The Optical Foundry has introduced a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo, updated brand guidelines, and a redesigned website that offers improved navigation and a more intuitive user experience. These updates reflect the company’s evolution as the home of nine independent eyewear brands and Sayduck, a leader in 3D and Augmented Reality visualization technology.
“The Optical Foundry’s refreshed identity reflects a modernized look while continuing our commitment to independent practices,” says Rob Rich, CEO. “Our mission remains to empower optical professionals with creative eyewear collections and forward-looking solutions like Sayduck.”
The Optical Foundry at a Glance
• Nine Brands: Article One (2015), l.a.Eyeworks (1979), OGI & OGI Kids (1995), Red Rose (1980), SCOJO New York (1985), SCOJO NYC 212 (2025), Seraphin (1997), Seraphin Shimmer (2021).
• Sayduck Virtual Try-On: 3D and AR visualization technology for optical practices (2024).
• Commitment: delivering original design, margin-friendly products, and innovative tools that help independents thrive.
The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC) has expanded its Myopia Awareness Toolkit, a resource designed to help eye care professionals (ECPs) engage families in more effective and informative conversations about childhood myopia and its management.
The initiative is supported by Review of Myopia Management, which has been a long-standing partner in advancing awareness, education, and resources for clinicians worldwide.
First introduced during Myopia Awareness Week 2025 with six initial assets, the GMAC Toolkit now offers 10 ready-to-use resources—with more on the way. Available free of charge at myopiaawareness.org/toolkit, the materials include practical tools to support patient education and clinical dialogue.
“Every conversation sparked by this toolkit has the potential to transform a child’s future,” said Wes Hamilton, GMAC’s Marketing Committee Chair. “It stands as a powerful testament to what’s possible when industry and professional associations unite around a shared purpose. By equipping eye care professionals with impactful, accessible resources, we’re helping to establish myopia management as the global standard of care—and that’s a legacy we can all be proud of.”
Olga Prenat, GMAC Board Chair, added: “This initiative reflects our collective dedication to advancing myopia awareness globally, and we’re just getting started. By supporting eye care professionals and associations with clear, practical tools, we’re helping them have more impactful conversations that enable families to better understand and manage myopia, ultimately leading to improved vision outcomes for children worldwide.”
Beyond the Toolkit: Building Global Awareness
GMAC has also released a series of social media videos featuring its Board and Advisory Panel members. These videos highlight the organization’s global reach and diversity, with members sharing their motivation for joining GMAC, their key messages for parents, and their vision for GMAC’s role in advancing worldwide myopia awareness.
In addition, GMAC is piloting a program to provide co-branded versions of the toolkit to select member associations, with the aim of boosting local visibility and adoption. If successful, the model will be scaled globally to support myopia awareness campaigns in multiple countries and languages.
A Collective Effort
With the dedicated support of partners such as Review of Myopia Management, GMAC continues to strengthen its role as a unifying voice in myopia awareness. By bringing together industry stakeholders, professional associations, and ECPs, the coalition is helping ensure that children everywhere have access to early intervention and effective myopia management.
The latest episode of Eye on the Industry podcast, sponsored by The Optical Group, brings together two seasoned Canadian opticians—Rachel Hill of Personal Optical in St. Catharines, ON, and Sheena Taff of Robertson and Brown Opticians in Vancouver, BC—to discuss how buying groups are evolving and empowering independent practices.
From Family Roots to Independent Practice
Both guests share strong family ties to the profession.
Rachel Hill, a second-generation optician with 30 years in the industry and 20 years as owner of Personal Optical, began as a mobile service before opening a storefront. She continues to serve clients with mobility challenges and is beginning to reflect on the next phase of her career.
Sheena Taff, also a second-generation optician, has spent 15 years at Robertson and Brown Opticians. After exploring careers in finance and beauty, she found opticianry to be the perfect mix of creativity and technical skill.
Buying Groups: Beyond Discounts
The conversation highlights how buying groups like The Optical Group have grown well beyond simple purchasing power.
Streamlined billing and cash flow support save time and reduce stress for business owners.
Education and resources—from HR and finance to social media and CE opportunities—help independents build sustainable strategies.
Exposure to new products and suppliers allows members to explore fresh opportunities without barriers, aided by monthly updates and promotions.
For Rachel, joining a buying group as a single parent business owner was transformative. For Sheena, the value lies in expanded resources and the ability to diversify her practice’s offerings.
Building Community and Reducing Isolation
Both opticians emphasize the sense of community that buying groups provide.
Webinars and national events allow teams to access training during the day and connect with peers across the country.
Networking opportunities create a trusted support system for staffing, HR, and marketing challenges.
