Join Woo University’s Future Eyes Summit — a high-impact, half-day virtual event designed exclusively for 3rd/4th year optometry students and new grads. No fluff. Just real-world strategies, candid advice, and clinical + career clarity to help you launch a new chapter with confidence.
Date: Sunday, March 15th, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Moderator: Ukti Vora, MBA, MOptom, FAAO
Agenda:
Time: 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM PT
Title: Find Your Circle: Mentors, Networks & Professional Growth
Description: Build meaningful relationships that support and shape your career. Learn how to find mentors, gain confidence, and draw on the experience of seasoned ODs. Explore opportunities to join professional organizations, develop leadership skills, and expand your professional network. Attendees will gain practical insights to cultivate connections with mentors, peers, and colleagues that will provide guidance and support throughout their careers.
Speaker: Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM PT
Title: Designing Your Dream OD Career
Description: Discover the variety of career paths in optometry—from corporate and private practice to academic and multidisciplinary settings. For those aiming to start a practice, learn practical strategies for cold starts, subleasing, and getting everything off the ground. Discover how every opportunity can serve as a stepping stone to your ideal career and help you land your dream job!
Speaker: Jasdeep Singh Soni, OD
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM PT
Title: Life and Optometry at Warby Parker
Speaker: Dr. Charlene Trinidad, Eye Care District Manager
Time: 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM PT
Title: “Show Me the Money”: Loans, Lifestyle & Long-Term Freedom
Description: Get savvy with the business side of optometry. Explore the essentials of personal finance and student loan repayment. Learn about paying taxes, business structures, malpractice coverage, and key contract negotiation tips. Build your business literacy and awareness from day one to make confident decisions and set yourself up for long-term financial freedom.
Speaker: Evon Mendrin, CFP, CSLP
Time: 9:45 AM – 10:00 AM PT
Title: Don't Just Sell Lenses. Improve Life Through Vision
Speaker: Kristen Langley, Training & Development Systems Manager at HOYA
Break Time: 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Time: 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM
Title: You’re the Doctor Now: Growing Clinical Confidence
Description: Transform your clinical knowledge into confident, compassionate patient care. This session emphasizes effective patient communication, empathy, and collaboration with optometric team members. Participants will learn strategies for managing diverse patient populations and handling challenging patient encounters with professionalism and care. Attendees will leave equipped to navigate the nuances of real world patient care with confidence and competence.
Speaker: Todd Peabody, OD
Time: 10:45 AM – 11:15 AM PT
Title: Licensed, Legit & Ready to Lead!
Description: Kickstart your career by mastering the essentials, from securing licensure in your desired state, to staying on top of continuing education, and meeting credentialing requirements. Explore whether a residency is right for you and learn how completing one can strengthen your competitiveness, open doors to diverse career paths, and build a strong foundation for long term success.
Speaker: Eric Harris, OD, FAAO
Time: 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM PT
Title: Balance, Boundaries & Burnout: Designing a Career You Don’t Need a Vacation From
Description: Set yourself up for a thriving career by prioritizing work-life balance and preventing burnout. Learn practical strategies to protect your time, manage stress, and maintain flexibility as your career evolves. Attendees will gain actionable tools to build resilience, maintain balance, and thrive both personally and professionally. Your optometry career is a marathon, not a sprint. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Speaker: Kaleb Abbott, OD, FAAO
resource Guide:
Students & New Grads
OD on the GO is a Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 NBEO® and Part 1 & Part 2 Canadian optometry boards review program — created and taught by practicing optometrists who understand what it takes to succeed.
Preview the PEPS NEW Part 3 Guide!
Worth the Read: Major Student Loan Changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Find your State Optometry Board for licensing, CE requirements, and more.
View CE requirements by state.
Employment Opportunities
Warby Parker was founded with a mission: to inspire and impact the world with vision, purpose, and style. We're constantly asking ourselves how we can do more and make a greater impact—and that starts by reimagining everything that a company and industry can be. We want to demonstrate that a business can scale, be profitable, and do good in the world—without charging a premium for it. And we've learned that it takes creativity, empathy, and innovation to achieve that goal.
Explore Optometry at Warby Parker.
The Eye Group exclusively recruits eye care professionals nationwide, serving the vision care industry for over two decades. Offering unparalleled access to information and contacts throughout the profession: Urban or rural, private or academic, prospective partner or valued employee, The Eye Group has the ability to meet your needs.
Eye Spy Talent is dedicated to helping OD’s find personalized job opportunities to help them grow in Corporate, Private Practice, Community Health, or OD/MD Clinics, with tailored guidance from experienced professionals who understand the optometry journey. For Optometrists Looking for Employment in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Tennessee:
Eye Spy Talent – ODs Helping ODs Build Better Careers
Personal growth
Networking & Mentorship Reflection Worksheet
Five Frameworks for Leading in the Room
Tools for Your Practice
At HOYA Vision Care, it is our mission to empower and support our visionaries.
Driven by a passion for partnership and innovation, we provide eye care professionals with what they need to successfully develop their practice—from high-quality lenses to seamlessly integrated systems, training and reliable services.
Financial resources
Financial Planning for Optometrists - Resources, calculators, and personalized guidance
