The Virtual EYE2EYE Series is a complimentary series of virtual panels and interactive conversations inspired by Vision Expo’s EYE2EYE educational series. It takes place on Wednesdays at 12:15 PM ET and keeps the community engaged, connected and informed – a value added benefit of being part of the Vision Expo community.
VIRTUAL EYE2EYE SERIES
Coffee Talk – Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. ET
August 19: Sending Them Back to School Safe and In Style
Moderator: Dr. Arian Fartash OD, Owner of Corona Vision Center and Founder of Glambaby Eyewear
Panelists: Dr. Elise Brisco OD, FAAO & President at Hollywood Vision and CEO & Founder of NearSight; Dr. Christine Chan OD; and Alessadro Baronti, President & CEO at DeRigo Rem Eyewear
Dr. Arian Fartash OD (@glamoptometrist) will lead this discussion with both clinicians and leaders in the children’s eyewear space on what part our industry plays in preparing children for the new school year. This discussion will focus how ECP’s can promote pediatric eye exams to their patient base and within their local communities, what is needed to keep children safe at school during a pandemic, as well as fashion forward options for kids of all ages.
Virtual EYE2EYE Series Recordings
Coffee Talk
April 29: Ocular Telehealth - Incorporating Virtual Care into Your Practice During the COVID-19 Pandem
As clinicians are responding to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, telehealth and virtual care is a critical tool to maintain care delivery for patients. Hear from April Maa, MD, Associate Professor, Clinical Director of TECS and Bryan M. Rogoff, OD, MBA, CPHM, FAAO, Senior Product Manager, Disease Management, ZEISS Ophthalmic Devices on how best to incorporate tele-optometry technology into your practice. They will discuss various use cases, practice workflows and best practices to consider as well as providing an overview to reimbursement and the current updates to Medicare guidelines. They will also give an overview of the different types of virtual care that can be delivered and share their perspectives on the technology requirements needed to successfully treat patients.
April 22: Now What? Developing Your COVID-19 Business Recovery Plan
Moderator: Mick Kling, OD and owner of Invision Optometry.
Panelists: Aaron Neufeld, OD, Adam Cmejla, CFP and Gina Wesley, OD
Operational Recovery - How do we bring operations back online: patients, scheduling, staffing, products, flow, etc.
Financial Recovery - how do we best manage our cash flow, the PPP funds, vendor accounts (we'll, no doubt, be behind on our bills), etc.
Mental/Emotional Recovery - what kind of impact might this have on us personally/professionally.
May 6: Secure the Bag
A discussion with vendors – Scott Shapiro, CEO at STATE Optical; Brett Cates, Sales Representative at Garrett Leight; Katharina Schlager, Creative Director & CEO at Cazal; Jill Eldridge, Regional Sales Manager at ClearVision Optical – on what their executive teams and sales organizations are doing to service and support their accounts during these times, the creative methods they are generating business for themselves, and their post COVID-19 protocols for engaging with accounts. Moderated by Marge Axelrad.
May 13: Changes in the Office Environment Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Moderated by Justin Bazan, OD and owner of Park Slope Eye, this panel will feature three business owners – William To, OD; Chun AuYeung, OD; Anith Pilai, OD – discussing the changes they will implement in their professional environments to make their patients and customers feel more comfortable including new tactics on cleanliness, social distancing and patient and customer education.
May 20: Updates in Design and Manufacturing in a COVID Environment
Join Mike Hundert as he speaks with Frame Designers and Manufacturers – Patty Perreira, Co-Founder & Designer at Barton Perreira; Giulia Valmassoi, CEO at Thema North America; Marc Lefebvre, CEO at Killine Group – with operations in the US, Europe, and Asia about how their business has been affected by COVID and what this means for the future of eyewear supply chain.
June 3: Introducing Reopeneyecare.com: Your Guide to Getting Back to Business
Join Dr. Gary Gerber as he speaks with David Chute, Co-Founder and CEO at ThinOptics and David Friedfeld, President at ClearVision Optical, regarding the launch of Reopeneyecare.com, a new digital platform designed to help eyecare providers navigate the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses. Gerber, Chute and Friedfeld are three industry leaders who came together with a taskforce of six other vision community leaders to compile resources and curate content for the website. During the Coffee Talk, they will discuss the creation of the website, how the platform can best be used by eyecare providers, and also provide their insights on the state of the industry overall.
