EDESIA'S FOUNDER

In 2007 Navyn Salem set out to help end the silent crisis of malnutrition for over 250 million children around the world. She first set up a Plumpy’Nut factory in Tanzania, her father’s home country. In 2009 she founded Edesia, a U.S. non-profit food aid manufacturer, to further the reach of lifesaving ready-to-use foods worldwide. Edesia’s factory in North Kingstown, RI now produces a range of fortified, peanut-based products to help UNICEF, the World Food Programme, USAID, and other NGOs working in emergency and conflict zones treat and prevent malnutrition. Since production began in March 2010, Edesia has reached over 9 million children in over 50 countries, including Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen and Syria. Navyn is a Trustee of Boston College and 2014 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She is mother to four daughters and lives in Barrington, RI.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: EY "Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Award winner in the New England region" • NK Chamber of Commerce “Non-profit of the Year” (2018) • NE Council’s “New Englander of the Year” (2017) • Bryant University’s “NE Business Woman of the Year” (2012) • Hebrew Union College's “Humanitarian of the Year” (2012) • Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute (2014) and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network

HONORARY DEGREES: Curry College (2018) • Providence College (2017) • Bryant University (2014) • Boston College (2012)