THE TEAM

Life Over Dinner consists of a collaborative team of multi-disciplinary humans led by Michael Hebb.

Michael is the Founder of Life Over Dinner. He currently serves as a Board Member of Village Health Works and as Board Advisor (Emeritus) at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, is the primary editor of the COVID Paper; and in the recent past served as a Partner at RoundGlass and Senior Advisor to Summit Series, Theo Chocolate, CreativeLive, Architecture For Humanity, and Mosaic Voices Foundation. His second book "Let's Talk About Death" was published by Hachette in the U.S., U.K., and Australia in October of 2018 and Russia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Poland and Romania in the fall of 2019, and will soon be published in Finland. 

In 1997 Hebb co-founded City Repair and the Architecture firm Communitecture with architect Mark Lakeman, winning the AIA People's Choice Award for the Intersection Repair Project. In 1999 Michael and Naomi Pomeroy co-founded Family Supper in Portland, a supper club that is credited with starting the pop-up restaurant movement. In the years following they opened the restaurants clarklewis and Gotham Bldg Tavern, garnering international acclaim. He served as a Teaching Fellow at the Graduate School of Communication at University of Washington. His writings have appeared in USA TODAY, GQ, Food and Wine and numerous other publications. Michael can often be found speaking at universities and conferences, here is his TEDMED talk. 

Advisors. Life Over Dinner has a long list of advisors including: Dr. Gabor Mate, Arianna Huffington, Paul Stamets, Marshall Davis Jones, Eleanor Cleverly, Chip Conley, Monica Guzman, Richard Leider, Dr. Ira Byock, Sutton King, Bruce Feiler, Michael Franti, Dr. Elissa Epel, Marc Freedman, Dr. Shauna Shapiro, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Rabbi Amichai Lau Lavie, Frank Ostaseski and many others.


SPEAKING AND WORKSHOPS

Michael Hebb continues to speak and teach workshops at conferences and institutions around the world. Topics include End of Life, Grief, Psychedelic Medicine, The Art of Gathering and Community Building. For speaking engagements and workshop inquiries please contact:
michael@hebb.life

Past speaking and workshop events include: Obama Summit, TEDMED, World Economic Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, Summit at Sea, Summit LA17, The Nature Conservancy Annual Trustee Meeting, Forbes Health Summit, University of Sao Paolo, Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, SXSW, SXSW ME Conference Stockholm, XPrize, University of Washington, DELL Medical School, Google, Google X, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kripalu, Esalen, Deakin University, Stanford University, Alfred Health, Cleveland Clinic Patient Experience Summit, YPO, Boston University, American Academy of Religion, Global Wellness Institute, Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care, C-TAC, American Telemedicine Association, Exponential Medicine, Singularity University.


BOOKS

Let's Talk About Death (Over Dinner)

Let's Talk About Death (Over Dinner) was published by Hachette in the U.S., U.K., and Australia in October of 2018 and Russia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Poland and Romania in the fall of 2019, and will soon be published in Finland. 

Death is one of the most important topics we need to discuss—but we don’t. We know why—it’s loaded, uncomfortable, and often depressing. But what if death wasn’t a repressed topic, but one filled with possibility, a conversation capable of bringing us closer to those we love? 
 

In Let’s Talk About Death (over Dinner), Michael Hebb encourages us to pull up a chair, break bread, and really talk about the one thing we all have in common. His practical advice and thought-provoking have led hundreds of thousands of discussions—and they will help you broach everything from end-of-life care to the meaning of legacy to how long we should grieve. There's no one right way to talk about death, but with a little humor and grace, you’ll transform your difficult conversations into an opportunity of celebration and meaning, changing not only the way we die, but also the way we live. Purchase here.

"Wise, poignant, compelling--Hebb tackles hard issues with honesty and good taste. This book is food for the soul."―Ira Byock, MD, author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible

"Hebb aims to make death less taboo in all ways possible. The book ultimately offers practical advice on how to have conversations related to death, no matter the setting, yet manages to be amusing at times. This is a recommended read, to say the least."
The Hype

"A reader-friendly guide to the conversations most people avoid having...A vade mecum that will make one's reaping a bit less grim."
Kirkus Reviews

"Explores just how crucial discussions of death are to living a happy, fulfilling life. It's packed with lessons on how we can approach those conversations purposefully and effectively."
Thrive Global

The Endless Table

Recipes from Departed Loved Ones. By Michael Hebb and Ellen Goodman. 20 of our country's leading chefs share powerful stories and recipes from someone they have lost. Featuring Tom Colicchio, Ben Ford, Jasper White, Amanda Hesser, Jose Andres, Jody Adams, Michel Nischan, Naomi Duguid, Tim Ferriss, Marc Forgione, Gordon Hamersley, Kathleen Flinn, Ina Garten, Kathy Gunst and Christopher Kimball. Photography by Annie Musselman. Designed by Civilization. Purchase ebook here.


