Leadership Insights: Turning Up the Volume on an Overlooked Crisis
By: Kyle Henderson, Executive Director of the Sandgaard Foundation
Across the United States, the opioid epidemic continues to evolve in ways that are both heartbreaking and urgent. Every day, families lose loved ones, communities struggle to keep pace with rising overdose deaths, and frontline workers do everything they can with limited resources. Yet for all the attention this crisis receives, far too many people still feel isolated in their pain, ashamed to speak openly about addiction, or unsure where to turn for support.
At The Sandgaard Foundation, we believe this silence is one of the most dangerous parts of the epidemic. Ending it requires more than medication, treatment beds, or policy change. It requires a fundamental shift in how we talk about pain, addiction, and recovery. That is why our mission is centered on creating non-traditional coalitions, elevating unheard voices, and amplifying initiatives that save lives right now.
A Crisis That Requires Courage and Collaboration
The epidemic did not begin overnight, and it will not end through the efforts of one organization or one sector. It demands leadership rooted in empathy, innovation, and relentless action.
From the beginning, founder Thomas Sandgaard envisioned a foundation that would operate differently — one willing to challenge outdated narratives, break down silos, and support bold ideas that reach the people who need help most.
Today, that vision has grown into a national network of partners, clinicians, researchers, advocates, families, and community leaders who are aligned around a shared purpose: decreasing habitual use of prescription pain medication, preventing addiction, supporting recovery, and lifting up the victims left behind.
Changing the Conversation Around Pain and Addiction
Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to progress. Too many people feel they must hide their struggle. Too many families carry their grief privately. Too many patients are left without options that treat pain safely and effectively.
This is why we are committed to turning up the volume:
Bringing conversations about addiction and overdose out of the shadows.
Supporting storytelling and media that humanize — not shame — the people affected.
Encouraging healthcare providers to rethink pain management approaches.
Uplifting communities that are redefining recovery and building hope.
Every life saved is proof that compassion and innovation work.
Supporting the Work That Saves Lives Today
Through strategic partnerships and grantmaking, the Foundation supports programs across the country that expand access to lifesaving tools, reshape public dialogue, and empower communities to respond with urgency and care.
Current and past collaborators include:
Yale University Program in Addiction Medicine
Naloxone Project
Voices Project
Junction Film
Gibson Guitar Foundation
Mobilize Recovery
TEMPO (Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose)
These partnerships reflect our belief that solutions come from everywhere — from world-class researchers to grassroots recovery advocates, musicians, filmmakers, innovators, and people with lived experience.
We intentionally seek out non-traditional alliances because the epidemic touches every sector of society. Effective solutions must do the same.
Why We Lead This Work
We are driven by a simple truth: No one should lose their life because they didn’t have access to support, understanding, or a path forward.
Leadership means raising our voices when others stay quiet. It means investing in early ideas, community-rooted initiatives, and evidence-based approaches that shift outcomes in measurable ways. It means standing with families and survivors who carry the weight of this crisis every day.
Most importantly, leadership means refusing to accept the status quo.
The Sandgaard Foundation was built to push boundaries, to challenge stigma, and to accelerate the kind of change that saves lives.
Looking Forward
As the epidemic evolves — from fentanyl to emerging synthetics like nitazenes — our work must evolve with it. The next chapter requires even stronger coalitions, more open dialogue, and a national commitment to meet people where they are with care, dignity, and practical support.
We will continue to invest in those on the front lines, elevate the voices of people most impacted, and help communities build systems of hope that last.
Because when we speak openly, collaborate relentlessly, and put people first, change becomes possible.
It’s time to turn up the volume. Lives depend on it.