Samara Andrade
SightLife, Senior Director of International Program
In her role at SightLife, Samara oversees programmatic and philanthropic strategy across multiple programs to support health system strengthening in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. She leads partnerships across these programs, working with social impact ESG funders, national governments, and other non-profits, to support the delivery of integrated people centered primary eye care services for rural communities.
Prior to joining SightLife, Samara worked for more than a decade with the United Nations, serving in various roles from partnerships to programs and policy across humanitarian, peace and development contexts in Sudan, Libya, Nepal, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Switzerland and New York. In her tenure with the United Nations, she led to key policy changes in gender equity, gender-based violence prevention and response, and mental health and psychosocial support. She also led partnerships for $150 million trust fund in Afghanistan, supported national governments develop policies and strategies, co-led organization of more than 65 side events of the world humanitarian summit process with NGOs, UN entities, national governments, and communities, and led system wide learning program for staff risk mitigation and business continuity in disaster and conflict settings.
Samara is also co-founder of Feet on the Ground, a non-profit focused on empowering trauma-exposed populations with mental health and psychosocial support education and somatic tools. She is also co-developer of Beyond Conflict’s The Field Guide for Barefoot Psychology which supports individuals who have experience forced displacement with understanding the biological and psychological processes associated with their experience and positive assets for cultivating resilience, including the science of neuroplasticity, belonging, and post-traumatic growth. She is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner© having completed 3-year training in Peter Levine’s trauma resolution approach.
Samara started her career working on Canada – US- Mexico Trade and holds a Bachelor of International Business, Minor in Spanish and Marketing, and a Master in International Policy Studies with a focus on Gender and Development, Minor in Portuguese, from the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey. Samara was selected as part of the 2022 U.S. WomenLift Health Leadership Journey Cohort led by the Center for Creative Leadership, co-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and GLF VII for Senior-level leaders. She lives in Seattle, WA, is an avid hiker, paddleboarder, yoga teacher and is a stanche advocate for equity.
Prior to joining SightLife, Samara worked for more than a decade with the United Nations, serving in various roles from partnerships to programs and policy across humanitarian, peace and development contexts in Sudan, Libya, Nepal, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Switzerland and New York. In her tenure with the United Nations, she led to key policy changes in gender equity, gender-based violence prevention and response, and mental health and psychosocial support. She also led partnerships for $150 million trust fund in Afghanistan, supported national governments develop policies and strategies, co-led organization of more than 65 side events of the world humanitarian summit process with NGOs, UN entities, national governments, and communities, and led system wide learning program for staff risk mitigation and business continuity in disaster and conflict settings.
Samara is also co-founder of Feet on the Ground, a non-profit focused on empowering trauma-exposed populations with mental health and psychosocial support education and somatic tools. She is also co-developer of Beyond Conflict’s The Field Guide for Barefoot Psychology which supports individuals who have experience forced displacement with understanding the biological and psychological processes associated with their experience and positive assets for cultivating resilience, including the science of neuroplasticity, belonging, and post-traumatic growth. She is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner© having completed 3-year training in Peter Levine’s trauma resolution approach.
Samara started her career working on Canada – US- Mexico Trade and holds a Bachelor of International Business, Minor in Spanish and Marketing, and a Master in International Policy Studies with a focus on Gender and Development, Minor in Portuguese, from the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey. Samara was selected as part of the 2022 U.S. WomenLift Health Leadership Journey Cohort led by the Center for Creative Leadership, co-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and GLF VII for Senior-level leaders. She lives in Seattle, WA, is an avid hiker, paddleboarder, yoga teacher and is a stanche advocate for equity.