Community Builder, Coach, Field Catalyst, Social Entrepreneur & Climate Action Lead. Obsessed with possibilities of Place.

After 14 years in Montreal, Astrid is now based in Herring Neck, a beautiful small outport community in Central Newfoundland and Labrador. Astrid is passionate about place, of nature, of being in service of community and deeply devoted to making contributions in her work to this.

Over the past almost three years she has been working with the Tamarack Institute across both Building Belonging and Community Climate Transitions networks, supporting close to 30 member communities and local changemakers on their journeys of discovering local strengths and assets, framing a shared aspiration, coming together around a common goal and developing local plans and strategies to take collective action to solve complex problems. In addition to one-on-one support and coaching for individual community champions and local collectives, she has been regularly designing, hosting and facilitating communities of practice and learning cohorts for both anglophone and francophone members. Between 2022 and 2024 Astrid stewarded the Transforming Youth Climate Grief into Action and Hope project with the Canadian Red Cross and currently hosts Tamarack’s Community’s Role in Emergency Preparedness Community of Practice as well as co-hosting the Adaptive and Resilient Communities Community of Practice. In her role Astrid is focused on developing relationships and nurturing partnerships with key sector actors and funders in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec, bridging and weaving connections and opportunities.

Prior to joining Tamarack, Astrid spent over 15 years in the private sector in operations, leadership and project management and in 2020 during the pandemic transformed her work by moving into the nonprofit world where she launched a nonprofit organization in Montreal focusing on mutual aid, and combating social isolation as well as developing a social innovation project for a fair and sustainable local delivery platform, as well as developing multiple community-centred climate action projects.

Astrid is also a bit of a serial entrepreneur, having founded six businesses since 2004 with two of these businesses still in operation today.

Astrid believes that community, connection and a sense of belonging are essential to us as human beings, all of which contribute to our wellbeing and help us thrive. She is driven by social equity and is inspired by people who work to help shift systems and better the lives of those around them. Astrid is certain that when we lead with care and in trust, we cultivate an environment where everyone is welcome to let their light shine.