Contributors

Aisha Adkins

Advocate, Storyteller, Family Caregiver; Founder, Our Turn 2 Care

Dr. Chris Adrian

Pediatric Palliative Care Physician, Novelist

Prince Aidoo

Teenage Cancer Survivor

Sophie Andrews

CEO, The Silver Line

Adimika Meadows Arthur

Change Agent, Innovator

Alua Arthur

Death Doula, NY Times Bestselling Author

Sara Auster

Sound Therapist, Author

Rana Awdish, MD MS FCCP MACP

Medical Director, Author

Tony Back, MD

Physician and Psychedelics Researcher

Jeremy Bailenson

Founding Director, Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Stanford

Justin Nathaniel Baker, MD

Pediatric Palliative Physician

Justin Baldoni

Actor, Director, Producer

Jonathan Bartels

Nurse; Creator, The Medical Pause

Patricia Beirne

Randi Belisomo

Journalist; Co-Founder, Life Matters Media

Barbara Beskind

Designer, Inventor, Occupational Therapist

Natasha Billawala

Barry Blechman

Nuclear Policy Expert, Think Tank Founder (1943-2025)

Rebecca Blum

User Experience Researcher

Warris Bokhari, MD

Champion for System Change

Anthony Bossis, PhD

Clinical Psychologist, Psychedelic Researcher, NYU

Nikki Boyer

Emmy® Award-winning host and Emmy-Nominated Executive Producer

Laurel Braitman

Author, Educator

Frish Brandt

Letter Midwife, Founder of LASTING LETTERS

Lindsay Brant, RN

Critical Care Nurse, Integrative Therapist, Death Doula

Alexandra Breckenridge

Actor

Yvette Nicole Brown

Actor, Director, Advocate

John Bruce

Filmmaker, educator, and practice-based researcher

Deb Bubb

CEO, Mettle Health

Dr. Josh Bullock

Sociologist

Camille Burnett, PhD

Vice President, Health Equity, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)

Ira Byock, MD

Palliative Physician, Author, Advocate

Amanda L. Carr

Registered Nurse and Death Doula

Kelly Cervantes

Writer, Speaker, Advocate

Miguel Cervantes

Actor

Anthony Chin-Quee, MD

Otolaryngologist, Author, Consultant

Fumiko Chino, MD

Radiation Oncologist, Health Services Researcher

Chaplain Betty Clark

Andy Cohen

Television Host, Producer, Author

Homesteaders Life Company

Chip Conley

Founder Modern Elder Academy, Hospitality Guru

Jessica Correnti, CCLS

Child Life Specialist, Author

Jessie Creel

Producer, Founder

Mark Cuban

Entrepreneur; Founder, Cost Plus Drugs

Sah D'Simone

Spiritual Leader, Author, Filmmaker

Roger Daltrey

Singer, Actor, Philanthropist

Simon Davies, MSW

Healthcare Change Agent, Advocate

Pieter Deknudt

Musician, Movement Builder

Rick Doblin, PhD

Founder, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Naheed Dosani, MD

Palliative Care Physician, Health Justice Advocate

James R. Doty, MD

Neurosurgeon; Founder, CCARE, Stanford; Author

Caitlin Doughty

Mortician, Author, Founder, The Order of the Good Death

Emily Downe

Illustrator

Alexandra Drane

Entrepreneur; Co-Founder, ARCHANGELS

Andrew Dreyfus

Former President & CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

J.J. Duncan

Producer, Writer, Advocate, Co-Founder

Abigail Echo-Hawk, MA

Chief Research Officer, Seattle Indian Health Board; Director, Urban Indian Health Institute

Hope Edelman

Grief Guide, Author

Osayi Endolyn

Writer, Editor

Michael Erard, PhD

Linguist, Author

Melissa Etheridge

Singer-Songwriter

Adjoa Boateng Evans, MD

Anesthesiologist, Storyteller

Rebecca Feinglos, MPP

Founder, Podcast Host, Philanthropist, Former Policy Advisor

Torrie Fields, MPH

Founder & CEO, Votive Health

Alica Forneret

Writer, Grief Educator; Founder, PAUSE

Michael Fratkin, MD

Palliative Care Physician; Founder, ResolutionCare

Dr. Stefan J. Friedrichsdorf

Medical Director, Stad Center for Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine

Eva Frye

Founder and Strategist, Two Hands Brands

Meg Gaines, JD, LLM

Founder, Center for Patient Partnerships, University of Wisconsin

Qwynn Galloway-Salazar, PhD

Founder & CEO, In Their Honor; End-of-Life Doula, Educator

Mark B. Ganz

Founder, Lion Creek Partners; Retired President & CEO, Cambia Health Solutions

Alicia Garza

Organizer, Author, Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter

Tracy Gaudet, MD

Physician, Whole Health Pioneer

Atul Gawande, MD, MPH

Surgeon, Writer, Public Health Leader

Daniel Goldberg

Founder & Managing Partner, The Palo Santo Fund

Matt Goldstein

Physician-Scientist, Entrepreneur

Samara Gordon-Wexler

Anu Gorukanti, MD

Pediatric Hospitalist; Co-Founder, Introspective Spaces

Leilani Graham

Patient advocated, writer, transplant survivor

Sarah Grifferty

Roland Griffiths

Psychopharmacologist (1946–2023)

