Newton™ (formerly Neurolens) has announced that its Sequel™ everyday lenses are now available through VSP® managed vision care (MVC) plans, extending access to its Convergence Boost™ technology for a wider range of patients experiencing digital eye strain.
According to Newton, digital eye strain affects up to 75% of device users, and the Sequel lens is designed to address this through its proprietary technology that supports more comfortable visual alignment during near tasks. Clinical data from the company suggests that 91% of wearers reported improvement in symptoms commonly associated with digital eye strain, with four out of five recommending the lens.
The Sequel portfolio includes four lens options—Sequel 0, 38, 67, and PAL—allowing practitioners to tailor prescriptions based on patient needs. With inclusion under VSP’s managed care offerings, the company says Sequel transitions from a premium category product to a more accessible solution for everyday wearers.
“VSP availability removes barriers and puts life-changing vision solutions within reach of millions,” said Davis Corley, CEO of Newton. “We’re democratizing access to patented technology that works for the way we live now.”
Optometrist Dr. Paul Lovero noted that patients report reduced visual fatigue and greater comfort with Sequel lenses, describing the experience as “eyes feeling like they’re on vacation.”
While the Sequel range is positioned as an everyday lens option, Newton’s Neurolens products with Contoured Prism technology remain available as a premium therapeutic solution for patients requiring advanced prism correction.
In spotlighting those who go the extra mile, we turn to Jessica Fraser—an inspiring figure whose journey crisscrosses Canada and the USA as she champions top independent eyewear brands.
With three decades of experience and unmatched dedication, Jessica has earned her stripes as an international Rockstar Road Warrior.
Jessica works approximately 200–220 days annually with Bevel and Blake Kuwahara, covering Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario in Canada, as well as Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland in the U.S. With so many new independent shops opening, she could practically camp out in Ontario. Jessica absolutely loves Canada and enjoys her amazing customer base.
A Career That Started with Curiosity
Jessica’s career began in Long Beach, California, working as a secretary and receptionist, filing insurance claims for an optical boutique. As a natural progression, she began fitting patients with frames and discovered her passion for enhancing lives through eyewear styling.
Two years later, she was offered a job with the Optical Shop of Aspen, owned by Larry Sands. With 28 U.S. retail stores and a wholesale division distributing brands like Chrome Hearts and Matsuda, it was a perfect fit. Jessica started in sales and moved up the ranks to manage several of the retail locations over her nine years of dedication.
She worked in both the retail and wholesale sectors and, while in Santa Monica, became a certified optician. At one point, Larry asked her to live in his Aspen condo for a year to manage a bustling boutique that catered to celebrities and VIPs.
Highly motivated and passionate, she eventually returned to Newport Beach and later moved to Santa Fe to take on a management role. Her favourite styling sessions to date? Harrison Ford and Nicolas Cage.
In just two years, she helped grow a Santa Fe store’s revenue from $500,000 to $2 million. She was then transferred to La Jolla to open a new boutique with the promise of becoming Assistant Manager of Marketing, Sales, and Promotion. But after the company was sold to Oakley, then Luxottica, that promotion never came. Her commute became exhausting—two hours each way. While the celebrity market was exciting, the shift in company culture led Jessica to become a sales rep for Robert Marc and Lunor.
Defying Doubt and Embracing the Rep Life
Early on, Jessica considered switching from retail to wholesale, but a manager discouraged her, claiming women were a liability due to potential pregnancies—and that the sample bags would be too heavy. Ironically, that comment came from a female manager. Years later, after witnessing broken promises and company transitions, Jessica embraced the rep lifestyle with her trademark passion for fashion, style, and luxury.
She took her first rep role as the recession began—and still thrived. Later, she was approached by Ramassia, distributor for Theo, covering the West Coast of the U.S., including Texas up to Wyoming, and much of Western Canada. After nine successful years, she returned to Michigan to be with her father during a period of declining health.
Jessica then met Richard Mewha and Claudio Arena from Bevel and Blake Kuwahara and accepted a new role, covering the U.S. East Coast and Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Her territory has evolved during her seven-year tenure, but her influence has only grown stronger.
