INSIGHTS The ‘Stars’ Shone Brightly at MIWO Luncheon By Mary Kane Sunday, October 27, 2024 1:31 AM In 2022, Vision Monday marked the 20th anniversary of our Most Influential Women in Optical (MIWO) Special Report, so we did what everyone else does for an anniversary—we threw a party. Actually, it was a luncheon held at Vision Expo West and it was such a resounding success, we decided to make it an ongoing tradition. For this year’s event, we decided to freshen up the program a bit. We stole a page from the Academy Awards and invited past MIWO honorees to announce this year’s honorees as we handed out their awards. Presenters included Katy Hanson, chief marketing and merchandising officer, Eyemart Express; Carla Mack, OD, head, global and U.S. professional education and development, Alcon; Gwendolyn Plummer, features editor for Vision Monday and 20/20; Essence Johnson, OD, executive director, Black Eyecare Perspective; and Rebecca Giefer, CEO Americas, Modo. Each of the presenters brought a thoughtful and insightful perspective to the event, recounting how the MIWO award changed their outlook and inspired them to lift up other women in optical as their own careers progressed. But it was the honorees who were the real “stars” of our show. They came from many corners of the optical industry—retailing, wholesaling, product design, manufacturing, distribution and vision care. They are living proof that what they do, day in and day out, has left an indelible mark on our industry. Attendees also got to hear from another real-life star, first-time Olympian Alaysha Johnson, who was a surprise guest speaker at the luncheon event. As a Team USA standout in track and field, Johnson shared her inspiring Olympic journey and revealed how Oakley’s cutting-edge eyewear supported her on the path to success in Paris this past summer. None of this would have been possible without the support of our sponsors from the optical industry. Visionary Sponsors were EssilorLuxottica and VSP Vision. Partner Sponsors were Vision Expo, Walmart and Zeiss. The Supporting Sponsors were Advancing Eyecare, EyeMed, Hoya, Marcolin, the Optical Women’s Association, UnitedHealthcare and Vision Source.