Cindy Kaplan

Background

About Cindy Kaplan

Cindy is Co-Founder and Board Chair of SPOON Foundation. SPOON is the first organization globally to focus on nutrition and feeding for children without permanent families - with a focus on children in orphanages, foster and adoptive families, and children with disabilities (those most likely to be abandoned into institutionalized care). Under Cindy’s leadership, SPOON has developed a proven model for protecting children impacted by institutional care from the debilitating - yet fully preventable - consequences of malnutriton and improper feeding. SPOON's work has changed feeding practices and nutrition standards on a national scale in Kazakhstan, and through partnerships with leading orphan care and child welfare organizations, has impacted children in 22 countries worldwide, including the U.S. Cindy was elected into the prestigious Ashoka fellowship for her systems-changing work with SPOON. A serial entreprenuer with a background in psychology, wellness and marketing, Cindy was inspired to start SPOON after adopting a severely malnourished child.