A Life Beyond Borders
Over the course of her 30-year career, Jessica has encountered both triumph and challenge. One of the most disheartening discoveries? Learning she was being paid less than her male counterparts. Frequent border crossings also exposed her to racial profiling, and the wait times—paired with complicated customs paperwork—could range from 15 minutes to more than two hours.
Healthcare has been another hurdle. In the U.S., independent reps pay for their own insurance—around $700 USD a month for limited coverage. Jessica finds this unfair, especially given the toll that frequent travel takes on the body. Managing multiple territories without universal or employer-based healthcare adds yet another layer of complexity to her role.
Despite all this, Jessica is highly respected and continues to support the luxury eyewear market with grace and grit. Her warm personality, deep industry knowledge, and unwavering dedication have made her a beloved figure in the field.
Outside of work, Jessica has a deep love for art—she studied art history in college—and enjoys reading, writing, and sports, especially hockey. A die-hard Detroit Red Wings fan, she also roots for Canadian teams and is currently following the Winnipeg Jets.
Jessica’s story is one of perseverance, resilience, and passion—a shining example of what it means to carve your own path in the world of independent eyewear.
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The Cobalt 1083 (colour 1755) optical frame is made from a single block of pure titanium, entirely crafted in Italy at the Blackfin Black Shelter Sustainable Factory. The hypoallergenic, ultra-lightweight structure ensures strength and superior comfort, thanks to ultra-flexible temples that adapt perfectly to the face.
Hand-applied colours enhance the design with distinctive character: gradient front in Shadow Dark Blue – Tropical Blue, with inner frame and temples in Shadow Dark Blue. A perfect balance of technology, craftsmanship, and style.
Mood Eyewear Inc is proud to lead in the latest European optical trends, integrating European fashion influences to enhance the visual experience. We consider it both a duty and an honor to support our business partners by providing personalized and efficient service. Our exclusive collections are carefully curated to blend creativity, innovation, art, design, craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology.
Established in 2006, Mood Eyewear was founded with the aim of importing and offering prestigious optical and sunglass collections to the Canadian market. Our group ensures the distribution of renowned European brands, selected for their quality and distinctive aesthetics.
We are the exclusive distributors in Canada for brands such as Blackfin, Woodys, Le Parc, Visionario, X-Ide, MIC, I-Man, Komono, and NOS.
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Costa Sunglasses has introduced two new additions to its lifestyle category, Trades and Luna Nueva, designed to move seamlessly from the water to everyday adventures. Inspired by coastal living, these styles combine sleek design with high-performance technology, making them versatile companions for year-round wear.
Both models feature some of the thinnest and most streamlined shapes in Costa’s lineup, without compromising comfort or protection. Equipped with Costa’s signature 580 lens technology, the sunglasses enhance colour, cut glare, and provide 100% UV protection. A scratch-resistant coating repels water, oil, and sweat, ensuring durability and easy cleaning.
Sarah Scott in Luna Nueva modelKC Scott in Trades model
Trades are worn by Florida-based artist KC Scott, who balances his life between fishing on the water and painting in his studio. The sunglasses give him clarity for spotting fish while remaining lightweight and stylish for his daily life.
His wife, Sarah Scott, a model and creative partner, embodies the effortless style of Luna Nueva, making the pair symbolic of coastal culture both on and off the water.
The new Trades and Luna Nueva sunglasses are available now at CostaDelMar.com and select retailers.
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has published the latest edition of Contact Lens Update, dedicated to rapidly accelerating interest in pre-myopia that is influencing risk assessment, early intervention, and myopia management among clinicians. Guidance from four expert contributors includes strategies, technologies, and clinical insights for the pediatric and primary eye care communities. The bi-monthly resource is available at no charge by visiting ContactLensUpdate.com.
“Understanding and addressing pre-myopia has the potential to transform clinical practice, enabling eye care professionals to identify at-risk children earlier and better implement targeted interventions. With growing evidence and innovative management approaches, clinicians can now offer more personalized, proactive care that aims to reduce the burden of myopia later in life,” said Daddi Fadel, clinical scientist at CORE.