PRESS

The Atlantic: Discussing Death Over Dinner

The Guardian: ‘Remember you will die’ – and 11 other tips for a better death

USA Today: One New Year's idea: Have dinner and talk about death

TEDMED: What happens when death is what's for dinner

Al Jazeera: Rebranding Death: What is the "death positive" movement?

Forbes: Here's How We Should Disrupt Death

BBC: 'I attended my own funeral'

Boston Globe: Why you should throw a dinner party to talk about death

NPR: Let's Talk About Death Over Dinner

CNN: The Endless Table: How recipes can keep your memories alive

Forbes: Dinner Parties Encourage Talk About Death

Fast Company: The Rise of the Death Wellness Movement

The Washington Post: Death and scones: Cozy gatherings make end-of-life conversations less scary

Los Angeles Times: No one wants to talk about death, but you need to anyway

Thrive Global: Why Talking About Death Might Help You Live a Better Life

Vice: How Boomers are Planning to Die

Newsweek Poland: Death Over Dinner

Bloomberg: Death Dinners at Baby Boomers’ Tables Take on Dying Taboo

USA Today: Don't avoid planning your death.

Topic: How to Talk About Death Over Dinner, 4-part Documentary

The Journal of the American Medical Association: Building a Better Death, One Conversation at a Time

Toronto Star: Talking about death. Over dinner

The Economic Times of India: Discussing death over dinner with strangers 

Calgary Herald: Learn To Talk About Death Over Dinner

Religion News Service: A death wellness expert, wants people to plan for their end

Forbes: Why Gathering At The Dinner Table May Be The Most Transgressive - And Important - Thing To Do

Huffington Post: Death Over Dinner, The Conversation Project Aim To Spark Discussions About The End Of Life

Wall Street Journal: Taking the Fear Out of Death Planning

Washington Post: What is a good death? 

Huffington Post Magazine: Death Over Dinner

Chicago Tribune: Eat, drink be merry and talk about death

Washington Post: What is a good death?

Seattle Magazine: Why This Seattle Man Wants You to Talk About Death

Well + Good: Death Wellness

ENDWELL: Pursuit of Longevity. Michael Hebb + Eric Weinstein

Thrive Global: I Talked with a Group of Strangers About Death

Chase Jarvis Live: THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT LIFE…

The Tennessean: Death Over Dinner promotes talking, planning for end

Idaho Statesman: A deep dinnertime conversation about life and death

The Atlantic: 'Death Dinners,' a Sobering New Eating Trend

Google Talks: Michael Hebb

KIRO Radio: Are you prepared for death?

HIMSS TV: Healthcare Edition Beta Launches

Chicago Tribune: Preparing for death doesn’t have to be scary

The Health Report: Death over Dinner comes to Australia

ABC Australia: Death over dinner with Dr Norman Swan

The Project: Death Over Dinner

ABC Lateline: An unusual dinner party

The Examiner: Acceptance of death part of conversation

Huffington Post Australia: The Gentlest Revolution Imaginable

Seattle Magazine: Seattle, It's Time to Talk About Death

Thrive Global: Has death become a fad

The Courier Mail: We need to talk about death

Daily Mail: Death at the dinner table

New York Times: At the End of Life, What Would Doctors Do?

Brainstorm Health 2018: Why Don't We Talk About Death?

The Week: Happiness Hopefuls

Seattle Times: Let's have dinner and talk about death

Memorial Sloan Kettering: How to Talk to Your Care Team and Loved Ones about Dying

Mind Body Green: 7 ways to throw a green dinner party

Thrive Global: Let's Have Dinner and Talk About Death

Seattle Magazine: Seattle's Idea-Sharing Explosion

The Stranger: A New Career in a New Town

Life Death Law Podcast: Death Over Dinner

Thrive Global: If You Struggle to Talk About Death, Read This

Boston University: Changing the Conversation

Lion’s Roar: 7 Life and Death Questions

The Numinous: FACE YOUR FEARS…AT A SEX, DRUGS AND DEATH RETREAT

Bustle: I Simulated My Own Death & Here's What I Learned

Kirkus Review: Let’s Talk About Death (Over Dinner)

Thrive Global: Have a Heart

NPR: Let’s Talk About Death

The Health Care Blog: Excerpt from the Book Let’s Talk About Death (Over Dinner)

ABC Radio Australia: Let's Talk About Death Over Dinner

Next Avenue: What We’ve Learned in Two Decades Without Morrie

The Bookworm: This book will help you talk about death with loved ones

PBS: How do you want to die? 

