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Job of the week

Scojo Foundation Is Now VisionSpring

Building ‘Sustainable’ Eyewear

July 21, 2008 3:00 AM

 
Paul Berman, OD, of Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes, left, with David Heath, OD, of SUNY-Optometry.
NEW YORK--Scojo Foundation announced last month that it is changing its name to VisionSpring to better reflect its mission and brand for the long term. The group is also launching a five-year, $5 million prospectus to secure funding to build a sustainable enterprise capable of reducing poverty and creating economic opportunities by providing reading glasses to those with lack of access in regions of Latin America, South Asia and Africa.

The group kicked off its new identity and fundraising approach at a reception last month at The Harvard Club here. Among staff, supporters, board members, and other guests, Jordan Kassalow, OD, co-founder and chairman of VisionSpring, announced a major $500,000 gift from entrepreneur, Todd Park, co-founder and “Chief Athenista” at Athena Health.

“VisionSpring’s prospectus builds on our commitment as part of the Clinton Global Initiative to triple the scale of our impact by 2010,” Kassalow said. “We look forward to expanding our ability to reduce poverty and create economic opportunities in underserved markets around the world through the sale of affordable glasses, while simultaneously creating a whole new sector of the economy,” Kassalow told VM. “We link the concept of economic development or work productivity with vision.”

 

National Vision’s Reade Fahs, (l) on the board of VisionSpring with WHAT IF?’s Alex Runne and Neena Paul.

VisionSpring targets the approximately 400 million people living in poverty around the world who are affected by presbypopia and do not have access to reading glasses. Through its pioneering “Business in a Bag,” VisionSpring brings affordable glasses and complementary products to individuals in predominantly rural areas with a daily income of between $1 and $4.

VisionSpring’s microfranchise model empowers local “Vision Entrepreneurs” and is integrated into partner organizations’ ongoing operations, which allows VisionSpring to leverage existing local distribution networks--such as BRAC’s in Bangladesh, the largest NGO in the world--and greatly increase its impact.



 

VisionSpring chairman and co-founder Jordan Kassalow, OD, (l) with Todd Park co-founder of Athena Health and a major donor to VisionSpring.

 
Dave Chute, (l) of i2C Ventures, and a Vision Spring board member with Kassalow and Graham Macmillan, senior director of Vision Spring.
Currently operating in 13 countries in South Asia, Latin America, and Africa, VisionSpring has sold over 100,000 pairs of affordable glasses, trained over 1,100 Vision Entrepreneurs, and referred over 90,000 people for advanced eyecare. To learn more about VisionSpring, visit www.VisionSpring.org. ■
--Marge Axelrad










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