NEWARK, N.J.—The 2025 VM Leadership Summit will shine a spotlight on influential thought leaders, business experts and vision care professionals as they explore the essence of comprehensive vision care and how new technologies driving sight solutions are creating groundbreaking treatments and innovative high tech and high touch opportunities for ECPs, retailers and brand messengers. The dynamic 2025 Summit program, to be held on February 19 in Orlando just prior to Vision Expo East, will analyze what collaboration means to today’s eyecare leaders and will offer attendees the opportunity to learn which big ideas and trends are heading their way.




Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.


Senior decision makers, company leaders and eyecare professionals attending the VM Summit will also have a front row seat to the optical industry’s most unique networking experience.

“It’s shaping up to be another stellar event, where attendees can expect to learn how vision care and the optical industry continue to elevate their superpowers through technology, collaboration and innovation, all while having an unmatched opportunity to connect with colleagues from all corners of the industry,” said Anne Cooper, editorial director of Vision Monday and 20/20.

James Taylor, MBA, a leading expert in creativity, sustainability, innovation and artificial intelligence will kick off the program as the keynote speaker, providing informed insights about how collaboration and technology can be harnessed to tap into vision care’s superpowers, and what that means to today’s eyecare leaders. For more than 20 years, Taylor has been advising CEOs, entrepreneurs, educators, governments and leaders on how to design innovative organizations, unlock creative potential and build a sustainable future.

Taylor’s clients have included Fortune Global 500 companies, government policy makers and industry associations. Companies including Apple, Cisco, Deloitte, Accenture, Caterpillar, UPS, Novartis, EY, Visa, McDonalds, ADNOC and Dell have all brought in Taylor to inspire and educate audiences about creativity and innovation through his thought-provoking keynotes, interactive workshops, online courses and videos. With an entertaining style and proven frameworks, Taylor will leave the audience inspired and provide actionable takeaways that can be implemented in day-to-day businesses and practices.


(Top row L to R) Sonali Bloom, Caroline Casey, Steven J. Ferguson, OD, Nick Jankel and Purti Kanodia. (Bottom row L to R) Paul M. Karpecki, OD, FAAO, Jeffrey Krall, OD, Gregory Moore, OD, Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, and James Taylor, MBA.

Paul M. Karpecki, OD, FAAO, director of Cornea and External Disease for the Kentucky Eye Institute in Lexington Ky., and chief medical editor of Jobson’s Review of Optometry will lead a panel that will explore how collaboration between optical companies and the application of new technological advancements are revolutionizing the eyecare industry, empowering professionals to offer a broader scope of services. Dr. Karpecki is a full associate professor at the Kentucky College of Optometry at the University of Pikeville and and he has a special interest in uveitis and retina management. He will be joined by Jeffrey Krall, OD, creator of Neurolens; Steven J. Ferguson, OD, the founder and director of Dunes Eye Consultants and Dunes LASIK Center; and Gregory Moore, OD, the founder of the Greater Regional Eye Group in South Charleston, W.Va.

As an innovator and practicing optometrist, Dr. Krall’s focus for the last three decades has been providing comprehensive clinical care to his patients. This passion, fueled by his experience as a fourth-generation OD, led to the creation and development of Neurolens and Neurolens Measuring Device diagnostics. Neurolens technology is designed to help mitigate the effects of headaches, dry eyes, neck tension and eye strain and is now widely accepted by eyecare professionals and practitioners, nationwide.

Dr. Ferguson is an accomplished optometric physician with over 30 years of experience specializing in the diagnosis, management and treatment of ocular diseases and visual system disorders. He is fellowship-trained in the clinical care of LASIK, refractive surgery and cataract-correcting technology. He is widely recognized as an industry leader in cutting-edge treatments for ocular surface disease, abnormal tear film and dry eye management.

