MADELAINE VANDERHEYDEN
Madelaine VanDerHeyden
Senior Marketing and Storytelling Manager at The Wellbeing Project
Paris,
France
Madelaine is a skilled marketing and communications professional passionate about using storytelling to encourage community in our pursuit of social change and sustainability. From a family of artists, musicians, and writers, Madelaine’s love for storytelling is deeply personal; as a conscious citizen and yogi, her passion for human unity is as well.
Madelaine’s connection with The Wellbeing Project started in 2020 after her year spent abroad in Auroville, India, where she researched compassionate communication in sustainability and social change organizations. Curious about the inner, affective experience of communication and development, she found the Project and its motto, ‘wellbeing inspires welldoing’, which spoke deeply to her research and personal experiences. Today, she is thrilled to be reunited with the Project and join the Storytelling Team.
In her career communicating across a variety of media — including broadcast television, print journalism, and digital channels — Madelaine brings a dynamic approach to storytelling which allows her to effectively engage diverse audiences ranging from women’s self-help groups in rural India to international corporations to the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
She has a Masters of Arts in Global Communications from the American University of Paris, and a Bachelors of Art in English and International Affairs from the University of Washington.
In her free time, Madelaine can be found practicing (and teaching) yoga, reading, hiking, leisurely walking the streets of Paris, and FaceTiming with her family and dog back home in sunny southern California.
What does inner wellbeing mean to you?
Peace.
How would you define wellbeing in one word?
Blossoming.
Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?
Joyful movement, intuitive eating, getting a full night’s sleep, therapy, mindful walking, and artistic creation.
Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?
Wellbeing, to me, is the root of all peaceful experiences on this earth. It brings us back to our roots to help us truly know who we are, how to live in community with others, and see what type of world we want to live in. With wellbeing in our minds and hearts, we can awaken from the dream of human unity and live in real harmony with each other and Mother Earth.