Dawn Gross, MD, PhD

Palliative Care Physician, Radio Host

Mandi Gundersen

Sarita Gupta

Vice President, Ford Foundation; Co-Founder, Caring Across Generations

Jessica Guthrie, M.ED

Advocate, Caregiving Strategist

Nurse Hadley

Nurse, Author

Addie Hahn

Roshi Joan Halifax

Buddhist Teacher, Founder and Head Teacher, Upaya Zen Center

Dr. Sasha Hamdani

Psychiatrist, ADHD Clinical Expert, Author, Entrepreneur

Neil Hanon, MD

Psychiatrist

Jessica Hanson, RN

Nurse, Educator

Shelby Hartman

Journalist; Co-Founder & CEO, DoubleBlind

Adam Hayden

Philosopher, Writer, Brain Cancer Advocate (1982–2025)

Dr. Mellody Hayes

Physician, Writer, Founder, How We Heal

Stephen Heaviside

Michael Hebb

Founder, Death Over Dinner; Author

Susan Hedlund

Oncology Social Worker, Educator, Author

Bridgette Hempstead

Founder, Cierra Sisters; Breast Cancer Advocate

Clara Hendon

Hal Hershfield

Psychologist and Behavioral Scientist

Murray Hidary

Composer and Entrepreneur

Dr. Pamela S. Hinds

Pediatric Nursing Researcher, Children’s National Hospital

Laura Holford, RN, MSN

Julie Holland, MD

Psychiatrist, Author

Harry Hudson

Singer-Songwriter, Cancer Survivor

Michelle Hug

Patricia James

Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LCSW

Trauma Therapist, Grief Educator, Founder

Alexis McGill Johnson

President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Paule Valery Joseph, Ph.D., FNP-BC

Sensory Scientist, Author

Hospice Nurse Julie

Hospice Nurse, Author, Educator

Sebastian Junger

Author, Journalist, Filmmaker

Lucy Kalanithi, MD, FACP

Physician, Educator, End-of-Life Advocate

Arif Kamal, MD

Oncologist and Palliative Care Physician, Health Tech Founder

Julie Kaplow

Clinical Psychologist; Executive Director, Trauma and Grief Center

Barbara Karnes, RN

Award-Winning End of Life Educator, Award-Winning Nurse

Rylie Kearns

Student

Lisa Keefauver, MSW

Grief Activist, Podcast Host, Author

Pastor Corey L. Kennard

Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD

CEO & Chief Medical Officer, Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo; Author

Ayrana Khalid

Managing Director, Healthy + Wellness Practice, The Glover Park Group

Larry King

Broadcaster (1933–2021)

Amanda Kloots

TV Host, Dancer, Advocate

Glen Komatsu, MD

Board-certified Hospice & Palliative Medicine Internist

Shruti Kothari, MPH

Director, Kaiser Permanente Ventures

Bon Ku, MD, MPP

Emergency Physician, Design Educator

Ricki Lake

Actor, Producer, Filmmaker, Talk Show Host

Katherine LaNasa

Emmy Award-Winning Actress

Norman Lear

Television Writer and Producer (1922–2023)