Dr. Moore is an ophthalmic consultant to companies that include Alcon, Allergan and Inspire as well as an educator/lecturer, specializing in topics such as remote eye exams and telehealth practices, clinical practice standards and regulatory compliance. His chain of eye clinics is located throughout Ballad Health Systems across 21 hospitals in the Southeast. Dr. Moore has conducted clinical research at the University of Pikeville College of Optometry focusing on neuro-visual and cognitive rehabilitation following complex traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Dr. Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, the president and CEO of the New England College of Optometry (NECO), will lead a panel discussion to provide unique insights regarding how synergistic relationships between optical industry players and technological advancements are breaking down traditional barriers and dramatically expanding access to eyecare. Before assuming his leadership role at NECO, Dr. Purcell served as senior vice president at Essilor of America and senior director at Johnson and Johnson Vision Care. He will be joined by Purti Kanodia, the senior director of strategy and innovation at National Vision, one of the largest eyewear retailers in the U.S., and Sonali Bloom, the CEO of 20/20 Onsite, a health care provider that offers on-site eye exams and clinical research services.

Kanodia leads initiatives in eyecare services and technology innovation at National Vision. With a career spanning primary care at Crossover Health, pharmaceuticals at Genentech, and consulting at Slalom Consulting, she has a comprehensive understanding of digital health and the broader health care ecosystem. Her expertise spans SaaS solutions, remote monitoring applications, and AI/ML based clinical decision support products, particularly in ophthalmology and oncology. With a master of science in biotechnology from Georgetown University, Kanodia is focused on advancing health care through technology and user-centered design to enhance patient outcomes and drive business growth.

Bloom, an entrepreneur who specializes in health care innovation, leads a passionate team at 20/20 Onsite that expands access to vision care by bringing eyecare directly to patients with a unique fleet of mobile clinics. 20/20 Onsite launched its primary vision care practice in 2014 and expanded into clinical research in 2020 during the pandemic, and is now a leading provider of on-site eye assessments for clinical research, reducing patient friction, increasing diversity in participant pools, accelerating timelines and enhancing data quality. Bloom holds a bachelor of science degree in physics from Yale University and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School.

With ever-growing demands on the optical industry, next-level leadership and breakthrough innovation must be leveraged to shape a successful future for the optical industry. Thought leader and futurist Nick Jankel will discuss how technology, collaboration and human-centric transformation can help teams successfully navigate an increasingly complex, disrupted and digital world in ways that can expand scope of practice and improve access to care.

As a keynoter for organizations including Google, Intel, Kellogg’s and Merck, Jankel speaks on how next-level leadership, human-centric transformation and breakthrough innovation can—and must—be leveraged to shape a successful future of business and society in an increasingly complex, disrupted and digital world. Jankel has helped build 100,000+ transformational leaders, advised C-Suite executives and national governments, and lectured at Yale, UC Berkeley and Oxford.

Rounding out the speaker lineup, is Caroline Casey, self-proclaimed troublemaker, disability activist, social entrepreneur and adventurer, Casey will move the conversation on access and scope of care to a global stage. As president of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Casey will speak to how the organization collaborates with key players worldwide to bring care to those most in need, and shed light on evolving technologies that are allowing IAPB partners to provide cutting edge care to those in even the most remote regions. Her talk will inspire attendees to leverage the technology of the future to evolve their business or practice today.

This year’s Summit will take place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art new venue located in downtown Orlando, just 20 minutes away from the Orange County Convention Center. The program will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and will once again feature a coffee break and luncheon to allow for refreshments and networking. Registration includes the full program, coffee break and lunch. Details for registration are posted at www.visionmonday.com/summit.

At press time, the Platinum Sponsors of the 2025 VM Leadership Summit are Advancing Eyecare and EssilorLuxottica. The Gold Sponsors are Alcon and Zeiss, and the Silver Sponsors are Ocuco and Hoya. For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact Vision Monday publisher James DeMatteis at jdematteis@jobson.com.