Podcast Summary: Power Hour Optometry

Episode: Vegas Innovator Series: Who are the Vision Innovation Challenge Winners at Vision Expo?
Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Eugene Schottzman (The Power Practice)
Guests: Ashley Mills (Vision Council), Will Flanagan (VSP), Jeff Poe (Sanitas Advisors, Judge), Alessandro Grillini (Challenge Winner), Jeremy Steven (Vitazzi AI), Yousef Alimam (Muse AI)

Overview: Main Theme and Purpose

This special episode, recorded live at Vision Expo West, dives into the heart of the VSP Innovation Challenge—a major event spotlighting new ideas and technologies driving transformation in optometry. Host Eugene Schottzman brings listeners front row to interviews with organizers, judges, and winners of the challenge, exploring emerging industry trends, the expanding role of optometrists, and innovations that are shaping the future of patient care and the optometric experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vision Expo as an Innovation Hub

(00:00–06:25)

• Ashley Mills (Vision Council CEO) highlights that Vision Expo attracts attendees seeking the latest technological advancements, positioning optometry as the gateway to broader healthcare journeys.

  “It completely places the optometrist at the center of the entire healthcare journey.” — Ashley Mills (00:13)

• Will Flanagan explains the VSP Innovation Challenge’s mission to connect startups with industry leaders. This year, applications nearly doubled from the previous, with over 50 entrants and six finalists. The challenge sources innovations enhancing both the eye care experience and clinical capabilities.

  “We look out into the healthcare vision care ecosystems to identify new models, technology startups... One way to do that is through this Innovation Challenge.” — Will Flanagan (05:12)

2. Trends in Optometric Innovation

(06:26–15:40)

• Diverse technologies showcased: From AI-enabled diagnosis (“oculomics”) to smart eyewear for both diagnostics and wellness (e.g., sleep, anxiety, vision therapy).
• Noted trends:
  • Optometrists moving beyond refraction and vision correction to broader health roles.
  • Tech is both complementary and practice-enabling, rather than disruptive for its own sake.
  • Hardware (like smart eyewear) remains a vital innovation area alongside digital health.
  • AI is now embedded in virtually every area—“an enabler of all things.”

  “It's tech that's being designed to be complementary, to be augmented, to expand the scope of care... AI is everywhere.” — Will Flanagan (13:03) “...still so much on the floor here and even on the stage that was centered on the comfort of the patient or the willingness of the patient to do the test.” — Ashley Mills (14:29)

3. Judge’s Perspective: What’s Next for Optometry

(15:42–26:13)

• Jeff Poe (Sanitas Advisors) underscores both evolutionary and revolutionary aspects of innovation:
  • Evolutionary: incremental practice enhancements (e.g., AI scribes).
  • Revolutionary: entirely new diagnostic paradigms, such as using eye data for systemic health screening.
  • Access and equity are crucial—these technologies can bring advanced diagnostics to more patients.

  “Innovation is often revolutionary... but it's also evolutionary... those opportunities are phenomenal for the practice, for the doctor, and... most importantly for my patients.” — Jeff Poe (22:46) “Having access becomes really important... they're having access to better tools for that diagnostic component I think is going to be huge and it will ultimately elevate their stature in the medical community.” — Jeff Poe (25:18)

Vision Innovation Challenge Winners: Interviews & Innovations

Alessandro Grillini (Late Stage Winner) — Eye Tracking for Glaucoma & Neuro Assessments

(16:18–29:48)

• Developed a screening system for glaucoma, neurodegenerative, and retinal diseases using objective, non-invasive eye tracking. The system is designed for use beyond hospitals, offering fast, intuitive screening via lightweight wearable hardware.

  • Algorithmic innovation: Focuses on explainable, neurophysiology-centric machine learning, not black-box AI.
  • Clinical impact: Already validated for glaucoma, with proof of concept in Parkinson’s, acquired brain injury, MS, and CNS tumors. The company is working on regulatory approval for Europe (within 8 weeks) and aims for US entry in 2026.

  “What we have developed is a screening system for glaucoma and other degenerative retinopathies but also neurodegenerative conditions that uses eye tracking technology. So it's very objective, fast, intuitive and absolutely non invasive.” — Alessandro Grillini (16:18) “You can kind of create a Google of neurovisual disorder... a company that has such an in depth understanding of how the data can shake the diagnosis of these conditions and to have a more proactive approach to diagnosis...” — Alessandro Grillini (26:30)

• Big picture: Envisions optometrists providing proactive “checkups from the neck up,” fundamentally transforming their role in healthcare.

