Deathtech for Doulas
Wednesday, August 30, 2023, 7pm – 8:30pm ET
Webinar Moderator:
Omni Kitts Ferrera | INELDA Educator and Full-spectrum birth + death doula
Webinar Guest:
Donna Byrd | Founder, BlueButterfly
Daniel Shaw | Co-Founder and CEO, Autumn
Carole Silvoy | End-of-Life Doula, Good Death Companion
Recorded: August 2023
Our April webinar is open to all annual and tier members as part of membership benefits.
Webinar Moderator:
Omni Kitts Ferrera | INELDA Educator and Full-spectrum birth + death doula
Webinar Guest:
Donna Byrd | Founder, BlueButterfly
Daniel Shaw | Co-Founder and CEO, Autumn
Carole Silvoy | End-of-Life Doula, Good Death Companion
In recent years, we have seen a rise in technology companies that provide services in the deathcare space. There are also doulas who have adopted some tech spaces to provide their end-of-life services. We welcome Donna Byrd founder of BlueButterfly, Daniel Shaw co-founder of Autumn, and INELDA-certified doula Carole Silvoy of Good Death Companion to discuss deathtech. Together we explore virtual and live-streamed memorials, resource databases, avatar-led grief groups, and how to navigate the growing resources and tools available to us.
The speakers share the experiences that drove them to seek new solutions and create digital spaces in response to how end-of-life care was traditionally being delivered. INELDA educator, Omni Kitts Ferrara, moderates an evening of conversation that explores some of the newest innovations to help doula’s support and honor the dying.
Guest Speaker Bios:
Donna Byrd is the founder of BlueButterfly, a Virtual Memorial Services and Memorial Pages company that is reinventing the funeral planning process. The company helps coordinate online memorial services that allow families to receive support from their community, honor their loved one and reduce costs.
Prior to BlueButterfly, Donna was the founding publisher of TheRoot, the #1 black news site in the US with 13 million readers. Her career began in corporate America where she worked for Procter & Gamble and The Coca-Cola Company. Upon leaving Coke, Donna began her journey as a serial entrepreneur and helped start the first of five companies.
Donna has a BA in American Government from The University of Virginia and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and serves on the boards of Black Girls Rock, The Bail Project, The Public Welfare Foundation, and the Hirshhorn Museum.
Donna has a strong sense of adventure (she has traveled to over 40 countries), a willingness to try any vegan recipe, and a passion for helping young entrepreneurs succeed.
Daniel Shaw is the co-founder and CEO of Autumn, an end-of-life marketplace that connects bereaved communities with service providers to manage life after loss. By supporting consumers with free guides and tools, and helping end-of-life providers find new customers to grow their business, Autumn is changing the way the world deals with death.
Carole Silvoy is a former American Sign Language interpreter, a singer and actor, a lay minister, and a communicator who has done work in more various situations than she can count. Twice a month she leads a Death Cafe in a virtual world called Second Life, with participants in their avatars from all over the globe.
As a doula, she also provides Holding Space sessions for individuals, and as support with other doulas to far-flung beloved folk. She lives near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which is equally north of Philadelphia and west of New York City, with her husband and three cats.
The recording of this webinar is available to Tier 2 & 3 members as part of their INELDA membership benefits. Tier 1 and Non-members who purchased access to the webinar may also view the recording.
To view a recording of this webinar [CLICK HERE]