Rabbi Steve Leder

Senior Rabbi, Wilshire Boulevard Temple; Author

Dr. Kai-Fu Lee

Computer Scientist, Venture Capitalist, Author

Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal

Psychologist, Prolonged Grief Researcher

Attica Locke

Novelist, Television Writer, Producer

Tembi Locke

Actor, Writer, Producer

Stacy London

Style Expert, Author, Menopause Advocate

Andrew MacPherson

Policy Expert, Storyteller

Peggy Maguire

President, Cambia Health Foundation

Joél Simone Maldonado

Founder, Funeral Director, Podcast Host

Aditi Mallick, MD

Kathryn Mannix, MD

Palliative Care Physician, Author

Molly Marco

Courtney E. Martin

Author, Columnist, Co-Founder

Meghan McCain

Writer, Television Host

Patrick McDonald

Director, Writer, Actor, Comedian

Tim McGraw

Musician, Actor

Nora McInerny

Author, Podcast Host, Founder

Kate Meyers

BJ Miller, MD

Physician, Educator, Author, & Co-Founder

Dr. Mindy

Megan Mooney

Child Life Specialist

Risa Morimoto

Documentary Director and Producer

Devin Sean Moss

Chaplain and Storyteller

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Musician, Producer, DJ

Fernando Murillo

Program Manager, Prison Hospice Advocate

Kennedy Murphy

Youth Grief Advocate

Michael Murphy

Architect; Founding Principal, MASS Design Group

Vivek Murthy, MD

Physician, Best-Selling Author, Former Surgeon General of the United States

DJ Nash

Television Writer, Creator, Producer

Thérèse Nelson

Chef, Culinary Historian; Founder, Black Culinary History

Tig Notaro

Comedian, Actor, Advocate

Vivian Nunez

Writer, Content Creator; Founder, Too Damn Young

Soledad O'Brien

Journalist, Producer, CEO

Lisa O'Leary

John Onwuchekwa, D.Min

Storyteller, Author, Entrepreneur

Frank Ostaseski

Buddhist Teacher, Author, Founder, Metta Institute

Patton Oswalt

Comedian, Actor, Writer

Chaplain J.S. Park

Hospital Chaplain, Author, Educator

Kirsty Parsons

Angeliki Pelehrinis

Esther Perel

Psychotherapist, Author, Podcast Host

Silvia Perez-Protto

Anesthesiologist-Intensivist; Medical Director, End of Life Center, Cleveland Clinic

Rev. Cynthia Carter Perrilliat

Executive Director, Alameda County Care Alliance

Mike Phillips

Musician

Jeremy Pivor

Public Health Practitioner, Brain Cancer Survivor, Advocate

Michael Pollan

Author, Journalist

Ai-jen Poo

Organizer, Caregiver, Author

USC Norman Lear Center Media Impact Project

Sunita Puri, MD

Palliative Medicine Physician, Author

Nii-Quartelai Quartey, EdD

Scholar, Strategist, Advocate

Melissa Reader

Co-Founder & CEO

Carl Reiner

Comedian, Writer, Director (1922–2020)

Roy Remer

August de los Reyes

Designer, Inclusive Design Pioneer (1970–2020)

Remington Rhodes

Matt Richtel

Journalist, Author

Andrya Rivera-Burciaga

Assistant Professor, Nurse Practitioner, Hospice and Palliative Care

Allyson Rockwell

Maggie Rogers, MPH

Jerrold Rosenbaum, MD

Psychiatrist; Founding Director, Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics, MGH

Stephen Ross, MD

Psychiatrist, Psychedelic Researcher, NYU

Austin Roy

Educator, Death Educator

Jared Rubenstein, MD

Pediatric Palliative Care Physician, Medical Educator

Myra Sack

Author, Founder, E-Motion

Hui-wen Sato, RN

Pediatric Nurse and Advocate

Stephen Satterfield

Writer; Founder, Whetstone Media

Jeremie Saunders

Podcast Host, Co-Founder, Sickboy

Joseph Schneier

Founder & CEO, trusty.care

Louie Schwartzberg

Filmmaker, Director, Producer

Maya Scott, MSW

David Seidler

Screenwriter (1937–2024)

Yoko Sen

Sound Artist; Founder, Sen Sound

Anil Sethi

Entrepreneur; Founder, Ciitizen

Maya Shankar, PhD

Cognitive Scientist, Podcast Host

Daniel Shaw

Anthony Shore

Maria Shriver

Journalist, Author, Founder, The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement

Claire Bidwell Smith

Grief Therapist, Author

Laura Sobiech

Author, Advocate

Rebecca Soffer

Author, Co-Founder, Modern Loss

Katrina Spade

Founder, Recompose

Dingle Spence, MD

Oncologist, Palliative Care Physician

Brad Stuart, MD

Bridget Sumser, MSW, LCSW

Hank Willis Thomas

Conceptual Artist

Hilary Thomas

Artistic Director, Lineage Dance

Tamatha Thomas-Haase, MPA

Public Health Practitioner, Podcast Host, Co-Founder

Sallie Tisdale, RN

Nurse, Essayist, Author

Teun Toebes

Humanitarian Activist, Healthcare Innovator, Author

Micah Truman

Sustainable Death Care Pioneer

Blair Underwood

Actor, Director, Producer

Ariel Ungerleider

Shoshana Ungerleider, MD

Science Journalist, Producer, Public Health Advocate

Steven Ungerleider

Darnell Lamont Walker

Death Doula, Emmy-Nominated Writer

Sarah Warren, RN

Courtney Watson, LMFT

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist

Chris Waugh

Eric Weinstein

Mathematician, Economist

End Well

Tracy Wheeler

Executive Director and Curator, End Well

Deb Whitman

EVP & Chief Public Policy Officer, AARP; Author

Sonali Wilborn, MD

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician; VP Hospice Services & Hospice CMO, VNS Health

Clive Wilkinson

Architect, Designer

Ivor Williams

Designer, End-of-Life Care Innovator

Rev. Paula Stone Williams

Pastor, Author, Speaker

Emma Heming Willis

Advocate, Author, Co-Founder, Model

Ilana Shapiro Yahdav, MPA, ACGRS

Jamie Yuccas

National Correspondent, Journalist, News Anchor

Anao Zhang, MSW, PhD

Social Worker, Associate Professor, Research Director

Jessica Nutik Zitter, MD, MPH

Physician, Documentary Filmmaker, Writer

Dr. Jessica Zucker

Psychologist, Author