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JOHN WALBORN
CO-MANAGING PARTNER
is an entrepreneurial and customer-centric Senior Executive offering a successful career underscored by achievements in strategy, business development, sales, marketing, M&A, eCommerce, product and brand management, commercial execution, Six Sigma process thinking, and organizational leadership. He has held leadership roles in marketing, strategy and general management with General Electric and Essilor, where he most recently was the President of the Wholesale Ophthalmic Lens businesses for Essilor of America, the largest spectacle lens company in the world.
At Essilor, John organized and led the Americas growth strategy resulting in several initiatives that helped the company accelerate sales from $1.7B to $2.1B in three years. John was also instrumental in initiating the conversion from B2B to B2C marketing efforts and leading the eCommerce strategy for Essilor International. In addition, He served as the acting CEO of a joint venture between two leading optical companies that provide products and services to Independent Eye Care Professionals.
John currently remains active in both community and business boards. John lives in Dallas, TX with his wife, with which they have two grown children and a Labrador Retriever.
JEFF POE
Co-Managing Partner
Born and raised in the Colorado mountains, Jeff Poe is an outdoor enthusiast and business leader. He is driven by innovation, integrity and well-being, which are the core values that guide Jeff’s life and decision making. Jeff believes in doing the right thing, making a positive impact, and creating opportunities to strengthen communities and individuals.
A hospital and physician practice management industry veteran, Jeff has more than 25 years of executive business leadership with HCA, US Oncology, and MEDNAX. For the past decade he has focused on eyecare as CEO of Vision Care Specialists, and as founder, co-owner and CEO of Vision Care Professional Services, both of which were recently acquired by MyEyeDr. Experience across publicly traded, private equity backed, and privately owned organizations has allowed Jeff to develop myriad skills leading teams and organizations to successfully execute their strategies, grow their talent and innovate ahead of their competition.
Jeff earned his MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Colorado. Over his career, Jeff has served on a dozen community and business boards. With two grown children starting their professional lives, Jeff careers in Denver with his wife and two Havanese puppies. They enjoy cycling, skiing, and cooking, and hope to travel internationally again soon.
DAVID ISRAEL
An optical industry veteran and entrepreneur, David Israel has a passion for protecting and optimizing our precious gift of sight. Born and raised in southern Ontario, Canada, David started his career as a Certified Optician and Contact Lens Fitter and was the recipient of the Frederick J. Sanger Award for the highest aggregate marks in the contact lens certification exam. He was appointed by the Ontario Minister of Health to sit on the College of Opticians board where he set licensing exams, chaired the Legislative Committee, and was a liaison with the schools of opticianry to advance their curriculum.
Shortly after joining Pilkington Barnes Hind (acquired by Allergan) in 1986, he moved his family to the USA to develop specialty contact lens materials and designs for astigmatism, presbyopia, and extended wear, and was responsible for launching products worldwide. His role at PBH culminated in the leadership of their North American professional sales team.
David has held executive leadership roles in both Biocompatibles Cardiovascular and Eyecare Divisions, Optelec, Optical Connection, and most recently, MacuHealth. He established an LLC in 2009 and has helped companies like Sauflon, and Hydrogel Vision establish markets internationally, provided strategic direction for Topology, designed and produced dry eye OTC products for Hi-Health, and worked on novel aberration control technologies.
At Biocompatibles Eyecare (acquired by CooperVision) he was instrumental in reestablishing the Proclear Brand worldwide and reorganized the company for improved efficiency and effectiveness resulting in profitability for the division. More recently David established and led MacuHealth’s sales team, and implemented a strategic marketing campaign that resulted in a tripling of their revenue over 3 years.
David and his wife Marilyn live in Arizona where they enjoy many outdoor activities including hiking, golf, and pickleball. They have three ambitious and very successful adult children and 4 grandchildren.
MATT OERDING
Matt is an accomplished corporate executive turned entrepreneur, co-founding his own company, Treehouse Eyes, in 2016. Matt has held leadership roles in marketing, strategy and general management globally with General Mills, General Electric and Novartis, where he most recently led portfolio marketing, strategy and commercial innovation for the $2+ billion global Alcon Vision Care business.
In his 15+ years at Novartis, Matt led the most successful contact lens launch in the U.S., ran the largest country organization in Asia-Pacific, and led the 5-year global strategic plan to double the market growth rate and improve bottom line growth. While at Novartis, Matt also developed the first eCommerce strategy for the Alcon business to address commercial innovation of the existing business model.
