The Collaborative Speakers Bureau
CEOLC’s Inclusive End-of-Life Community
Welcomes All & Educates Many
With tenacity of spirit, passionate courage and warm generosity, the Collaborative’s members are committed to culturally changing the way we think, feel and talk about death. Rather than avoiding even the mention of what has become taboo in modern times, dying is the one thing we all have in common, so why not talk about it openly?
We are aware this is a big ask. Sweeping change doesn’t happen quickly, but this is how it begins. We are working toward an evolution of the heart, and we understand that the seeds planted today may not bear fruit for generations, but we plant them anyway. And we show others how we did it, encouraging them to make it their own—continue this work in their own way.
The humble knowledge and hard-won wisdom earned through failures and successes, noble dreams and harsh reality-checks have positioned Collaborative members to share their experiences, teach the curious, reach the resistant, and call for a new way of living that respects, but does not fear, the inevitable. Death is the most natural part of life, and honoring it with dignity and grace can deeply enrich the way we live.
If you or your organization would like a Collaborative Member to speak at your event, teach a workshop or class, offer a presentation about the end-of-life work we do, please search our speakers by topic or contact us for a customized program.
Kerry Arquette
Kerry Arquette is an experienced speaker well known for her ability to craft talks for a wide range of audiences. She has been featured at the National Mensa Convention, on national podcasts, and for students in high school through university. Kerry, a certified death doula, holds a M.S. in Criminology. She looks for opportunities to talk about the work of end-of-life midwives, and a process of systematically preparing for death emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Kerry also lectures on the history of dying and death in America—a history that culminated in the creation of death doulas.
As a criminologist, Kerry explores the subject of dying while incarcerated, and how death doulas might play a role in easing the passing for the convicted who die without family support. Finally, Kerry believes death—the elephant in the middle of the dining room table—should be talked about. She mediates organic group discussions on death and dying. Kerry’s talks have been called “compelling, informative, and life-changing.”
Past speaking engagements include: The Chicago Mensa Convention, University of Colorado Denver, Colorado Community College, Southwest Writer’s Convention, and more.
Emily Nelson
Emily Nelson is the Founder of Be a Tree Cremation, one of the first water cremation (alkaline hydrolysis) facilities in Colorado. She offers expertise in eco-friendly cremation and entrepreneurship. Emily has presented for numerous executive groups in her previous role at Service Corporation International as well as educational forums within the death care space. With nearly 10 years of experience in marketing for the healthcare and death care industries, she can speak to consumer trends and reaching customers in an ever-evolving space.
“As a Pioneer in the alternative/ “green” funeral industry, Emily Nelson has been an asset to have as a guest speaker for our DeathWives students. Her bold work in bringing water cremation to Denver is refreshing and environmentally impactful.” -Erin Merelli, Founder of DeathWives
Sara E. Stewart
As people go from home health care, to nursing homes to hospice, advanced care planning documentation completions increase. In 2020, Advanced Directive completions among black patients increased by 41 percent, yet this number is still less than non-persons of color. My speaking addresses this disparity and works to align end-of-life care preferences and documentation for all people.
I have had the honor to be a featured presenter at The Center for African American Health Annual Collaborative Health Fair and for the Colorado Black Heath Collaborative Annual Family Black Party. As an advisory board member of the Mental Health Center of Denver Dahlia Campus, I have had the privilege to speak on several issues related to health and wellness. I have run several online programs. The most successful is named, Incarceration to Transformation, where the incarceration is by a person’s own self-inflicted limitations. My public speaking style is more conversational and less like a presentation.
Dianna Vagianos Armentrout
Dianna Vagianos Armentrout offers workshops and classes on grief and loss. Her class on Pregnancy and Infant Loss is modeled after her book Walking the Labyrinth of Heart: A Journey of Pregnancy, Grief and Newborn Death which details her pregnancy and grief journey of receiving a life-limiting diagnosis for her unborn baby mid-pregnancy. Her book has helped people let go of their loved ones at the end of their life, including Kirsty Reyes who said Dianna’s words helped her take care of her mother who was dying of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Additionally, Dianna teaches poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction. She has spoken to many audiences on poetry and other topics related to creative arts in her career. She currently has classes on grief, motherhood and gardening open on her website http://www.diannavagianos.com.
