We recently connected with Kevin White and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kevin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

Here in the US, we take good vision for granted. Eyeglasses are more of a fashion accessory than a medical necessity. As a child I received my first pair of glasses at 7 years old. My life would have been completely different, if not a whole lot shorter, had it not been for this 700-year-old invention. For 35% of the world, access to eyeglasses is ubiquitous. If you or anyone in your family need them, you can get them. For the other 65% of the world, they are simply out of reach. At Global Vision 2020 we are trying to change that. With only a few hours training, everyone can deliver eyeglasses to anyone, anywhere in the world, for less than $5 per person. As we grow our sales, we are slowly reaching further and further down the economic pyramid. We support groups that give or sell eyeglasses in 65 nations around the world. But with only 250,000 pairs of glasses dispensed over the past 3 years, we are barely making a dent in the problem – an estimated 2.5 billion people need but have no access to them.
I hope my legacy is that for every child, man, or woman that finds they need corrective lenses to see clearly, they can walk to their corner shop, put on our device, determine their prescription, and walk out of the store seeing clearly.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Global Vision 2020 is a US based not-for-profit organization that is trying to help solve the world’s largest unmet disability – poor vision due to refractive error (the need for glasses). When we initially established the company, we were using a different technology to address the issue – silicon fluid filled adjustable eyeglasses (AdSpecs). I had first started using AdSpecs in 2005 when I oversaw the US Military’s Humanitarian Programs in Africa and Eastern Europe. After witnessing a donated eyeglasses distribution, I was shocked at the inefficiencies of the system. Patients never got perfect vision in both eyes, and often chose the frame style they liked verses the prescription that best fit their needs. When I retired from the Marines in 2009, I started GV2020 to address the problem. After using other technologies, I realized that another solution to address this issue was needed. Although the fluid-filled glasses corrected for poor vision, the expense of each pair, and the less-than-optimal aesthetic qualities of the design were barriers to distribution. What I had learned was that self-refraction (the ability of the patient to determine their own prescription) worked, and the tool I invented allowed that prescription to be translated into a conventional pair of eyeglasses for less than $4 per person. After clinical trials at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, we had the data that showed the efficiencies of the system. We’ve streamlined our supply chain to keep costs as low as possible and have successfully helped our partner organizations deliver over 250,000 pairs of eyeglasses in 65 different countries.
What I am most proud of is the impact we have made to thousands of lives, and the potential we have to help so many more people. We just need the word to reach other potential partners that our product exists.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Initially Global Vision 2020 was a part time hobby that I raised money as other not-for-profits do – I asked for donations. When I was working with other people’s technology this was a simple process – we raised money to conduct vision outreach programs overseas. Part of the goal was to get additional customers for the product and generate income through sales. Once I made the transition to my own invention, the goals shifted to; validate the system, refine the design, get the tool manufactured, streamline the supply chain, and find customers. The fundraising also shifted. I started entering design and innovation competitions. The first win was the National Geographic Chasing Genius Award. I then entered the WeWork Creator Award competition. These wins offered both recognition of the design, but also the funds to pursue the other goals. Now that the system is ready for full scale distribution, the goal has shifted to finding the right partners to grow distribution to the end customers.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When you are working on a technology that is a disruptor to the existing system, those voices that established, funded, and rely on that system for their well-being can slow you down, and take the wind out of your motivational sails. The status quo of the eyeglass’s world is not one particularly friendly to a small company trying to provide an extremely low-cost solutions to the worlds poorest. Many leaders from the humanitarian eye health world are obviously ophthalmologists, optometrists, etc., that are beholden to the industry that supports their research, work, and businesses. The criticism we get is that the system fails to address the many other eye pathologies that need care beyond simple refraction. Things like cataracts, trachoma, diabetic retinopathy, etc., are eye health issues that require the intervention of an eye doctor. And we totally agree. These issues represent 7.8% of the global eye health issues, and refractive error represents 92.2% of the problem. In the developed world, there is approximately 1 eye health professional for every 8,000 people. I the developing world, those numbers are closer to 1 per 1,000,000. Ethiopia for instance has 120,000,000 people, and 75 optometrists. It’s simply mathematically impossible for most people to use the existing system to address their refractive error needs.
Fortunately, there are many in the humanitarian eye health space cognizant of the numbers dilemma and are starting to advocate task shifting (the use of lower trained personnel to address higher echelon issues with the use of new technology).
I invented the system in 2013 and have been working towards industry acceptance for almost the entire time. Had I listened to the loudest voices in the room back then, I would have given up and gone to work elsewhere. For me, this has always been about helping the next generation have better access to a 700-year-old invention. Glasses changed my life, and the lives of my children. I think everyone deserves the same opportunity.

Contact Info:

• Website: gv2020.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gv2020
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-vision-2020/?viewAsMember=true
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@user-ri8ri1gt2n

Image Credits
Global Vision 2020