He has a passion for product and commercial innovation, leading numerous successful global new product introductions and creating new commercial platforms for growth. He has significant global expertise, working in the U.S, Europe and Australia, as well as leading a turnaround strategy for Japan.
In 2016 Matt co-founded Treehouse Eyes, the first business focused exclusively on treating myopic children. He helped raise over $2 million in seed funding to launch the business and continues to lead the business as CEO. Matt’s expertise includes scaling new businesses, helping larger companies innovate and anticipate disruption and developing strategies to accelerate profitable growth through product and commercial innovation as well as go to market strategies.
Matt is a Duke graduate and holds an MBA from the University of West Florida. He lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys hikes in the front range with his dog.
BRANT SOUTHWELL
Brant Southwell is a top-performing healthcare marketing leader with almost 20 years of experience in program and product management and strategic planning. He is highly skilled in overseeing all facets of program management, directing cross-functional teams to ensure adherence to established goals, metrics, and growth targets. He also has extensive experience in product management and product launch, winning multiple industry awards for innovations. Over the course of an extensive, diverse career, he has repeatedly demonstrated excellence in evaluating target markets and leveraging key customer insights to curate effective, captivating campaigns designed to drive revenue and profitability, as well as increased market share.
In his free time, Southwell enjoys scuba diving, traveling, spending time with family–particularly his niece and nephews–and rooting for the Aggies, Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers.
LITA CURRIE
Lita Currie is a graphic facilitator and business coach. She has over 25 years’ experience in the development of talent and has worked with clients from a variety of disciplines (Fast-moving Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Information Technology and Mining).
She has designed and implemented various learning interventions across Africa and has consulted in the UK and the US. Her expertise covers performance management, human resource processes, learning design and -facilitation, communication and presentation. She is a member of the International Forum of Visual Practitioners and use pictures created in the moment to help learners make the most of a learning opportunity. She is a registered Learning & Development Professional with the South African Board of People Practices.
Lita holds a BA (cum laude) from the University of the Free State (South Africa), an Honors degree (cum laude) in Adult Education from the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and a qualification in Professional Business Coaching from Gordon’s Institute of Business Science. She has a certificate in Systemic Team Coaching from the Henley Business School.
In her spare time Lita is an accomplished painter and pianist. She loves science-fiction movies and is an avid reader. She is a member of MENSA.
BART FOSTER
Bart Foster works as a strategist, advisor and coach to Fortune 500 companies, YPO & EO members, and emerging startups. He is an award-winning entrepreneur with more than 18 years of international sales and marketing experience in the consumer products, technology and healthcare industries.
Foster founded SoloHealth (now Pursuant Health), a consumer technology company which places biometric health kiosks in high traffic retail locations.
Prior to SoloHealth, Mr. Foster held leadership positions at CIBA VISION (now Alcon), the eye care division of Novartis both in the U.S. and Europe. Prior to working at Novartis, he was the Director of Sales for Peachtree Network, a successful Internet start-up based in Montreal, Canada. Foster began his career with Kellogg’s where he was awarded the “Golden K” (Salesman of the Year), the youngest person to ever receive this honor.
Mr. Foster has raised over $50,000,000 in capital and developed strategic partnerships with some of the largest companies in the world including Walmart, Proctor & Gamble, Wellpoint, Johnson & Johnson, RedBox, Pfizer, DELL, Safeway, Vons and Sam’s Club. His core expertise is in building relationships, developing strategic plans, accelerating revenue, and Making it Happen!
Bart is a father, husband, Ironman triathlete, Florida Gator and active in Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He lives with his wife and two kids in Boulder, CO where he enjoys all things outdoors including hiking, fishing, cycling, backcountry skiing, and open water swimming.
As Featured in YPO Magazine, “Entrepreneur Pivots Mid-Career, Finds True North”
RAHUL PATANI
Rahul Patani is a results-driven Global C-Suite Commercial Executive with an impressive history of leadership across Fortune 100 companies and early startups. With a strong cross-functional leadership experience in both B2B and B2C businesses, he excels in driving profitable business growth and successful new product commercialization in the Consumer Health Care, Vision Care, and Medical Devices industries Rahul’s expertise extends from General Management and P&L responsibility to Brand Strategy and Marketing, making him a well-rounded leader with a global perspective.
Areas of Expertise:
Professional Journey: Rahul Patani’s journey through leadership roles at industry titans and entrepreneurial ventures showcases a commitment to innovation and excellence. His tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, Danone, Alcon-Novartis, and Euclid Systems Corporation reflects a remarkable career trajectory.