Vanessa Johnston
Vanessa Johnston has delivered many successful presentations for all types of organizations, from small church groups to the statewide Colorado Guardianship Association. As an End-of-Life Doula, her passion lies in describing the many facets of the modern Death-Positive Movement. This new approach to death and dying attempts to demystify the process that is the natural final milestone for everyone. She can clarify the toxic history of embalming and introduce audiences to recent advances in funeral practices, such as more ecological choices like green burials and aquamation. In addition, Vanessa can reveal the work of an EOL Doula and the importance of thoughtful Life Reviews and Vigil Plans. Finally, Vanessa is happy to share various resources for completing legal documents like Advance Directives and helpful tips for having difficult conversations with loved ones. Her enthusiasm comes from inspiring the public to live their best lives by embracing death.
Karen van Vuuren
Karen van Vuuren is a former broadcast and print journalist who is co-founder of Colorado’s first holistic, natural funeral home – The Natural Funeral (thenaturalfuneral.com) serving the Boulder-Denver metro area and beyond. Twenty years ago, Karen founded a non-profit, Natural Transitions to educate about and support families with natural death care. She has edited the organization’s biannual magazine, led regular natural death care workshops, and national death care related events on green burial and home funerals, cofounding The National Home Funeral Alliance. Karen is also a documentary-maker whose award-winning hospice films are Dying Wish (dyingwishmedia.com) about a dying doctor’s decision to stop eating and drinking) and Go In Peace (goinpeacefilm.org) about supporting caregivers working with terminally ill veterans with PTSD.
Cindy Kaufman
Cindy Kaufman offers audiences her wide range of skills as an educator, speaker, and international best-selling author of “The Mortal’s Guide to Dying Well – Practical Wisdom From an End of Life Doula.” Cindy’s end-of-life experiences working directly with patients and families spans more than 25 years, giving her a breadth and depth of knowledge that allows her to create presentations, seminars, webinars, and courses befitting audiences of any size or variety. Sample topics range from advance care planning, end-of-life doula care, how to plan for dying well, designing your final days and hours of life (vigil planning), home funerals and green burials, caring for the caregivers, and much more. Feedback comments on past events include, “exceedingly well-presented,” “amazing information” and “gracious and loving.” If you are needing a topic not listed above, Cindy can craft something special and unique for your organization or community group.
Listen to Cindy’s interview on Boise State Public Radio: Death Doulas Give Time To Those Running Out Of It | Boise State Public Radio
Skipton Reynolds
Skip Reynolds is passionate about educating families so that they have more information to make better decisions regarding their estate planning. He believes that with more knowledge families can have more choices, control, and protections both during and after life to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
As a seasoned speaker, Skip offers bi-monthly informational workshops (in-person & Zoom) surrounding estate planning topics such as Powers of Attorney, Wills, Trusts, Asset Protection and Medicaid asset protection planning.
Skip is also available and has done numerous small, private educational workshops for families, small groups, small companies and professionals such as realtors, financial planners and CPA’s.
Skip is the former host of The Estate Planning and Elder Law Hour which ran for four years on a local radio station.
Lorane Wilson
- The Myths of Grief
- Anticipatory Grief – the grief that steals our todays
- Helping Children With Loss
- Grief in Aging
- Pet Loss and Grief
As a certified Grief Recovery Specialist, I am happy to speak about:
- The Myths of Grief
- Anticipatory Grief – the grief that steals our todays
- Helping Children With Loss
- Grief in Aging
- Pet Loss and Grief
Mission & Vision Statements:
My goal is to offer tools of healing for anyone experiencing a grief event in their life. To normalize the feelings of grief and bring the discussion into normal conversation. To equip parents, teachers and anyone working with children tools to help children with loss. To open the conversation on death and dying in our communities and families to help us create a Spiritual event instead of a medical event.
Ed Gazvoda
Ed Gazvoda is a maverick in the funeral industry. He founded both Sustainable Funeral® and Fireless Cremation™ to bring Alkaline Hydrolysis 2.0™ to the world. His tell all speaking style led to his winning the 2020 Denver Startup Week Pitch Competition’s $100,000 prize pool. Even mortals who fear the topic of death find themselves enjoying, yes even laughing, as he compares the ecological impact of various end-of-life options. Discover what you need to know about funerals, embalming, burial, cremation, composting, and alkaline hydrolysis.
Jamie Sarche
My calling is helping people be less afraid of death. By helping them to provide their loved ones with a planned and funded funeral or memorial service, they create a path for bereavement, long before it’s need. Truly, I help people live a better, more meaningful life.
A seasoned speaker, I bring deep experience in death care to a broad range of audiences around the country, sharing insights and approaches on how to have those difficult conversations and how to address sensitive issues. Extending well beyond death and dying, my message resonates across industries and individuals, bridging my passion to demystify death while enlightening communicators on overcoming challenging conversations.