About the Sandgaard Foundation
What We Do
The Sandgaard Foundation supports nationwide efforts to decrease the habitual use of prescription pain medication, prevent addiction, and support victims and their families. We do this by actively supporting initiatives that create positive changes to help end the opioid epidemic.
The Sandgaard Foundation seeks to address the opioid epidemic by helping fund initiatives that save lives from opioid overdose, help people escape the cycle of relapse, and support victims and their families. We do this by creating non-traditional coalitions and actively supporting initiatives that create positive changes to help end the opioid epidemic by changing the conversation around pain and the shame and isolation that brings people into the crisis and keeps them there.
We believe that it’s time to crank up the volume on these issues as we band together to heal, talk openly about opioid abuse, work with healthcare professionals, and change the way we treat pain.
The Sandgaard Foundation to End the Opioid Epidemic was founded in 2018 by Thomas Sandgaard in Denver, Colorado.
Current and past grantees and partners include Yale University Program in Addiction Medicine, Naloxone Project, Voices Project, Junction Film, Gibson Guitar Foundation, Mobilize Recovery, and TEMPO (Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose).
“Opioid misuse and overuse destroy communities and families every hour, every day across the country. Acknowledging the problem was the first step. Now it’s time to implement an effective solution—not quietly or discreetly—but as loudly as possible… and together.”
- Thomas Sandgaard
Founder & CEO
Band Together
We take the opioid crisis seriously, and we’re not doing it alone. Academic discussions are as important as scientific ones. We will use our voice to amplify great ideas and to shout about discrepancies—helping willing individuals and groups come together for positive change.
Thomas Sandgaard
Founder
Thomas Sandgaard is a Danish-American entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist, and musician dedicated to creating meaningful change across healthcare, business, and the arts. As the Founder and President of the Sandgaard Foundation, Thomas leads initiatives aimed at combating the opioid crisis by funding programs that save lives, support recovery, and foster community resilience.
In 1996, Thomas founded Zynex Inc., a medical device company specializing in electrotherapy solutions for pain management and rehabilitation. Under his leadership, Zynex has grown from a one-person operation into a leading provider of non-invasive medical devices, helping patients avoid or reduce reliance on opioids.
A lifelong musician, Thomas has played lead guitar in numerous rock bands and continues to perform with his band, Sandgaard. His artistic pursuits complement his philanthropic efforts, using music as a platform to raise awareness and inspire action against the opioid epidemic.
Thomas holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern Denmark and an MBA from Copenhagen Business School. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018 and resides in Colorado, where he continues to drive innovation and advocate for social causes close to his heart.