I built a company that transforms us into soil when we die.It almost broke me.I learned a few things along the way.
Featured in The Death Boom, a documentary produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Eli Roth, premiering at Tribeca Film Festival June 9, 2026.
Also featured in The Life We Leave, a documentary directed by Emmy-nominated director JJ Gerber, premiered at SXSW March 2026.
As Seen In
"From Finance to Terramation: Building a Category That Didn't Exist"
Micah Truman walked away from a career in finance to build Return Home, the first terramation facility in Washington State, a company that is literally changing how humanity thinks about death.
He did it in an industry built on tradition, controlled by regulation, and deeply resistant to change. Without a playbook, without precedent, and without any guarantee it would work. This keynote is the unfiltered story of what that actually took.
What Emerges
- 1When the entire established industry refused to work with us, we opened every door and showed them everything. How radical transparency became our most powerful competitive weapon.
- 2We launched during Covid. No partners, no visitors, no revenue. The constraint that should have killed us drove us to build a social media presence from scratch. Nearly a million followers later, we had found an audience ready to hear exactly what we had to say.
- 3Every business course teaches that ethics and profit are a tradeoff. We decided to care for every child who died, free of charge. What happened next redefines everything you think you know about doing right and doing well.
Micah on Shark Tank
In 2022, Return Home appeared on Shark Tank. Micah broke the show's valuation rules, was told no by every shark, and walked away with something more valuable.
Three Talks.
One Lived Experience.
From Finance to Terramation: Building a Category That Didn't Exist
Signature Keynote
Micah left finance to found Return Home, a terramation facility in Washington State. He built it through regulatory battles, cultural resistance, and near-failure. This keynote draws from that lived experience to explore what it actually takes to build something the world isn't ready for.
- Building when market, regulators, and culture push back
- Leading through sustained uncertainty and public skepticism
- Why mission-driven companies outlast profit-first competitors
I Broke the Rules on National Television. Then Had to Lead My Team the Next Morning.
Leadership Under Real Uncertainty
Every leader talks about navigating uncertainty. Very few have stood in a room full of cameras, broken the rules in front of the most intimidating investors in America, walked off believing they'd destroyed their company, and then had to lead their team the next morning anyway.
- Lead clearly when every option looks wrong
- Maintain team trust without lying about the risk
- Tell the difference between a catastrophic mistake and a pivot that hasn't paid off yet
You're Building the Wrong Thing
How to See What You're Actually Creating
Micah spent two years building an environmental company. On the first day Return Home opened, he realized with complete clarity that he had built the wrong thing entirely. This keynote is about what happens next, and what it takes to let go of your original vision when reality shows you something better.
- Develop the perceptiveness to see what you're actually building
- Stay open to discovery when your original vision proves incomplete
- The thing you're actually building may be more powerful than anything you planned
I Left Finance to Turn People Into Soil.
Micah Truman is the founder of Return Home, a terramation (human composting) facility in Washington State that gently transforms our bodies into soil after we die, allowing our last act on the planet to be one that gives back.
He built it from scratch during Covid, with no background in death care and no roadmap. The funeral industry was hostile. Religious leaders called the process heretical. He built one anyway. Within three years he had 800,000 followers, appeared on Shark Tank, and won Washington State Funeral Home of the Year.
In March 2026, The Life We Leave, directed by Emmy-nominated JJ Gerber, premiered at SXSW. That same month, Eli Roth and Leonardo DiCaprio announced The Death Boom, a documentary directed by Jessica Chandler, set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2026. Return Home is featured in the film, which examines the pioneers reshaping how the world thinks about death.
Full Bio & Story
Bring a Perspective
Your Audience Won't Forget.
Micah speaks at conferences, associations, leadership summits, and corporate events. Availability is limited, so reach out early.