Nancy Espuche is a speaker, author and mother who advocates for those living with a loved one’s substance use disorder in the workplace. She brings to light the voice of her beloved son Lucas, his strain, struggle and ultimate death–In her recent memoir, KardBoard House: My Life-Altering Journey Through Lucas’ Addiction, Espuche offers the reader a personal view, through Lucas’ and her letters to one another, about 1) the power of addiction, 2) the complexity of the human condition, and the reminder, despite all the love, that 3) no one can chart the course of another’s life no matter how hard they try. She often speaks from her personal experiences of the devastating effect of substance use for both the employee and employer offering solutions for change.

 
Nancy, a sought-after public speaker, has been privileged to share her story as the highlighted keynote at the International Employee Assistance Professional conference, the New York City Bar Antitrust Breakfast, the Lawyers Assistance Professional Retreat, Metropolitan State University, and the Chris Wivholm fundraiser in New York City where she, along with Dr Mark Thomas, Director of Neuroscience and Addiction at the University of Minnesota, spoke about addiction’s grip and its devastating effects on all aspects of life. In addition, she was interviewed by Newsweek for an international story on “Drugs, Should They Be Legalized”, the St. Paul Press, and was the guest speaker for Onward Podcast, where she addressed the losses, gains and life lessons learned living with Lucas’ long and arduous battle with opioid addiction. In November she was a presenter at the NY Bar Association, MN bookstores and is partnering again with Dr Mark Thomas to speak on “The Neuroscience of Addiction and the Gift of Hope.”