Vessel-backed Heylo appoints Brian Hart as CEO to scale tech-driven disability support
Photo: Brian Hart
A new Ohio-born tech company is taking aim at one of the toughest challenges in human services: how to modernize care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Heylo, built inside Columbus-based venture studio Vessel Shipyard, has named Brian Hart, founder of the nationally recognized consulting firm ShiftAbility, as its first CEO. The company develops technology that enables I/DD agencies to deliver remote supports—combining software, hardware, and service design to expand independence while easing workforce pressure.
Why it matters
The I/DD system faces a growing crisis: shrinking staff, rising costs, and outdated infrastructure. Heylo is betting that technology, done right, can help agencies scale support without losing the human connection at the center of care.
Hart has been at the forefront of that transformation. Through ShiftAbility, he’s helped dozens of state systems and providers replace traditional in-person models with tech-enabled remote services. That experience, he says, made joining Heylo a natural next step.
“We’re not building technology for its own sake,” Hart said. “In a system stretched thin, Heylo offers a way forward rooted in dignity, efficiency, and human connection.”
Backed by Midwest venture power
Heylo emerged from Vessel, the venture firm and studio known for turning operators into founders. The company is already piloting its platform in Kansas, Pennsylvania, and New York, supported by early state innovation funding.
Vessel managing partner Will Zell said Hart was involved from the earliest stages of development.
“When we started exploring this market, Brian Hart was one of the first people we spoke to,” said Zell said. “He quickly became a key advisor and helped us shape a product offering that delivers real value to our customers.
The big picture
Heylo and ShiftAbility will remain independent but aligned — one focused on consulting and system transformation, the other on building the tech to power it. Together, the two organizations hope to shape the future of disability services by connecting field expertise with purpose-built innovation.