EPOCA: TO EXPERIENCE DEATH INVITES US TO TALK ABOUT IT

THINK Radio: Have This Talk Before It’s Too Late

Kripalu: Why We Need to Talk About Death

New York Times: Zen, and the art of dying well.

KQED: How To Have Effective Conversations About Death

Eterneva: Death Wellness 101

The Wrap: How Hollywood is Embracing End of Life

World Magazine: Books on life and death

WIRED: Mortals Anonymous

Fast Company: At Death Over Dinner, The End Of Life Gets Intimate

Forward: What We Talk About When We Talk About Death

Tablet: Let’s Talk About Death

PBS InFocus: Michael Hebb

UWTV: Table Talk

ABC News: Let's Talk About Death Over Dinner

Thrive Global: 9 books that helped us Thrive in 2018

Dr. Oz Show: Dr. Oz announces partnership with Drugs Over Dinner and The Surgeon General

Huffington Post: Why Strangers Are Coming Together To Discuss Tough Subjects Over Dinner

Hospice News: How I Would Choose to Die

Las Vegas Review Journal: the most important conversation nobody’s having

CrossCut: How to Die a Good, Green Death

The Stranger: Have Dinner with Your Muslim Neighbor

The Washington Post: A Muslim Cook Wanted to Stop the Hate

NBC News: Defying Muslim Stereotypes at the Dinner Table

Mind Body Green: Why Death is Becoming an Integral Part of Wellness

Wise Bread: Why You Should Throw a Dinner Party to Talk About Death

Forbes: Summit LA17 Takes Over Downtown

GOOD: Summit and L.A. Chargers Help Rethink How To Feed The Hungry

Elle: My Woke Hot American Summer: 72 Hours at Male Feminism Camp

GOOD: Tables to Change the World: An Interview with Michael Hebb

JTA: Seder2015

TABLET: Reinventing the Seder

Jewish Journal: Seder2015 hopes to bring millennials to the Passover table

Seattle 100: Michael Hebb

New York Times: Outrageous? He's heard that before

Food and Wine: What's Eating Portland's Food Provocateur?

The Oregonian: Restaurant of the Year

The Stranger: New Career in a New Town

Seattle Times: One Pot

Portland Business Journal: Clarklewis

REED Magazine: A Moveable Feast

Post Gazette: Kitchen Not So Confidential

NY POST: Entree New

LA Times: Food Underground

Food and Wine: An Insider’s Guide to Seattle’s Outsider Chefs

New Yorker: Toques From The Underground

TV24 Poland: Death Over Dinner

Polityka Poland: Let’s Talk About Death

Thrive Global: Need Some Dinner Conversation Topics? How About Death

Well and Good: Death Positivity Movement

Deccan Chronicle: Death Over Dinner

Bevival: Exit Interview

TEDx: Table Making

Policy Genius: Ask A Genius

Dance Past Sunset: Death Over Dinner

ENDWELL: The Pause

Exponential Medicine: Talking About Life Death and Joy

The Stranger: Message to the City

The Motley Fool: How to Talk About Death

Fatherly: Let’s Talk About Death — At the Dinner Table

Builtin Seattle: This Seattle Entrepreneur Is Changing How We Talk About Death


Podcasts

The Art of The Hustle

Cal Fussman Podcast; Talking About Death is Medicine

Mantalks: What Death Can Teach Us

CreativeLive: The Most Important Conversation

Zestful Aging: Death Over Dinner

EvryMan: Women Teach Men

Are you being real? Michael Hebb

The Motley Fool, Let’s Talk About Death Over Dinner

The Motley Fool, a recorded Death Dinner

What’s The Big Idea: Talk About Death

The Heart of Hospice: Death Over Dinner

How We Got Here: Michael Hebb

Face to Faces: Michael Hebb

The Kibitz: Death

Ask a Doula: Talking Love and Death

Dying Your Way: Death Over Dinner

Town Hall Podcast: Michael Hebb and Lesley Hazleton

Art of Manliness Podcast: Michael Hebb

LIFE/DEATH/LAW Podcast: Death Over Dinner

End of Life University Podcast: Death Over Dinner

The Good Living Podcast: Death Over Dinner

Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch

What’s the Big Idea

The Mourning Meeting

We’re All Going to Die Anyway

40 for Tea

Care By Design

Shine Podcast: 5 days to Live and Die

Glowing Older

Hey Boomer