FOUNDER STORY, WHY I STARTED FIRST SIGHT
I started First Sight because I could not accept a simple truth I kept seeing around the world: bright students were falling behind, not because they lacked ability, but because they could not see.
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After decades of building international healthcare collaborations, my wife, Marsha Davidson Mamdani, Ph.D. (education and training), saw how often communities had the will to help, and even the ability to screen vision, yet the final step, the eyeglasses, took weeks or months. During that wait, a child and an adult kept squinting, guessing, and quietly losing confidence.
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First Sight was created to close that gap by providing a portable vision screening system designed for low‑resource settings, requiring no electricity and only simple training. Its purpose is to offer a low‑tech, foolproof, and practical way to screen vision, select lens power, assemble eyeglasses, and provide clear sight immediately, right on site.
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Nothing compares to the moment a child or an adult puts on eyeglasses and their face changes. That moment is why Marsha and I keep going, one classroom or place of work at a time.
Nizar Mamdani
CEO and Co-Founder
Nizar Mamdani is the founder of First Sight Eyeglasses, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to vision care for underserved communities around the world.
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Born in Tanzania, East Africa, Nizar's early life shaped his deep appreciation for education and opportunity. He later pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies in Tokyo, Japan, graduating from International Christian University. Those years profoundly influenced his global outlook and lifelong commitment to service.
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Nizar went on to build a distinguished international career in business, finance, and global healthcare partnerships. After moving to the United States, he led successful ventures in investment banking, electronics, and real estate before dedicating more than two decades to international healthcare collaboration. For over twenty years, Nizar served as the founder and Executive Director of International Healthcare at Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). During his tenure, he established strategic partnerships with more than 220 healthcare institutions in 57 countries and helped create formal alliances with 122 institutions in 44 nations, generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue. His work promoting international medical collaboration earned him recognition as a "Global Game Changer" by the Omaha World-Herald.
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Nizar has also participated in eight international trade missions alongside the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the Governors of Nebraska, helping promote global partnerships in healthcare, technology, and education.
Following his retirement from UNMC, Nizar devoted his full attention to a mission that had been growing in his heart for many years, addressing the enormous number of children who struggle in school simply because they cannot see clearly.
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Marsha and Nizar founded First Sight Eyeglasses to provide a practical solution. Through its unique portable vision screening and eyeglass provision system, First Sight enables organizations to provide customized prescription eyeglasses on site and on-the-spot, often within minutes, even in communities with no eye care professionals or electricity.
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Today, First Sight has helped provide more than 150,000 pairs of eyeglasses across more than 30 countries, helping children remain in school, adults return to work, and communities gain access to clear vision.
Nizar continues to lead First Sight with the belief that clear vision should never be a privilege reserved for a few. A simple pair of glasses can change the course of a child's life.
Dr. Marsha Davidson Mamdani
Co-Founder
Dr. Marsha Davidson Mamdani is the co-founder of First Sight Eyeglasses, Inc. and a lifelong advocate for education, global health, and international collaboration.
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Throughout her career, Marsha has been deeply involved in academic, humanitarian, and global development initiatives. She has dedicated much of her professional life to helping strengthen educational and healthcare opportunities across cultures and communities.
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Together with Nizar, she has played a central role in shaping the vision and mission of First Sight. From the earliest stages of the organization, Marsha has been instrumental in guiding the development of programs designed to improve access to vision care for children and families in underserved communities.
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During Nizar's leadership of the International Healthcare program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Marsha and Nizar personally founded a unique training initiative (in memory of Nizar's late wife, Nancy Hunt Mamdani) in oncology for physicians from developing countries. Through this program, 147 doctors and specialists from across the world received advanced training in cancer care at UNMC and returned to their home countries to serve their communities.
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That same spirit of global service inspired the creation of First Sight.
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Marsha continues to support the organization's work by helping guide its educational outreach, international partnerships, and program development. She shares Nizar's belief that helping a child and an adult see clearly can transform not only that person's future but also the future of families and communities.
Together, Marsha and Nizar remain deeply committed to expanding First Sight's work so that more children and adults around the world can stay in school and adults learn/work with confidence and pursue their dreams with a clear vision.
MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. William MacArthur
William (Bill) MacArthur is the owner and president of Brooksville Development, LLC, partnering with investors from Asia to develop real estate in the United States and Southeast Asia. Before founding Brooksville in 1982, Bill established the Trans-Arabian Investment Bank in Bahrain and Transar Capital Corporation in New York, handling significant investments from the Middle East in the U.S.
Bill’s career is as diverse as it is distinguished - he has practiced law on Wall Street and in Tokyo, and he has taught history at an American college preparatory boarding school in the Philippines. Since 1998, he has directed the Brooksville Fund’s efforts in social development across Africa, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, India, and Tibet–focusing on health, education, and environmental sustainability.
He serves on several boards committed to these causes, including the African Medical and Research Foundation USA and the Chelonian Research Institute. Bill holds degrees from Yale University and Columbia Law School, underscoring a lifelong dedication to social impact and global progress.
Mr. Kristopher Kluver
Kris Kluver is a seasoned entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and bestselling author with a strong presence in Colorado and Nebraska. He is the founder of Entrepreneurial Advisors, guiding hundreds of CEOs and leadership teams across industries to achieve significant business growth, operational transformation, and market leadership, including supporting some clients to billion-dollar valuations.
Kris’s experience includes launching and managing more than 20 successful businesses from the age of 19, with ventures spanning technology, construction, and pharmaceuticals. He is celebrated for his innovative mindset and ability to help organizations navigate complex challenges.
As an author, Kris has published best-selling books such as “ The Aspiring Solopreneur: Your Business Start-Up Bible” and “ The Fable: Life on Your Terms,” empowering individuals to achieve personal and professional fulfillment.
Dr. Howard Freedman
Dr. Howard Freedman is a retired pediatric ophthalmologist with a distinguished career dedicated to preventing childhood blindness. He graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Biology in 1969 and earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1973. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Washington University in St Louis, followed by a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology in Leeds, London, England.
Dr. Freedman pioneered the development of the first photo screening camera to detect amblyopia (lazy eye) in preschool children–a breakthrough innovation in early vision screening
His commitment to preventing blindness extends far beyond his medical practice. For over 40 years, Dr. Freedman has been an active member of the Lions Club, serving as past president of the Naples
Lions Club and as the current medical director of the Bonita Springs Lions Eye Clinic. Under his leadership, the clinic expanded from 100 to nearly 2,000 patients per month, providing free eye care, surgeries, and eyeglasses to those in need. Dr. Freedman’s unwavering dedication has had a profound impact on thousands of lives in his community.
Dr. J. Timothy Diegel
Dr. J. Timothy Diegel is a highly respected ophthalmology specialist with over 52 years of experience in treating a broad spectrum of eye diseases. A graduate with honors from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1972, Dr. Diegel has dedicated his life to preserving and restoring sight for his patients.
He currently practices at Park Nicollet Clinic in Minnesota and also serves as the Medical Director of the Florida Lions Eye Clinic in Bonita Springs, Florida. Dr. Dieael and his team provide comprehensive eye care services–from routine exams to cataract, glaucoma, and retinal treatments–while prioritizing safety, particularly during the pandemic
Dr. Diegel’s deep expertise and compassionate care have made him
a trusted physician and a strong advocate for accessible eye health
Dr. Janerose Mutegi Kibaara
Dr. Janerose Mutegi Kibaara is a distinguished leader in education management, policy development, and organizational growth. Currently a professor at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, she has over 27 years of experience driving impactful change across private, public, and non-profit sectors.
As a leadership coach and policy consultant, Dr. Kibaara has collaborated extensively with government agencies and educational institutions to develop strategic initiatives and integrate new curriculum standards. She has also mentored emerging leaders through the YALI Regional Leadership Centre East Africa and is the
Charter President of Soroptimist International (SI) Shikilia e-Club, championing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across Africa.
Dr. Kibaara holds a Ph.D. in Education Management and Policy from Kenyatta University and numerous certifications, including Certified Trainer of Trainers and Certified Environmental Impact Assessment & Audit Consultant. Her commitment to excellence, innovation, and social justice,
