Ashley Bendiksen is a teen trauma survivor turned national speaker, award-winning activist, and leading expert in domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, resilience, and early intervention for at-risk youth. Touring the U.S. full-time, Ashley is sought after for her expertise, impacting diverse audiences from students and educators to victim advocates, law enforcement, first responders, and corporate teams. As a Top Youth Speaker®, she uniquely specializes in primary prevention and response for youth and youth-serving adults.
Despite once dropping out of college and becoming homeless due to abuse, Ashley transformed her life – returning to school, graduating as Valedictorian with a B.A. in Administration of Justice, and ultimately dedicating herself to advocacy and social justice. Today, Ashley’s lived experience is supported by 17 years of professional leadership in primary prevention, victim advocacy, early intervention, equity and social justice across education, nonprofit, legal, and government sectors. This includes being previously employed by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, supporting victims of abuse in courtrooms and on college campuses, leading major prevention campaigns for domestic violence organizations, and serving on numerous task forces for prevention and response.
Further, Ashley has been lauded for her efforts to amplify survivors’ voices and drive change. As an activist, she has spearheaded countless social change initiatives, successfully lobbied for new legislation, and held leadership and chairperson roles for dozens of nonprofit and grassroots organizations. This includes founding the Blue Hearts Project - a global storytelling platform for survivors. She is also an accomplished freelance journalist, writing on gender and public policy issues, and serves on two boards of directors, including her county’s domestic violence resource center.
Passionate about mentoring youth, Ashley also co-founded Island Youth Coaching – an agency specializing in life coaching and college consulting for teens and young adults, as well as consulting for organizations serving at-risk youth.