C-SAW® is dedicated to farmer prosperity, consumer wellbeing and the transformation of the food industry with a singular purpose of promoting affordable wellness.
Advances in food technology have resulted in processed foods dominating our kitchen tables. But increasingly the consumer mindset is changing, and we are witnessing an increased awareness between what we eat and how we feel. Consequently consumers demand more natural, healthier and ethically grown and sourced food products. Global brands, food startups, and entrepreneurs are racing to meet this challenge. C-SAW® is here to help facilitate this transformation through:
- The Applied Food Research Center (AFRC), a full-service ecosystem for food research that houses a Think Tank and a Product & Process Development Center
- AQBATORTM, an accelerator and incubator for startups and entrepreneurs
- Advisory, a body to advise on food and wellness related issues for governments, policymakers, entrepreneurs and global brands.
Serial entrepreneurs, each with more than 25 years of experience in the global natural food industry; Meera & Ashok Vasudevan are co-founders of Preferred Brands International, a global food company (recently acquired by Mars Inc) that manufactures and markets TastyBite® and other natural and organic foods products, sold in several countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Japan and India. Meera & Ashok bring their unique experience, passion and deep commitment to the C-SAW® mission.
Meet Our Founders
Ashok Vasudevan is an entrepreneur, academician, and impact investor with an abiding interest in the Food & Agriculture sector, international business, entrepreneurship, and a deep commitment to affordable wellness.
He is the co-founder and Chairman of Tasty Bite, the public company quoted in the National and Bombay Stock Exchange (tsty:in) and the ex-CEO of Preferred Brands International that was acquired by Mars Food in 2017. His career has spanned being an entrepreneur and a corporate executive at Unilever and Pepsi.
Along with his wife Meera, Ashok also co-founded ASG-Omni LLC, a highly successful strategy consulting firm based in USA.
Meera Vasudevan has been a serial entrepreneur for most of her working career, co-founding and investing in successful businesses in the services and consumer brands area.
Meera co-founded Preferred Brands International (PBI), and led Marketing and Product Development for the brand Tasty Bite globally. She also co-founded ASG-Omni LLC, a highly successful strategy consulting company. Prior to that, Meera co-founded Quantum Consumer Solutions, a specialist qualitative research and brand strategy solutions firm in India.
Meera & Ashok were jointly presented the “2014 Indian American Achiever Award” by GOPIO CT. (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin).
In 2015, they set up a fully funded family foundation, Meera & Ashok Vasudevan Foundation (MAVF), which is dedicated to ending hunger and malnourishment in the USA in a manner that is sustainable, self-reliant and healthy.
Ashok and Meera relocated from Stamford CT to Singapore in 2018 where they established C-SAW®, Center For The Spread Of Affordable Wellness.