Nappina Sampath is the Regional Director, Asia at RestoringVision, where she leads the organization’s work to expand access to clear vision across the region. She works with governments, NGOs, eye-care institutions, and private-sector partners to design and scale programs that bring near-vision glasses to underserved communities and integrate vision care into broader health and livelihoods systems.

Nappina brings more than two decades of experience across strategy, program management, partnerships, social innovation, and leadership. Before joining RestoringVision, Nappina led partnerships and engagement at The/Nudge Institute, where she worked with foundations and corporations to scale programs addressing complex development challenges. She was also the inaugural head of The/Nudge Institute’s Indian Administrative Fellowship, supporting senior leaders to advance governance reforms and foster innovation in public systems.

Earlier in her career, Nappina co-founded and led pioneering design ventures, including one of India’s early multidisciplinary social design practices. As a design entrepreneur, she supported and participated in human-centered design and social innovation initiatives, including work undertaken in collaboration with global design leaders such as IDEO. She subsequently served as Executive Director at EQUiTOR Value Advisory, where she led strategic consulting engagements for companies and nonprofits across India and Southeast Asia.

Nappina holds an undergraduate degree in Design from Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology and postgraduate-level studies from SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan.

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