Jaylnn Lassic

Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and currently based in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area, Jalynn Lassic is a dedicated licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer with a deep commitment to both her profession and her community.

With a compassionate spirit and a steady hand, she has built a respected career in funeral service, offering guidance and support to families during some of their most difficult moments. Jalynn currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the University of Michigan-Anatomical Donations Program, focusing on donor and funeral home relations. She also is a Funeral Director on staff for a Metro Detroit funeral home.

Beyond her professional role, Lassic is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Michigan Donor Family Council, The Junior League of Ann Arbor, Six Feet Over, and the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Junior Guild, further demonstrating her dedication to community empowerment and health advocacy. With strong ties to both her hometown and her current community, Jalynn embodies a balance of professionalism, empathy, and civic engagement—consistently striving to uplift those around her through both her work and her service.

We all know we should do our Advance Directive, and many of us have, but what are the chances our wishes will be followed? What can we do to increase those chances? Merilynne will present the most common pitfalls and misunderstandings of Advance Care Planning and give us real-world suggestions to complete this important task, which all adults (anyone over 18) should do.
Please note: we will NOT be completing paperwork at this presentation.

Merilynne Rush

Founder of The Dying Year and end-of-life doula

When We Die First addresses a question many people who share their lives with pets think about: What will happen to my pet when I am gone? This workshop focuses on the experience of the animal when their primary person dies or becomes unable to care for them. Grounded in grief-informed care and an understanding of the human–animal bond, this session moves beyond paperwork to explore both the emotional realities and the practical responsibilities of planning for a pet’s future. Participants will leave with clearer insight and concrete next steps to support smoother transitions for the animals who depend on them.

Cōlleen O’Brien

Cōlleen O’Brien, LMSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, educator, and founder of Blue Dog Counseling. Her work centers grief-informed and trauma-informed care within the human–animal bond, with particular focus on pet loss and supporting animal-care professionals. Cōlleen teaches at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work and provides consultation, training, and clinical services for individuals and organizations navigating animal-related loss. She shares her life with her 18-year-old chihuahua, Sis, who continues to shape both her work and her heart.

This workshop is designed for adults who are aging on their own- whether single, divorced, widowed, or living apart from family and want to shift from reacting to crises to planning proactively. We’ll explore the key areas of solo aging: managing healthcare and decision-making, creating a safe and supportive home environment, building strong social and professional networks, and planning your estate and legacy. Participants will leave with practical tools, including a “Solo Ager Audit” checklist, and guidance on building a trusted team to support their independence, safety, and well-being as they age.

Sarah Russman

Jill Mastroianni

Former estate planning attorney and host of The Death Readiness Podcast.

Angela Shook and Tracey Walker

Angela Shook is an end-of-life doula, companion animal doula and the Past President of the National End-of-Life-Doula Alliance (NEDA). She is an instructor for the doula programs at the University of Vermont and offers multiple end-of-life educational workshops and grief support groups. She is a veterinary doula with Pet Well Mobile Vet where she assists with euthanasia and the end-of-life care and support of companion animals.

Angela has received the Animal Hospice Advocate Certificate from the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). She is a certified Pet Loss Grief Specialist through the Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement. She is also the owner of Dragonfly End-of-Life Services where she provides guidance and support to the dying and those who love them across the globe.

Angela and her doula work have been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times, Well + Good Magazine and several podcasts including End-of-Life University, Best Life Best Death and Wolfie’s Wish. She is the co-author of The Doula Tool Kit: The Complete Practical Guide for End-of-Life Doulas and Caregivers.

Tracey Walker is an experienced death doula, educator, and activist dedicated to deathcare as an act of community care. Specializing in palliative, hospice, and end-of-life care for companion animals, funeral service undertaking, and Queer end-of-life support, she brings over 30 years of experience in both animal and human medicine.

She serves as an Adjunct Professor and Subject Matter Expert at the University of New England, where she teaches in the Companion Animal Death Doula, End-of-Life Doula, Building a Deathcare Practice, and Dementia-Informed Deathcare courses. Her compassionate approach and commitment to reshaping conversations around death inspire meaningful, transformative community-centered engagement.

Tracey holds deep respect for the constellation of care that surrounds each person, those we love, who love us back, and the companion animals who are part of that circle. She believes in working together within the deathcare community, lifting one another up, and creating inclusive, supportive spaces that honor all kinds of end-of-life experiences with compassion and dignity.

Tracey is also the owner of Let it Be – End of Life Planning.

Alycia Lee

Sher Ganz

Grey Allen and Sonja Moore

Michael Schofield Kaufman

Co-founder of Michigan Deathcare Collaborative and Founder of Hickory Nut Farmstead

Alycia Lee

End-of-life doula and founder of Starlight Doula.

Andrew Potere

Andrew Potere is an attorney at The TGQ Law Firm.

Ashley Inclima

Birth/bereavement doula and founder of Tides of Life Doula and Perinatal Bereavement Services.

Tony Mayotte

Founder of Jeremiah Commons

Toula Saratsis

Dain Evans

Kimberly Wamba