June 10: The Next Generation of Eyewear
Moderator: Tarrence Lackran @TheOpticalPoet , Director of Partnerships and Programming at The Vision Council
Panelists: Kyly Zakheim-Rabin, Owner of Zak.; Wes Stoody, Founder & CEO at Article One; Ahlem Mani-Platt, Founder & Designer at Ahlem Eyewear; Christos Karabelas, Owner at SOMA Optical
Tarrence Lackran (@TheOpticalPoet) director of partnerships and programming at The Vison Council sits with a handful of young opti-entrepreneurs on both the vendor and retail side to talk about their creations, innovations, inspirations, and how retailers and vendors can support one another in a COVID environment. This conversation will be a mix of advice, insight, and interview as these four creatives drop gems on where the future of the independent eyewear industry is going.
June 17: Open Your Eyes! Taking Steps to be an Ally of Diversity & Inclusion
Moderator: Danielle Richardson, OD
Panelists: Sherrianne James, Chief Marketing Officer at Essilor; Coco & Breezy Dotson, Founders at Coco And Breezy Eyewear; Sherrol Reynolds, OD & President at the National Optometric Association; Howard Purcell, OD & President at New England College of Optometry
Join Danielle Richardson, OD, for an educational discussion on the intersection of diversity and inclusion and allyship as she speaks with individuals from different segments of the optical industry. This discussion will explore the effects of the current racial climate on the black optical community and provide ways to work together as allies in pushing a more diverse and equitable agenda forward.
June 24: The Next Generation of Retail Speed Dating with Edward Beiner
Moderated by Edward Beiner, CEO of Edward Beiner Eyes Forward, experienced independent retailers will serve as mentors to new or future independent retail owners.
July 15: Incorporating Sports Vision & Performance Into Your Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic
International Sports Vision Association Board members Jarrod Davies, OD and FCOVD, and Jennifer Stewart, OD, will discuss how they have modified their practices to meet the needs of patient-athletes during this challenging time. The conversation will explore ways to serve the needs of athletes including necessary equipment, new technology, tailoring an eye exam for sports vision and the importance of prescribing the right sports and safety eyewear for sports and performance.
July 22: Open Your Eyes! What Allyship of Diversity & Inclusion Looks Like
Moderator: Howard Purcel OD, FAAO and President at New England College of Optometry
Panelists: Julia Gogosha, Owner at Gogosha Optique; Sue Downes CEO and Co-Founder at MyEyeDr; Myles Zakheim OD, CEO at Optometrix and Co-Owner at Zak.; Neil Blumenthal Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Warby Parker
The July 22 Coffee Talk will be moderated by Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, President of New England College of Optometry, and will focus on exploring the current state of diversity and inclusion in the eyecare industry with four vision community leaders who will share their personal commitments to allyship of BIPOC in this industry and what is needed to build a more equitable agenda in eyecare.
July 29: 90 Days Since Reopening
Moderator: Trudi Charest, Co-Founder at Marketing4ECPs
Panelists: Neda Shamie MD, Co-Owner at The Maloney Shamie Vision Institute; Bridgitte Shen Lee OD, Co-Owner at Vision Optique; Mei Flemming OD, Owner at Luminance Vision; Ryan Horne, Owner at Spex by Ryan
It’s been 90 days since Eyecare began to re-open during the pandemic. This discussion will serve as a check-in with ECP’s as to what has been going on in their businesses since the reopening. We will be exploring their new normal when it comes to seeing patients/customers, sanitization, staffing, use of technology, and plans for the future.
August 5: SHE Did That!
Moderator: Dr. Danielle Richardson, OD
Panelists: Tiffany McIntosh, Founder at Eyecandy Creations LLC; Autianna Wilson, Optician and Owner at Eyewear Love Affair and Dr. Janelle Davison, Optometrist and Owner/Founder at Brilliant Eyes Vision Center & Premier Eye Spa
According to Forbes in 2019, the number of businesses owned by black women grew a stunning 164% making them the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs! Join Dr. Danielle Richardson, Optometrist and Founder at Fierce Clarity as she explores the passionate pursuits of Black women in eyecare and their entrepreneurship journeys. This conversation will offer an intimate peek inside the truths, trials, and triumphs of beloved entrepreneurs who continuously raise the glass ceiling for future generations.
August 12: Listen In to Tomorrow! A Conversation with Four of VM’s 2020 Most Influential Women in Optical
Moderator: Marge Axelrad, SVP/editorial director of Vision Monday
Panelists: Leigh Berberian, Director of Marketing at Todd Rogers Eyewear; Camille Cohen, OD at Pearle Vision; Brooke Hargrove, Co-Owner of Empire Optical; and Mollie Tavel Kaback, Director of Growth Initiatives & Community Engagement at Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care
Join Marge Axelrad, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director at Vision Monday, as she shines a light on some of 2020’s Most Influential Women in Optical honorees and moderates a discussion among four of them. Marge will chat with a few of this year's Rising Stars, Innovators and Modern Mentors who personify new energy, creativity and accomplishment, exploring their views on the future vision care, their career goals, and what they believe are the priorities and fresh ideas of new, young female leaders.