Amy Chow, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo and the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) in Hong Kong who specializes in pediatrics, binocular vision, and myopia management, wrote the issue’s opening editorial. She outlines key myopia risk factors such as low hyperopic reserve, rapid axial growth, limited outdoor time, intensive near work, and parental myopia. Her column also reviews predictive models and preventive measures, including more outdoor time, better near-work habits, low-dose atropine, myopia-control spectacles, and emerging red-light therapy.
Pauline Kang is an associate professor and deputy head of school at UNSW Sydney and leads the School of Optometry and Vision Science myopia clinic, where her research focuses on childhood myopia progression and myopia control. Her feature article highlights how early identification of pre-myopic children through cycloplegic refraction and risk-factor assessment allows preventive care. Repeated red-light therapy and low-dose atropine show the strongest evidence for slowing axial growth and delaying the onset of myopia, while increased outdoor time and education provide a modest, low-risk benefit. However, there remains ongoing debate concerning the safety of red-light therapy and concerns regarding rebound effects with atropine, that require careful consideration.
Wes McCann, an optometrist, lecturer, and consultant who owns 12 Canadian practices and is a Contact Lens Institute Culture Award honoree, shares the issue’s clinical insight. He presents two pediatric cases that demonstrate how axial-length tracking, lifestyle counseling, and timely use of low-dose atropine or myopia control lenses can delay myopia onset and slow progression. The article underscores the importance of early detection and ongoing monitoring of pre-myopia to help prevent high myopia and its associated ocular complications.
Contact Lens Update Issue 86 Authors (Clockwise from Top Left): Amy Chow, Pauline Kang, Wes McCann, and Zhuzhu Liu
The conference highlight is presented by Zhuzhu Liu, an ophthalmologist and researcher at Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in China, who specializes in myopia control, orthokeratology, and pediatric eye health. In this randomized trial, repeated low-intensity red light slowed axial growth and refractive progression in Chinese children with pre-myopia, with early sub-foveal choroidal thickening mediating part of the effect and predicting 12-month myopia-control outcomes.
ZEISS introduces Light 2 progressive and digital lenses—easy to adapt, mid-price, and designed for modern visual demands. New upselling options for ECPs.
The World Council of Optometry announces its 2025 election results and new leadership appointments, shaping the next phase of global optometric advocacy.
The WEI Conference returns November 7–9, 2025 at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites with over 20 hours of COPE-accredited CE, the Woodruff and Bobier Distinguished Lectures, a strong speaker lineup, and a trade show featuring 30+ exhibitors — including VuePoint IDS at Booth #311.
ZEISS introduces Light 2 progressive and digital lenses—easy to adapt, mid-price, and designed for modern visual demands. New upselling options for ECPs.
The World Council of Optometry announces its 2025 election results and new leadership appointments, shaping the next phase of global optometric advocacy.
The WEI Conference returns November 7–9, 2025 at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites with over 20 hours of COPE-accredited CE, the Woodruff and Bobier Distinguished Lectures, a strong speaker lineup, and a trade show featuring 30+ exhibitors — including VuePoint IDS at Booth #311.
ZEISS introduces Light 2 progressive and digital lenses—easy to adapt, mid-price, and designed for modern visual demands. New upselling options for ECPs.
The World Council of Optometry announces its 2025 election results and new leadership appointments, shaping the next phase of global optometric advocacy.
The WEI Conference returns November 7–9, 2025 at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites with over 20 hours of COPE-accredited CE, the Woodruff and Bobier Distinguished Lectures, a strong speaker lineup, and a trade show featuring 30+ exhibitors — including VuePoint IDS at Booth #311.
ZEISS introduces Light 2 progressive and digital lenses—easy to adapt, mid-price, and designed for modern visual demands. New upselling options for ECPs.
The World Council of Optometry announces its 2025 election results and new leadership appointments, shaping the next phase of global optometric advocacy.
The WEI Conference returns November 7–9, 2025 at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites with over 20 hours of COPE-accredited CE, the Woodruff and Bobier Distinguished Lectures, a strong speaker lineup, and a trade show featuring 30+ exhibitors — including VuePoint IDS at Booth #311.