Visionary Leadership: Rahul’s visionary leadership style combines a profound understanding of diverse markets with an unwavering commitment to team development and organizational growth. His success in brand strategy and marketing management for a wide range of industries underscores his adaptability and business acumen.
Taryl Hansen
is a highly skilled and trained provider of professional development in Phoenix, AZ. With 25 years in elementary and adult education, Taryl has made it her life’s work to teach in ways that people learn best.
A special area of interest and passion for Taryl is in creating visual images of spoken messages that can lead to greater clarity of ideas, and a deeper understanding of how the details fit with larger, more abstract ideas. In professional development, conferences and other such events, Taryl works in symphony with groups to create a colorful frame around ideas, bringing essential elements to the forefront for learners. Providing opportunities to interact with these images enables groups to work together in highly effective, collaborative, and satisfying ways. Taryl helps bring an inspiring and innovative approach to meetings, conferences, workshops, and strategic planning sessions to meet the needs of all learners, ensure long-term application of ideas, and accelerate deeper understanding.
Ben Blackburn
Strategic Advisor
As a Market Development and Business Operations leader for over 30 years, Ben Blackburn has a proven record of identifying and penetrating untapped global markets for growth areas in telecommunications and technology. Ben is also a recognized leader at driving cross-functional teams focused on quality initiatives and establishing a corporate culture of business transformation and continuous improvement. He has also led multiple corporate-wide initiatives with his proven project management capabilities. Ben has worked for companies ranging in size from start-ups and joint ventures to $140B corporations. He spent the majority of his corporate career with Motorola and Medtronic, primarily in New Business Development or Business Transformation roles in the Latin American and US markets. Over the past ten years, Ben has been the principal of his own consulting company with long-term engagements at Essilor, Verizon, and multiple start-ups. In his most recent role as Chief Operating Officer for Wi-fiber, Ben has provided the oversight on major new wireless broadband deployments in the municipal government and higher education sectors.
Ben is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has driven continuous improvement and process redesign programs in multiple functional areas, including supply chain, sales operations, go-to-market optimization, indirect channels, and corporate governance. Through leading multiple Six Sigma project teams, he was able to achieve over $60M in Operating Earnings (OE) savings over a period of 5 years. Ben holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BA with a double major in History and Spanish Literature from Oral Roberts University. He attained his Digital Six Sigma Black Belt from Motorola in 2006. He is also a former Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Pierre Bertrand
Is a proven startup builder, fundraiser and out-of-the box thinker. Born and raised in Canada and now an American citizen, Pierre has a passion for helping people live better lives through leadership and innovation.
An accomplished senior executive with deep experience in the healthcare and eyecare industries, Bertrand brings more than 20 years of fundraising, startups, marketing and strategic expertise to innovative companies.
Prior to building Neurolens from 16 employees to over 170 and scaling revenues 8x in 4 years, Bertrand served as President of Vision Associates, where he oversaw more than 200 retail locations across the US and gained a deep understanding of how Optometry offices operate. During his eight-year tenure at Essilor, Bertrand held executive leadership positions as VP, Marketing for Essilor of America and President, Essilor Canada. Prior to Essilor, Bertrand also worked over a decade at Pfizer in various roles, including Regional Marketing Director.
He has also successfully led fundraising, most recently ranking #3 of 303 MedTech raises in 2022, with over $67 million raised in an oversubscribed round.
When he’s not in front of a laptop, Pierre enjoys fitness, surfing (poorly), combat sports and travel, and is a horror movie buff. He’s married to a better athlete and human, and is a proud father to two daughters.
Jim Edwards
Jim is a goal-oriented team leader who believes in continuous learning. He has been successful as a start-up entrepreneur, fund raiser, business operator, growth minded CEO, and strategic advisor. Jim has over 25 years of experience growing and developing people, leading cross functional teams, and coaching and mentoring high performing individuals. He has also been an advisor and member of several boards, including both for profit companies and non-profit organizations.
Jim started OptiPort to help a founding group of independent regional eyecare practices better compete within the Eyecare Industry. Over the next twenty plus years, Jim helped lead the company to become the largest alliance of regional eyecare providers in the industry offering a wide range of practice management, buying, technology, and educational resources to its members. Jim was also COO for EssilorLuxottica’s Strategic Alliance division, where he led the integration of several SAAS technology companies.
Jim has experience and certification in multiple strategic executive management programs including Strategic Coach, the Bell Leadership Program & Executive Roundtable, the Sandler Sales Management Program, and the EO Organization.
