Monday, August 11, 2025
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, TEDxABQ will return with a bold new theme: Curiosity. This year’s event will be held at Albuquerque’s immersive Electric Playhouse, transforming the traditional TEDx experience into a multi-sensory journey of ideas, perspectives, and human connection. And one of the speakers will be Gail Rubin!
From 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM, 15 speakers will share thought-provoking talks that challenge assumptions, spark dialogue, and inspire change. Between sessions, attendees will experience interactive breaks, local food, and opportunities to connect. For those who want to continue the conversation, a VIP After Party from 7:00–9:00 PM will offer a more intimate setting for reflection and discussion.
Facing Life’s Final Chapter with Curiosity and Compassion
Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death
Among this year’s presenters is Gail Rubin, widely known as the Doyenne of Death®. Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist and award-winning educator who has spent years reframing how we approach life’s final chapter.
Her work blends research, practical planning, and a deep understanding of human emotion, guiding people to face death not with fear, but with informed preparation and empathy. Through her talks, writing, and media appearances, she has been a national voice for death literacy and thoughtful conversations about Medical Aid in Dying.
“Curiosity didn’t kill my cat, the vet gently relieved her suffering with injected medications,” Rubin says. “We offer our pets a good death, why not our people?”
She believes that by talking openly about death—through personal stories, cultural touchstones, and honest dialogue—we can remove the stigma that often prevents meaningful preparation. “We’re all on this journey,” she adds, “and curiosity can light the way forward.”
This is her second TEDxABQ talk. Gail Rubin presented “A Good Goodbye” on the Red Dot in 2015. See the video of that talk below, or watch the video here.
A Gathering of Voices
Rubin joins an extraordinary lineup of speakers, each bringing unique expertise to the theme of Curiosity—from aerospace innovation and environmental science to art, education, and community resilience. Together, these talks will offer a panoramic view of how curiosity shapes lives, solves problems, and bridges divides.
Why Attend TEDxABQ
TEDxABQ 2025 offers more than an afternoon of inspiring talks—it’s an invitation to engage deeply with ideas that matter. In the spirit of curiosity, attendees will be encouraged not only to listen but to ask questions, exchange perspectives, and consider new possibilities.
For those ready to explore topics that challenge, inspire, and expand the mind, this event promises a day of meaningful discovery.
Details & Tickets: tedxabq.com
Related
Gail Rubin, CT, is author and host of the award-winning book and television series, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die and The Before I Die Festival in a Box™.
Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist (that's a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the end-of-life and funeral planning conversation started. She "knocked 'em dead" with her TEDx talk, A Good Goodbye. She provides continuing education credit classes for attorneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals. She's a Certified Funeral Celebrant and funeral planning consultant who has been interviewed in national and local print, broadcast and online media.
Known as The Doyenne of Death®, she is the event coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival and author of a guide to holding such festivals. Her podcast is also called The Doyenne of Death®. She produces videos about the funeral business and related topics. Her YouTube Channel features hundreds of videos!
Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association. Her speaking profile is available at eSpeakers.com.
Gail Rubin has been interviewed about funeral planning issues in national and local broadcast, print and online media. Outlets include The Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, CBS Radio News, WGN-TV, and local affiliates for NPR, PBS, FOX, ABC-TV, CBS-TV and NBC-TV. Albuquerque Business First named her as one of their 2019 Women of Influence.
Sign up for a free planning form and occasional informative newsletter at her website, AGoodGoodbye.com.