you, a cool uncle like me, or even a healthcare provider. It’s a way to connect.”

In addition, each story can be crafted in any language, making it accessible to non-English-speaking families and contributing to language learning. 

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Bibliotherapy: A new approach

The rebrand emerged from Storytailor’s recent partnerships with a children’s hospital, wherein the stories built by children through the platform were categorized within a new therapeutic vertical. 

“We’ve been classified as a bibliotherapy platform, which specializes in constructing stories that allow children to see themselves, so they have a better mental disposition,” said Fails. “Our platform does that over and over again, and has done it since its inception.”

This recognition of Storytailor as a bibliotherapy tool, particularly in high-stress environments like hospitals, has helped the company carve a new niche in children’s mental health. 

“We’re working with child life divisions to help in those quiet moments where anxiety or sadness can set in,” said Sirls. “The platform gives kids a safe way to express themselves and deal with emotions, using the familiarity and comfort of storytelling.”

Storytailor’s new track comes amid rising concerns for children’s mental health. The CDC reports a 31-percent increase in mental health-related emergency visits among adolescents since 2019, with suicide-related visits among adolescent girls up 51 percent.

The American Academy of Pediatrics even declared a national emergency in children’s mental health through a recent statement.

“Today’s kids face pressures we never encountered, and it’s crucial we recognize their emotional intelligence,” said Sirls. “Storytelling provides a gentle, comforting way for them to understand and manage their emotions, helping them feel supported and less alone.”

JQ Sirls, Storytailor, joins in a founder panel conversation during Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2024 seminar and reception; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

To infinity and beyond

Since its launch in 2023, Storytailor has already crafted more than 11,000 stories for children worldwide, gaining support from programs like Techstars and LaunchKC, and institutions like Google, along with multiple hospitals.

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JQ Sirls, Storytailor, speaks with a Startup Crawl attendee along Walnut Street during the 2024 Startup Crawl; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

The company’s subscription model, which ranges from $7.99 to $25 per month, is available to families and businesses alike. Moving forward, Sirls and his team plan to expand into more children’s hospitals and trust-agent institutions like schools, to reach more children and caregivers.

Storytailor is also expanding beyond digital storytelling, launching physical gift cards with 1-, 3-, and 6-month subscriptions for retail locations. Physical kiosks — “boredom zones” — will also soon appear in hospitals, schools, and car dealerships, offering personalized stories to children in stressful or unstimulating environments, Sirls said.

“Our vision is to expand into every space where children need emotional support,” he added. “We’re on track to meet our goal of reaching 5 million children by 2027, helping them process their emotions through personalized storytelling.”

As the startup rebrands its mission and expands, Storytailor is making strides in an area where emotional support for children is urgently needed, Fails said.

“We’re giving children a way to feel understood and loved through the power of stories,” he said, adding, “Each story offers kids a chance to see themselves, feel safe when scared, and find comfort in overwhelming moments.”

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