Meet Astrid Hendren
Astrid Hendren is the author of Surviving Lasts a Lifetime: A Parent's Journey through Medical Trauma, a memoir of her near-death experience. Astrid Hendren was born in The Netherlands and came to the United States after graduating from Thij College, speaking very little English. True to her entrepreneurial spirit, she launched “All Things Dutch” at the age of 25, working closely with leading Dutch companies, Ahold and HEMA and later sold the mail order company. She subsequently started an Executive Search Consulting firm, which allowed her to combine work with parenting. After surviving a ruptured aneurysm, she found her calling in non-profit. Since 2007, Astrid has been a leader in Development and Major Gifts at leading national organizations, such as the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer's Association, March of Dimes and most recently, The American Diabetes Association. In 2017, she founded a unique 501(C)(3) called Cause Fund, Inc, a social emotional learning program for schools and the workplace. Astrid is frequently called on to inspire and motivate large and small audiences on topics including health, wellness and community. In her spare time, she can be found gardening, writing, and creating art in her she-shed.
An avid windsurfer, she opened and managed a store for Europa Windsurf Inc. in Washington DC in 1986. This sparked her interest in becoming an entrepreneur herself. Working closely with Dutch holding company AHOLD, she launched the mail-order company “All Things Dutch” for just $1 in the days before the Internet and later sold the successful start-up.
In 1997, Astrid suffered a massive stroke when an aneurysm inside a malformation (AVM) in her brain ruptured.
She found solace in writing the book called,” Surviving Lasts a Lifetime,” a series of life lessons she compiled in two red notebooks to leave a personal history and a legacy for her children to guide them in case she did not survive.
Astrid lives with her husband David and mini wirehair dachshund Takkie on the South Shore in Massachusetts.
Since 2007, Astrid has held leadership positions at some of the largest national non-profits including the AHA, Alzheimer's Assoc., MoD, and ADA. In 2017, she founded a 501(c)(3) called Cause Day®. It is a social and emotional health program that offers choice regarding charitable giving, while unifying a community.
http:// www.causefund.org
Surviving Lasts a Lifetime: A Parent's Journey Through Medical Trauma is Available Now
