Whisper into the void..
In this episode, I have the opportunity to sit down with Joél Simone Maldonado and squee in her presence. We talk about her career, her story, her opinions, and so much more.
Joél Simone Maldonado, affectionately known as The Grave Woman, brings over a decade of groundbreaking expertise and innovation to the fields of end-of-life, death and grief care. As a sacred grief care practitioner, licensed funeral director and embalmer, award-winning educator and speaker, Joél is dedicated to empowering professionals, organizations and governmental agencies to create and implement culturally sensitive protocols and inclusive practices that honor diverse cultures and traditions. She serves on the Board of Directors for Compassion & Choices, is the co-chair of the organizations DEIB committee and volunteers with the African American Leadership Council and is the host of The Death & Grief Talk Podcast.
Joél is most proud of being the founder and lead instructor of The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy which specializes in providing culturally sensitive continuing education resources and training for professionals, leaders and teams; empowering them to navigate end of life, death and grief care with compassion and competence. The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy is the go to resource and training ground for those in the health, death and grief care industry seeking a meaningful professional change of pace.
Joél’s insights have been featured in numerous media outlets, including both the New York & LA Times, NPR, Inside Edition, Glamour Magazine, Good Housekeeping and many others where she has shared key perspectives on the importance of cultural competency in funeral service. Additionally, Joél has a robust speaking history, having presented at prestigious industry events such as the American Society on Aging Annual Conference (2025), Teracon (2025), the National Funeral Directors Association International Convention & Expo (2024), the Super Death Care Conference (2024), The Green Burial Conference (2021), and many other prominent gatherings in the death care industry.