  “Imagine doing a checkup from the NIC up. Literally.” — Jeff Poe (30:00)

Jeremy Steven (Early Stage Winner, Vitazzi AI) — AI-Powered Retinal Systemic Disease Screening

(31:59–38:35)

• Jeremy Steven, an ER physician, explains how Vitazzi AI leverages retinal photography and AI analysis to predict systemic diseases (cardiovascular, neurodegenerative) in the optometric clinic.
  • Integrates AI with a “back-end telehealth network,” ensuring findings are actionable and connect eye care with appropriate medical specialists.
  • Sees the future of preventive medicine running through optometric offices.

  “We're unlocking the retina and the power that it has to predict systemic disease... empowering and elevating the practice of an optometrist, putting them in the center of the preventive healthcare journey.” — Jeremy Steven (31:59) “We want to essentially create preventive healthcare. That's it. I mean, we do not have preventive healthcare. When you walk into the ER, it's already advanced.” — Jeremy Steven (34:26)

Yousef Alimam (Audience Choice Winner, Muse AI) — AI-Enhanced Eyewear Personalization

(31:41–44:26)

• Muse AI uses computer vision and conversational intelligence to assist users in choosing eyewear that best suits their personality, style, and face.
  • The system analyzes face structure, color, and user reactions, then makes intelligent recommendations, incorporating AI-driven understanding of subjective style preferences.
  • Application flexibility: in-office style consultations, pre-shopping, client reactivation, and e-commerce.
  • Learns and adapts to optimize for owner-defined outcomes (e.g., maximizing close rates, sunglasses sales).

  “Glasses are masks, and they have different shapes and colors and proportions, which deeply communicate different voices and emotions on your face. And for it to be reduced into a piece of plastic with two holes in it with glasses—just really, really reductive.” — Yousef Alimam (38:49) “If you're a user of Muse, it takes a picture of your face and... looks at the available inventory and it says, how do these two groups communicate with each other?... it listens for how you react.” — Yousef Alimam (40:37)

Notable Quotes from Segment

On Innovation Scope and Speed

“Innovation is just escalating and escalating and so we're going at a pace of change that I think is remarkable.” — Jeff Poe (20:16)

On the Emerging Role of Optometrists

“Too many people think of their eye doctor as what their new prescription is going to be. And we're radically changing that through innovation like this.” — Jeff Poe (21:39)

On the Impact of Technology

“The reality is that the more problems we can solve, the more we can grow as an industry.” — Eugene Schottzman (15:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–01:00 — Ashley Mills, Vision Expo as a driver of innovation and optometrist’s centrality.
• 05:10–06:25 — Will Flanagan describes the Innovation Challenge and its growing relevance.
• 07:56–09:43 — Industry trends: AI diagnostics, wellness through eyewear, and hardware-focused innovation.
• 16:18–18:22 — Alessandro Grillini explains his eye-tracking technology for screening and its scientific roots.
• 21:39–22:46 — Jeff Poe on redefining public perception of eye care and the revolution of diagnostics.
• 26:30–29:48 — Alessandro Grillini details market readiness and future goals.
• 31:41–34:44 — Quick introductions of Jeremy Steven (Vitazzi AI) and Yousef Alimam (Muse AI).
• 34:44–38:35 — Vitazzi’s approach to preventive detection using retina and telehealth.
• 38:49–44:26 — Muse AI’s technology for personalized, human-like eyewear recommendations.
• 45:46–46:43 — Winners reflect on trends: the rise of oculomics, the convergence of fashion and medical innovation.

Memorable Moments

• “Imagine doing a checkup from the NIC up. Literally.” — Jeff Poe (30:00)
• “I like the idea of a style consultation.” — Eugene Schottzman (43:22)
• “It's fantastic. Well, thank you guys for all your innovation, for everything that you do for the industry...” — Eugene Schottzman (46:43)

Conclusion

This episode encapsulates the accelerating momentum of optometric innovation, highlighting how AI, telehealth, neuro-ophthalmic diagnostics, and patient-centric tools are fundamentally transforming the possibilities in eye care. The stories of the Innovation Challenge winners illuminate the diverse directions—from clinical breakthroughs to retail experience enhancements—that are empowering optometrists and reshaping the industry’s role in overall healthcare. For anyone interested in the future of optometry, the Power Hour’s Vegas Innovator Series is both a preview and a call to embrace the rapidly approaching change.