Collaboration among independents strengthens patient care through referrals and shared knowledge, shifting the focus from competition to collective success.
Looking Ahead: Students, Strategy, and Style
The future of independent opticianry, the guests agree, depends on greater engagement with opticianry students, offering them a path into family-like, community-driven businesses. Buying groups also help independents stand out by curating unique, wearable products and simplifying lab choices under one billing umbrella.
Leadership Lessons and Advice
Running an independent optical business requires structure, boundaries, and strong support systems:
Rachel credits routine and delegation for balancing single parenthood with ownership.
Sheena underscores the importance of building a professional team—accountants, lawyers—so opticians can focus on patients.
Their advice to their younger selves:
Sheena would have spoken up earlier as a champion for the profession.
Rachel would have embraced the chance to study abroad to expand her perspective.
A Touch of Fun
The episode wraps up with lighter moments, from choosing timeless cat-eye frames as their “one frame for life,” to sharing their imagined superhero alter egos—Spectra and Iconic—reflecting their passion for eyewear and patient care.
Closing
Hosts Isabelle Tremblay and Christine Zeggil thank their guests for their insights and remind listeners that buying groups continue to play a vital role in helping independents thrive.
Eye on the Industry is available on major podcast platforms. Learn more about The Optical Group at theopticalgroup.ca.
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EssilorLuxottica has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted market authorization for its Essilor Stellest lens through the De Novo pathway.
The de novo classification for medical devices is a regulatory pathway for novel, moderate-risk devices to gain market approval from the US FDA when no equivalent, existing device can be identified for comparison.
The Stellest lens, designed for myopia management in children, was previously recognized by the FDA with Breakthrough Device designation in 2021. It is now the first spectacle lens to receive FDA authorization with clinical data supporting its ability to slow the progression of myopia.
According to published results, the lens slowed myopia progression by an average of 71% over two years in clinical trials. The product has already been introduced in several international markets and is expected to become available to U.S. eyecare professionals in the coming weeks.
Different Regulatory Approaches: Canada vs. U.S.
The U.S. regulatory process for myopia control lenses has been slower compared to Canada. Until now, U.S. eyecare professionals could only prescribe such lenses “off label,” as no product had received specific FDA approval for this indication.
In Canada, health authorities do not require additional regulatory authorization to market spectacle lenses with myopia control claims. This has led to earlier product launches and faster adoption of this lens category in Canada. Stellest was launched in Canada February 2022.
LensCrafters, part of EssilorLuxottica, announces the launch of its latest virtual experience, LensCraftersVision Tycoon, on Roblox, the global immersive platform where millions connect and play daily.
Since debuting on Roblox in 2023 with LensCrafters Eye Odyssey, an obstacle course game introducing young audiences to eye care, the brand’s immersive experiences have attracted more than 900K visits.
In 2024, LensCrafters expanded with LensCrafters Eye Odyssey: World of Optics, featuring interactive mini games that promoted vision health in engaging ways and encouraged users to get an annual comprehensive eye exam at their nearest LensCrafters location. Together, these initiatives highlight LensCrafters’ commitment to raising awareness of vision care and its impact on overall well-being through fun, educational experiences.
“With each new Roblox experience, we’re enhancing our connection with consumers, meeting them where they are and continuing to talk about the importance of eye health in new and creative ways,” said Alfonso Cerullo, President of LensCrafters and For Eyes. “LensCrafters Vision Tycoon is a meaningful step forward in how we blend education, technology and playfulness—empowering audiences to learn healthy eye care habits that can last a lifetime.”
In Roblox, a “tycoon” game invites players to grow a business by earning and reinvesting virtual currency, often through idle or incremental gameplay. This format encourages long-term engagement, aligning with LensCrafters’ goal of ongoing vision health education.
With this latest installment, LensCrafters continues to push the boundaries of digital edutainment as one of the first optical retailers on Roblox. LensCrafters Vision Tycoon blends education with entertainment, allowing players to build, manage, and expand their own LensCrafters stores — all within one of Roblox’s most popular formats: the Tycoon.
Users enter the experience through LensCrafters Plaza — a central hub for brand activations, special events and access to mini-games. From there, players are assigned their own plot of land where they manage their own LensCrafters stores, hire employees, expand product offerings and build new spaces. As they grow their business, players earn points to climb the leaderboard and unlock in-game rewards, including exclusive UGC items and power-ups.
Aligned with LensCrafters’ commitment to eye health, the experience includes friendly reminders of the “20/20/20 rule” to help prevent digital eye strain: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus on something 20 feet away.
Source: Lenscrafters
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Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
