As written by the founder herself…
I decided on the name- The van Bakeren Foundation- based on a family nickname of sorts. My aunt Cynthia- a scientist and fencer- dubbed my husband and me the “van Bakerens” as a merger of our last names- Baker and van Heeckeren. While it may make the organization sound like a family foundation full of cash to donate to other great causes, that’s not the case.
I chose the name because it represents who we are in our entirety; the genetics we get from each of our parents, the relationships we develop over time (with people and animals), and the influences that our environments have on us. Therefore, the name embodies the One Health concept- look at everything as a whole, rather than to focus solely on only one piece of the puzzle.
