Jordan Kassalow

Jordan Kassalow is a prominent social entrepreneur and eye doctor, best known for his work in improving global access to affordable eyewear. He is the Founder of VisionSpring and the Co-Founder of EYElliance, a nonprofit organization aimed at closing the visual divide by ensuring equitable access to eyeglasses for over one billion people worldwide.14

Education and Early Career

Kassalow holds a doctorate in optometry from the New England College of Optometry and has completed a fellowship in preventive ophthalmology, along with a master's in public health from Johns Hopkins University. Early in his career, he served as the Director of the River Blindness Division at Helen Keller International.23

Contributions and Achievements

• VisionSpring: Under his leadership, VisionSpring has facilitated vision screenings for over 5.8 million individuals and distributed more than 4.3 million pairs of eyeglasses, primarily targeting low-income populations.12
• EYElliance: This organization focuses on mobilizing resources and strategies to enhance access to eyeglasses, emphasizing the importance of vision in education and economic productivity.4
• Awards: Kassalow has received numerous accolades, including recognition from Forbes as part of their Impact 30 list and the inaugural John P. McNulty Prize.12

Current Roles

In addition to his roles at VisionSpring and EYElliance, Kassalow is a partner at Drs. Farkas, Kassalow, Resnick & Associates and has contributed to various global health initiatives through his founding of the Global Health Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations.123

Kassalow's work exemplifies a commitment to leveraging social entrepreneurship for impactful change in global health and education.