Meet the Team.
Maria Kasparian is the VP of Strategic Partnerships, overseeing advocacy, US government relations, UN relations, research, PlumpyField and other partnerships. Maria has been with Edesia since the founding in 2009, and has also worn many hats, including serving as our Executive Director from 2015-2023.
Maria works closely with many international institutions and NGOs involved in nutrition programming and has followed shipments to Guatemala, Haiti, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Sierra Leone. She has a passion for both the positive effects of social enterprise in the United States, as well as the importance of drawing more attention to the issues of malnutrition and the life-long impact in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
Her prior experience includes ecology/conservation work in Madagascar with the School for International Training (SIT); education and public health-focused Peace Corps service in Bangladesh; and capacity-building at a rural development NGO (Street Survivors India) in West Bengal, India, as a William J. Clinton Fellow with the American India Foundation. Ms. Kasparian holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration, focused on International Public Service and Development, from Rutgers University.
Andrew Kamara is the Vice President of Global Operations at Edesia. In this role, he leads the organization’s manufacturing and operational efforts, overseeing production, quality, logistics, warehousing, and supply chain management at Edesia’s Rhode Island facility. He also plays a key role in driving global expansion initiatives related to Last Mile delivery and impact.
Since joining Edesia in 2009, Andrew has held a variety of roles across the organization, contributing to its growth and operational excellence.
Before Edesia, Andrew spent two years at Coca-Cola Enterprises as a mid-level Distribution Resource, managing delivery, storage, and distribution operations for a broad portfolio of bottled beverages. He also worked for six years at United Natural Foods, serving as both a Quality Assurance Specialist and a Supervisor in grocery and repackaging operations.
Andrew holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Connecticut and an Advanced Diploma in Electronics from NIIT in Accra, Ghana.