Happy Hour
April 17: The Definition of Avant-Garde
Bold, innovative, progressive, experimental — these characteristics are all associated with a term that is often used but sometimes misconceived..."Avant-Garde." This French term which translates to “advance guard,” refers to something visionary and ahead of its time. Join us as we get into the minds of two eyewear designers—Anna-Karin Karlsson, Owner & Designer at Anna-Karin Karlsson Eyewear, and Ti Kwa, Owner, Designer, & Artisan at RIGARDS—whose pieces continue to push creative boundaries. Moderated by Tarrence Lackran (@theopticalpoet), director of partnerships and programming at The Vision Council.
April 24: Art of the Collab
This will be a conversation with some of the most prolific collaborators in our industry discussing some of their eyewear collabs and how this has brought both the retail and vendor side to new heights and awareness with consumers.
Panelists: Christian Roth (Designer, Creative Director, and Co-Founder at Christian Roth Eyewear), Coco & Breezy Dotson (Founders at Coco and Breezy Eyewear), Thierry Lasry (CEO & Designer at Thierry Lasry Eyewear), Corey Shapiro (CEO at Vintage Frames).
Moderator: Tarrence Lackran @TheOpticalPoet, Director of Partnerships and Programming at The Vision Council
May 1: The Next Generation of Retailer Speed Dating – Session 1
Moderator: Wendy Salle, Owner at Salle Opticians
Happy Hour will feature an adapted version of the Next Generation of Retail Speed Dating – one of the panels originally planned for Vision Expo East 2020 – during which new and potential business owners will have the opportunity to learn from the industry’s most successful independent retailers. The adapted format will present one mentor per session for a Q&A session with audience members selected through an online application.
May 8: Independence @ The Creative
James Spina, Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief of 20/20, along with a panel of retailers and vendors – Gai Gherardi, Co-Founder at l.a.Eyeworks; Jeff Press, Chief Creative Officer at Morgenthal Frederics & Robert Marc; Nada Vuksic; Owner at Bruce Eyewear; Siobhan Burns, Owner at The Eyeglass Lass – who are known for their keen sense of daring to break from tradition will explore the way they Do It Independently.
May 15: The Next Generation of Retailer Speed Dating – Session 2
Moderated by Todd Rogers, experienced independent retailers will serve as mentors to new or future independent retail owners.
May 22: The Next Generation of Retailer Speed Dating
Moderated by Gary Black , experienced independent retailers will serve as mentors to new or future independent retail owners.
May 29: edCFDA: What is The Future of Eye
Moderated by Erinn Morgan, Editor-in-Chief + Editorial Director, Eyecare Business
This important panel discussion features four acclaimed edCFDA designers, who will explore how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the eyewear landscape—and how elements such as concept, design, engineering, manufacturing, price point, and even marketing will shift and change as consumer preferences are being reshaped today. The discussion will also look at the ongoing viability of the luxury eyewear market as the world moves through this difficult time—how might “luxury” and “high-end” eyewear design, price level, and availability change as a result?
Selima Salaun is the creative vision behind Selima Optique, the trend-setting, luxury eyewear brand she founded. Selima believes your eyewear is a reflection of your look — the personality you project. Your look is the mood you convey each and every day! Selima was born along the Mediterranean Coast and the rhythm of the Riviera is in her soul. She embodies French sensibility, style and elegance. But her wit and whimsy are all her own, and they bring the brand to life.
Blake Kuwahara is the Creative Director of BLAKE KUWAHARA EYEWEAR launched in 2015 and founder of FOCUS GROUP WEST, a design collective consisting of fellow eyewear designers, architects, graphic designers, PR agents, and project managers whose clients represent all segments of the eyewear and fashion industry. Kuwahara brings a unique industry perspective as a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Optometry and as a longstanding member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Gai Gherardi is the co-founder/designer of l.a.Eyeworks, which began as a single storefront in Los Angeles in 1979 and has grown over four decades into an international house of optical design and imagination.
Parisian born, LA-based designer, Ahlem Manai-Platt is the founder of AHLEM - a luxury eyewear brand handcrafted entirely in France. She was awarded in 2017 by the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund for her talent and achievements as an eyewear designer.
The views expressed by Virtual EYE2EYE Series speakers do not reflect the views of Vision Expo, The Vision Council, or Reed Exhibitions.