Our Mission
Deathcare is a $20B Market Stuck in 1950. We Build the Infrastructure for the Next 50 Years.
We don't consult; we build. We identify the critical gaps in the funeral industry—from fragmented cremation operations to outdated memorial products—and launch new, scalable companies to fill them.
The Analogy
The Gap We're Filling
The Past
Facility-dependent, price-opaque, and structurally outdated operations designed for a world where families visited funeral homes in person.
Our Future
Modular operations, transparent pricing, and modern delivery infrastructure built for families who now arrange everything online.
Industry Evolution
The system was designed for a world that no longer exists
Sixty years of structural change reveal the path to what comes next.
Local, predictable, modestly priced
FTC transparency mandates arrive
PE ownership rises, costs climb
Cremation default, infrastructure static
Cultural shift meets structural pressure—we're building what replaces the old model
Our Thesis
While the national chains debate lobby furniture, 65% of families are choosing cremation online and never walking through the door. This isn't a disruption—it's a fundamental market shift. We aren't here to 'fix' the old model. We're here to build its replacement.
What We're Not
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We're not building a funeral home chain
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We're not a SaaS platform
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We're not consultants optimizing margins
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We're infrastructure builders designing for decades
Joseph Demerly Bell
Founder & Principal
Joseph Demerly Bell is a third-generation funeral director with over 25 years of operational experience spanning corporate multi-site management, independent venture development, and large-scale nonprofit leadership. His career has been defined by building systems that scale, identifying operational inefficiencies before they become structural failures, and designing frameworks that withstand regulatory and market pressures.
He has led cross-functional teams, managed multi-location P&Ls, and launched new funeral service operations from concept to profitability. Across multiple states and licensures, he has worked at every level of the industry, from frontline service delivery to executive strategic planning. That breadth gives him a rare, practical view of where the infrastructure fails and how to rebuild it.
He founded Bespoke Undertakings because he recognized that deathcare doesn't need incremental improvements—it needs to be rebuilt from the foundation up. This isn't consulting. It's infrastructure work designed to endure for the next 50 years.
"The industry has been spinning its wheels in quicksand for decades, mistaking motion for progress. We're not here to push harder. We're here to build new ground."
Open Call
Join Our Board of Directors
We're assembling a board of infrastructure builders, capital allocators, regulatory strategists, and mission-driven operators who want to shape the next era of deathcare.
This isn't a ceremonial seat. It's a seat at the table of something built to last.
Former Funeral Operators
Scaled beyond single locations with operational fluency
Capital Allocators
Long-duration infrastructure investment experience
Regulatory Strategists
State-by-state compliance framework expertise
Mission-Driven Leaders
Healthcare, education, or adjacent sector experience
Interested in working together?
Start a Conversation