Cole Imperi

Cole Imperi is a triple-certified thanatologist, a two-time TedX speaker, and one of America’s leading experts on death, dying and grief. She is best known for her work pioneering the fields of Thanabotany™ and Deathwork (which includes Death Companioning™) and through her development of Shadowloss™, Shadowlight™ and Dremains™. Cole is the founder of the School of American Thanatology, which has students from 20 countries across 12 timezones. Cole has worked as a clinically-trained chaplain-thanatologist in a jail, mortuary college professor, crematory operator, hospice volunteer, grief support group leader for children as young as 3 to adults, and served on the board of a green burial startup. In addition to her work at the School of American Thanatology, Cole is currently serving as President of the 176-year-old Historic Linden Grove Cemetery & Arboretum in Covington, Kentucky, works with death-related businesses through her consulting firm, Doth, and publishes death and loss-related content. Cole is a member of the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation’s Advisory Council. Her book, A Guide to Your Grief, is scheduled to be published by Kids Can Press in 2024.