Unlikely Collaborators Sponsors Free Speaker Event in Santa Monica: "What Loss and Grief Teach Us About Life" with Dougy Center's Brennan Wood & Dr. Donna L. Schuurman

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Unlikely Collaborators will host a Spark Salon featuring grief experts Brennan Wood & Dr. Donna L. Schuurman on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET. In What Loss and Grief Teach Us About Life, Wood and Schuurman invite audiences into the often-invisible narratives of kids who are grieving, how they make sense of loss, what they internalize, and the stories they carry forward. Together, they'll explore the power of witnessing grief, in ourselves and others, without trying to fix it, how presence itself can be healing, and what it means to be truly "grief-informed." Drawing from personal experience and decades of leadership in the field, the speakers will share practical reflections and hard-earned wisdom on how grief, when named and honored, can expand our understanding of resilience, empathy, and the human experience.

The Spark Salon will be held in person at Unlikely Collaborators' Santa Monica headquarters and livestreamed online. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for a reception. The program begins promptly at 7:00 p.m., followed by a book signing and reception at 8:00 p.m. In-person attendees will receive a complimentary copy of A Kids Book About Grief by Brennan Wood or Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent by Dr. Donna L. Schuurman.

This Spark Salon is both a community gathering and a thought-provoking conversation that illuminates how grief can transform how we see ourselves and the world, shaping identity, meaning, and connection in profound ways.

Admission is complimentary through Unlikely Collaborators' support, but registration is required.

Register now to secure your spot

Event Details

What: Spark Salon – What Loss and Grief Teach Us About Life with Brennan Wood & Dr. Donna L. Schuurman
When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | Doors open 6:00 p.m., Program 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Unlikely Collaborators Headquarters, Santa Monica, CA + livestream
Cost: Free (registration required)

About Brennan Wood & Dr. Donna L. Schuurman

Brennan Wood walked through the doors of Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families in 1987, when her mother, Doris, had died just three days after her 12th birthday. Her journey came full circle when she became Dougy Center's Executive Director in 2015, after serving in a variety of roles since 2004. Brennan is the author of A Kids Book About Grief and delivered the TEDxPortland Talk "Grief is to Feel, Not Fix." She serves on the National Advisory Council for The Children's Collaborative and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Children's Grief. Her leadership has been recognized with the 2020 Light-a-Fire Award for Extraordinary Executive Director and a 2022 Women of Influence Award. As someone who experienced grief as a child, Brennan knows firsthand the importance of a supportive community. She has dedicated her career to ensuring that other children and families who are grieving have the same opportunities for connection and care that she did. She is committed to building a more grief-informed world, where loss is acknowledged as a natural, normal part of the human experience. Brennan honors her mother's legacy of making every day a celebration.

Donna L. Schuurman, EdD, FT, is the Senior Director of Advocacy & Education at Dougy Center. Dr. Schuurman was the Executive Director of Dougy Center from 1991 to 2015. She is an internationally recognized authority on grief and bereaved children, teens, and families, and the author of Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent (St. Martin's Press, 2003), among other publications. Dr. Schuurman has written extensively on topics related to children who are grieving. Her articles and contributions have appeared in scholarly journals and textbooks, and she has been interviewed as an expert on the subject by Redbook, The New York Times, SmartMoney, USA Today, and many other consumer publications. She has worked directly with families and communities impacted by large-scale tragedies and natural disasters including the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), Japan's Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995), the 9/11 attacks, the Tohoku Earthquake (2011), and the Sandy Hook school shootings (2012).

About Spark Salons

Spark Salons are a signature program of Unlikely Collaborators, the nonprofit founded by Elizabeth R. Koch. These gatherings bring together grantees, researchers, artists, and collaborators for conversations that challenge perspectives and deepen connections. Past speakers have included illusionist Harris III, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, nutrition therapist Kim Shapira, MS, RD, mythologist John Bucher, Harvard Business School professor and author Michael Norton, PhD, visionary violinist Vijay Gupta, chef and entrepreneur Ellen Bennett, artist Candy Chang, and digital workplace expert and author Alexandra Samuel, PhD.

Watch the Spark Salons Trailer

About Unlikely Collaborators

Unlikely Collaborators is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people see themselves and the world more clearly. Founded by Elizabeth R. Koch, the organization is built on the Perception Box™ framework, which explores how our unconscious lens shaped by our experiences, beliefs, fears, and identities affects the way we interpret the world. By becoming aware of our Perception Box, we can take the first step toward real change.

SOURCE Unlikely Collaborators