About Us

Eradicating Corneal Blindness

KeraLink International (KLI) is a forward-thinking non-profit, 501(c)3 organization singularly focused on bringing clinicians, technology innovators, health care providers, philanthropists, and investors into a coordinated, collaborative effort to eradicate corneal blindness in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs).  Originally founded as the Maryland Eye Bank in 1962 and later known as Tissue Banks International, KLI dedicated itself to eliminating the waiting list for corneal transplants in the United States.  By 2019, collaborating with other eye banks, we achieved that goal and had become one of the world’s largest providers of sight-restoring ocular tissue and an innovator in tissue processing technology.   These were monumental achievements. However, we realized that what worked in the United States and other developed countries was not likely to work in regions where treatment is most needed: LMICs.  So, we sold our banks and transformed ourselves into the only organization in the world solely committed to eradicating corneal blindness in LMICs.

The challenge: for cultural, religious, and financial considerations, corneal transplants are not an option for most people living in LMICs. As a result, corneal blindness afflicts millions in these countries, particularly the young, crippling their economic prospects, isolating them socially, and sometimes even leading to their early death. 

Today, KLI is addressing corneal conditions in LMICs through:

  • Preventing injuries and infections that may lead to corneal blindness;
  • Early detection and rapid treatment that stops corneal conditions from advancing to vision loss; and
  • Novel therapies, like alternatives to human tissue transplantation, to preserve and restore sight that will be priced affordably and produced sustainably in LMICs.

Through this “PEN” approach, KLI is rewriting the narrative of corneal health, fusing the efficiency, scale, and affordability of proven market-based practices with the compassion of philanthropy.

As part of this effort, we engaged David Green, a healthcare entrepreneur and MacArthur fellow, hailed for making eye care accessible and affordable in LMICs. David has years of experience making healthcare technology and services more accessible to those who need it most.

Donor support will further KLI’s strategic approaches and solidify KLI’s unique role as a thought and action hub for bringing technological and program innovation to the fight against corneal blindness in LMICs.

Our Team

David Green

President & Chief Executive Officer

Heather Nuskind

Director of Programs & Partnerships

Noel Selegzi

Director of Development

Aaron Chang

Director of Product Development

Donna Smith

Director of Administration

Shelby Tyler

Chief Operating and Financial Officer

Our Board

Pamela J. Hall

Chairperson, Vice President-Marketing Enovis Corporation

Douglas J. Furlong, Esq.

Vice Chairman; Principal Owner, Furlong ADR, LLC

David Green

President & Chief Executive Officer, KeraLink International

Sonya Maria Hadrigan

APRN, CIP, Director, Office of Research Protections, Houston Methodist Research Institute

Christopher Helmrath

Founder and Managing Director, SC&H Capital

Mark Jensen, Esq.

Partner, Bowie and Jensen, LLC

Ellen Koo, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Roberto Pineda II, M.D.

Director of The Keratorefractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

C. Thomas Vangness, Jr., M.D.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery (RET), University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles

Fasika Woreta, MD

Director – Ophthalmology Residency Program, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University

Our Partners

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David Green

Chief Executive Officer

David is a world-renowned social entrepreneur in the global public health arena. Chief among his achievements is the development of a market-tested economic paradigm for making high-quality health care affordable and available to all. He has been honored widely by academic and philanthropic organizations including the Schwab Foundation, Ashoka (he became an Ashoka Fellow in 2001 and served as a Vice President for ten years), and the MacArthur Foundation, which named him a fellow in 2004 for his work in “pioneering the manufacture and delivery of health care technologies for the developing world.” He is also a winner of the University of Michigan Humanitarian Service Award (2009), and the “Spirit of Helen Keller” Award (2009), given once annually for “outstanding contributions by an individual or institution to the alleviation of blindness on a worldwide scale.”

Heather Nuskind

Director of Programs & Partnerships

Heather Nuskind, MBA, COA brings over 23 years of experience in Ophthalmology. She started her career in Ophthalmology as a LASIK technician. Heather has worked in all areas of Ophthalmology; she has assisted with thousands of cases, trained surgeons and students in cataract and refractive surgery and on patient selection, workups, and on diagnostics and care. Heather has been an invited speaker at international meetings and grand grounds. She loves working in academia, teaching, and working with surgeons. She believes that her extensive knowledge and insight has allowed her to thrive in her current role and within healthcare When she is not working on her current studies, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family and cat and making homemade Marshmallows.

 

Noel Selegzi

Director of Development

A native New Yorker, Noel lives in the boogie-down borough of the Bronx. While pursuing a doctorate in political theory, Noel started coaching a high school debate team and took a job in financial services. He abandoned both grad school and finance to work for the Open Society Institute developing an international debate education program and eventually a global youth initiative. After years of globe-trotting. Noel decided to settle down and work in program development and advancement. He has raised over $100 million dollars for the charities he has worked for. A lifelong Yankees fan, Noel enjoys cooking for his wife and his two wonderful children, photography, juggling, and woodworking.

Aaron Chang

Chief Operating Officer

Aaron completed his undergraduate and graduate training in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.  He has worked as a product and operations-focused executive helping early-stage companies launch impactful healthcare technologies. His experience includes work in the optometry and global health labor and delivery spaces. He has also worked with regulators, government agencies, and industry standards development organizations to provide design, usability, and policy expertise at the intersection of AI and healthcare. 

 

Donna Smith

Director of Administration

Shelby Tyler

Controller

A highly accomplished financial professional with extensive experience in the non-profit industry. Shelby is committed to the mission of reversing corneal blindness globally through programs and technology development. Her goal is to support improving KeraLink’s financial performance through innovation and programs.

Pamela J. Hall

Chairperson, Vice President-Marketing Enovis Corporation

Pamela (Pam) Hall is a Senior Executive and P&L Leader, with experience in MedTech in leading Innovation Companies. Pamela leads global teams to deliver product innovation and health system strengthening, leading business units from $100M to $1B in category size, with global reach. Pam is responsible for driving investments, digital and product strategies, partnerships, innovation deployment and commercial activation, with cross-functional teams to deliver world-class designs and improved clinical outcomes for patients and customers. Pam has worked in 4 Industries, living, and working in six countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Mexico, Scotland, Wales, and Germany) and twelve US Cities delivering impact and profitable outcomes. For the past 17 years in the Healthcare Industry, Pam has focused her development and contributions in the Healthcare Industry in Critical Care, Women’s Health, Hospital and Home Health, and Orthopedic segments.  Currently, Pam is the Vice President at ENOVIS Corporation, an innovation-driven medical technology growth company focused on developing clinically differentiated solutions that better patient outcomes and transformational workflows. Pamela is a proud HBCU and Big10 Alum, earning a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Delaware State University.  Pamela is based in Boca Raton, Florida, with her husband and three daughters.