Meet Our End-of-Life Experts
Experts Alphabetically by Category A-B
Accepting Death & Mortality
Reviewed by SevenPonds Team
Content in development
Active Dying
Kathleen Clohessy
End-Of-Life Content Writer
SevenPonds
Kathleen served as the former Editor‑in‑Chief of SevenPonds, where she dedicated herself to exploring issues of illness, dying, grief, and healing. She has 25 years of experience as a registered nurse, caring for families and children facing life‑threatening illness. She began her career in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Nassau County Medical Center in New York, later serving as an assistant nurse manager at the Pediatric Oncology & Bone Marrow Center at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Over the years, she has drawn on her extensive professional background, compassion, and personal commitment to help others navigate difficult, life‑altering moments
Advance Directives
Jessica Empeño, MSW
National Director, Clinical Engagement
Compassion and Choices
Jessica is a dynamic and mission-driven leader with expertise in nonprofit and healthcare organizations, specializing in dementia care, end-of-life issues, and community-based program development. Drawing on her background as a medical social worker, she brings both strategic vision and on-the-ground experience to her work. As the National Director of Clinical Engagement at Compassion & Choices, she leads nationwide education and advocacy initiatives aimed at improving care, expanding end-of-life options, and empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their healthcare journey.
Alternatives to Burial & Cremation
Alkaline Hydrolysis
Philip R. Olson
Associate Professor Dept of Science, Technology and Society
Virginia Tech
Phil is PhD is a technology ethicist and Associate Professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) at Virginia Tech. Phil’s scholarship focuses on the philosophical, environmental, social, legal, and religious dimensions of technologies used to dispose of dead bodies.
Alternatives to Burial & Cremation
Burial at Sea
Krishna Singh
CEO
Sea Services LLC
Krishna is the CEO & Owner of Sea Services LLC, a company dedicated to providing meaningful Burials at Sea for over 30 years. Partnering with funeral homes and a trusted network of captains nationwide, Krishna ensures each ceremony is handled with compassion, care, and professionalism. From coast to coast, Sea Services offers families a peaceful and dignified way to honor their loved ones—combining decades of maritime experience with a deep commitment to helping people through life’s most tender moments.
Alternatives to Burial & Cremation
Cryonics
Dennis Kowalski
President
Cryonics Institute
Dennis has served as the Cryonics Institute President for over 10 years and is also a retired firefighter and a Nationally Registered EMT-Paramedic (NREMT-P) for the City of Milwaukee. He has been certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Advanced Pediatric Life Support (PALS), and as a CPR Instructor for the American Heart Association. He has spent many years teaching emergency medicine to paramedics and firefighters in Southeast Wisconsin which has helped him to bring knowledge and experience to cryonics. During his Cryonics service he has introduced many positive changes, including marketing and branding initiatives, member standby education and equipment kits, public relations outreach including many national and international interviews, organizational and operational efficiencies, facility improvements and continued growth and strength in the Cryonics Institute.
Alternatives to Burial & Cremation
Human Composting
Katrina Spade
Founder and CEO
Recompose
Katrina is an entrepreneur and designer who invented a system to transform the dead into soil. In 2017, Katrina founded Recompose, the world’s first human composting company.
Katrina has a BA in Anthropology and an Honorary Doctorate from Haverford College and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has been featured in the Guardian, NPR, Wired, and the New York Times. She is an Echoing Green Fellow, an Ashoka Fellow, and a Visiting Social Innovator at Harvard Kennedy School.
Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
Reviewed by SevenPonds Team
Content in development
Bioethics
Reviewed by SevenPonds Team
Content in development