Kyriacos Koupparis
Kyriacos Koupparis is a native of Cyprus, born in Johannesburg, and spent his adult years in the USA. He joined the United Nations World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator as the Head of Frontier Innovations two years ago. In this role, he leads a team that explores how emerging technology – such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, food tech, etc. – can be used within the context of humanitarian assistance and food security. Previously, he worked for USAID as the Senior Innovation Advisor for Asia where he designed and administered multi-million dollar programs to advance social and environmental prosperity across the globe. He has been dedicated to international development for more than a decade, advancing prosperity in emerging markets through science, technology, innovation, and partnerships. He has worked in more than 20 countries throughout Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia. Kyriacos holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Francisco. He is a graduate of the Management of Technology program at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a B.A. in Chemistry from Wayne State University.
