Mark van der Heijden

Working jobs as Creative Copywriter at LEMZ, advertising instructor at the JUNIOR* Academy, being board member of Dutch Young Creatives and co-founding Creatives, Cocktails & Dreams, creative entrepreneur Mark van der Heijden (1986) has been submerged in the Amsterdam ad scene for seven years.

In January 2014, Mark took the risk of trading in his job(s) for the wandering life of ‘The Backpacker Intern’, helping out agencies, brands and charities in exchange for room and board. The journey has brought him to 27 countries on 7 continents where he worked at 32 companies. Mark shared his story at TEDxTeen in NYC, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and was invited by The White House.

In February 2016, this creative risk-taker co-founded Wanderbrief, a global community where people exchange their creativity for meaningful work-life experiences abroad.