John Rumpakis, OD
OF COUNSEL, CODING & COMPLIANCE EXPERT
Dr. Rumpakis is currently President & CEO of Practice Resource Management, Inc., a firm that specializes in providing a full array of consulting, appraisal, and management services for healthcare professionals and industry partners. He has developed some of the leading Internet-based software applications for the medical/eye care field such as CodeSAFEPLUS.com® (www.CodeSAFEPLUS.com), the industry leading cloud-based CPT & ICD Code Data and Information Service, and offers personal medical coding consultation through JustAskJohn (www.JustAskJohn.net). He is also the founder of Opt-ED® Professional Continuing Education (www.Opt-ED.com) which creates and delivers top tier continuing education around the country as well as Opt-IN® which provides optometric marketing and promotional services.
With a master’s in business administration with a focus in finance and leadership, and well known for his business expertise, he has been primary author for most articles within the eye care field on medical economics and the effect of health care policy on government agencies, medical industry, clinical practices, and the health care consumer. He has also been a guest professor at the Wharton School of Business and his firm is also one of the top providers of optometric practice appraisals & valuation.
As the past Chief Medical Coding Editor for Review of Optometry, Primary Care Optometry News, Optometry Today, and Optometric Management, he has been extensively published on the topics of third-party coding & billing, strategy development and execution, practice management, team building, maximizing effectiveness and profitability, including the textbook “Business Aspects of Optometry”. Dr. Rumpakis is a popular, sought-out lecturer both nationally and internationally. Pre-pandemic, Dr. Rumpakis performed approximately 250+ speaking engagements annually to his colleagues. In addition to having had a successful solo practice, Dr. Rumpakis developed the practice management curriculum at Pacific University College of Optometry and taught optometric & medical economics there for over a decade and was recently named the University of Houston College of Optometry’s Benedict Professor for 2016-2017.
A 1984 graduate of Pacific University College of Optometry, he served as a volunteer for the AOA for near 17 years and sits on numerous advisory boards, and board of directors for companies both in and out of the ophthalmic industry.
Millicent Knight, OD
Dr. Knight is a visionary leader and patient advocate, collaborating with leaders in the eye care industry to ensure patients receive the best products services and solutions. She conceived and managed an innovative clinical practice incorporating a holistic approach to patient care, including pre and post market clinical research studies.
Dr. Knight is a bridge builder between optometry and medical device companies including Johnson & Johnson Vision and EssilorLuxottica, where she consulted and served in senior executive leadership roles. Her advocacy efforts include both state and federal legislative gains for optometry, patient care, and the health care landscape. She has also served on the National Advisory Eye Council of the National Eye Institute, and testified before a US Senate Subcommittee on a patient care pricing policy.
Dr. Knight is the recipient of many awards including the American Optometric Association President’s Distinguished Service to Optometry, and the National Optometric Association’s Living Legend and Trailblazer awards. She has provided volunteer eye care globally including the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, Haiti, Thailand, Columbia S.A., and Costa Rica.
Dr. Knight has educated extensively on Myopia, Presbyopia, and eyehealth nutrition while holding Fellowships from the American Academy of Optometry, American Academy of Regenerative Medicine, the National Academies of Practice, and is a Kellogg Leadership Fellow. She holds certifications in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, Marketing Health Care Products from Kellogg Northwestern University Executive Training, and Holistic Health Coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
She is a graduate of Augustana College and the Illinois College of Optometry, and has served on the Board of Trustees, and provided commencement addresses for both. She enjoys time with her husband, Harvey Echols, MD, son Matthew, and dog, Golden.
KELLY KUHNZ (VAUPEL)
Kelly Kuhnz (Vaupel) is an innovative senior Commercial Executive specializing in medical device, biologic, and pharmaceutical products (both Rx and OTC). An entrepreneurial leader, Kelly is experienced at driving commercial success through out-of-the box thinking, decision-making guided by data and insights, and future-facing strategic planning. Her expertise includes global leadership, brand management, account management, product marketing, positioning, and go-to-market planning in highly regulated environments.
Leading with agility and curiosity, Kelly drives results by uncovering future opportunities and commercializing products that improve patients’ health and wellbeing with strategies for B2B, B2B2C and B2C. She leverages her technical background to champion Lean Six Sigma principles throughout projects to create efficiencies, solve complex problems, and align actions with big-picture strategy. Working with cross-functional teams, Kelly tactfully pivots sales, marketing, and other business disciplines to position a company on an optimal path for long-term success.
Kelly earned a masters degree from Princeton University and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Delaware. She is also an avid animal lover and volunteers to rescue dogs in need.