Every year at Vision Expo, companies make massive promises about the “future of optometry.”

But as a practice owner, you don’t need more hype; you need solutions that are real, scalable, and useful.

In this special Innovators Edition of the Power Hour recorded live at Vision Expo, Eugene Shatsman sits down with three executives attacking the future of the profession from three completely different angles: surgical business models, patient-centric retail, and all-in-one operational technology.

If you’ve ever wondered how to monetize your surgical referrals, give patients a reason to visit you between exams, or finally consolidate those 14 open tabs on your staff’s computer into an all-in-one operational technology, this episode is for you. 

Monetizing the Surgical Referral with IOR

Starting off our Innovators Edition, Tony Burns, Founder and CEO of iOR Partners, introduces a system that allows optometrists to keep surgical refferals in thier practice. That increases revenue and patient retention. 

iOR acts as a turnkey development company, managing everything from architectural design and Joint Commission accreditation to revenue cycle management and general governance. 

By creating “office-based surgery” (OBS) centers (which are distinct from licensed ASCs or hospitals), iOR enables ODs to expand their scope and capture significant revenue that traditionally leaves the building.

In this segment, Tony and Eugene discuss:

• The Financial Jump: One practice saw co-management revenue grow from $90,000 to $11 million in gross revenue with a 40% margin using their existing patient base.
• Space & Safety: You don’t need a massive footprint; IOR recommends 700 square feet for a single operating room, but some centers are as small as 450 square feet.
• The “Turnkey” Promise: IOR implements a governing body structure to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance with accreditation standards.

Learn more about iOR Partners here: https://iorpartners.com/  

Personalization as a Retention Tool with Pair Eyewear

Nathan Kondamuri, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Pair Eyewear, shares a mission to bring joy back to eyewear through a patented system of customizable, quality frames.

Pair Eyewear has transformed glasses from static medical devices into expressive accessories by allowing patients to magnetically “snap” different designs onto a high-quality base frame. 

With thousands of designs, including partnerships with Disney, Marvel, and major sports leagues, the brand creates an “optician’s playground” that encourages patients to treat their eyewear as a collectible wardrobe rather than a one-time purchase.

In this segment, Nathan and Eugene discuss:

• The End of the 2-Year Cycle: While the industry average replacement cycle is long, Pair customers often own eight snap on top frames within a year, resulting in a 25% higher return rate to the store.
• Higher Lens Value: Patients typically spend 20% more on lens upgrades (like progressives or blue light coatings) because they view the base frame as a long-term investment for their diverse top-frame collection.
• The Hybrid Model: Pair provides ECPs with a B2B platform to manage inventory, while also offering a system that gives the practice credit if a patient chooses to buy additional tops online later.

Learn more about Pair Eyewear here: https://paireyewear.com/ 

Ending “Tab Fatigue” with Arrellio

Last but certainly not least, Jared Noble, Founder and CEO of Arrellio, discusses a first-of-its-kind third-party platform designed from the perspective of the technician to eliminate the inefficiency of fragmented software systems by consolidating them into one platform. 

Arrellio is an all-in-one technology platform that integrates patient engagement, supply chain management, and VoIP phone systems directly with a practice’s native EHR.

By consolidating “tab fatigue” (where staff often juggle 14 different open windows), Arrellio streamlines faxes, texts, calls, and contact lens ordering into a single, cohesive patient view. 

Typical practices cobble together ~$600 (recall software) + ~$500 (patient engagement/phones) + ~$200 (CL software) = ~$1,300/month. With Arrellio, they are able to reduce this by more than half while also generating revenue for your practice.

In this final conversation, Jared and Eugene discuss:

• Operational Sanity: Arrellio automates monotonous workflows like contact lens reordering and patient e-commerce to drive revenue back into the “four doors” of the practice. 
• Insurance-Smarter Recalls: They highlight a shift from generic recall messages to targeted communications tied to a patient’s specific vision benefits. By notifying patients when their insurance is about to expire, practices can reduce the time between exams and increase recapture rates.
• Unified Patient Communication: Jared and Eugene discuss the “spammy” nature of patients receiving texts from multiple different phone numbers for appointments, intake forms, and contact lens orders, ultimately eroding trust. Arrellio integrates VoIP technology so all communication (texts, faxes, and calls) comes from a single, recognizable source.

AI Enhanced Training: Jared introduces the use of AI agents trained on the practice’s own SOPs, FAQs, insurance networks and frame boards, with an after-hours AI attendant that performs at the same level as top staff, 24/7 – 365 days a year. Even better? There is Caller ID surfacing full patient context on screen before the staff says hello (last order, next appointment, outstanding balance, and communication logs.)

Learn more about Arrellio here: https://arrellio.com/ 

The Innovation Imperative

Innovation doesn’t only revolve around buying the newest piece of clinical equipment.

You need to ask yourself, “Is my business model designed for the patient of 2026, or am I still running the practice of 2010?”

Whether it’s reclaiming the revenue from your own surgical referrals, turning a one-time frame sale into a lifelong fashion relationship, or finally giving your staff the tools to work without digital friction, the “future” is really just a series of choices you make today.

These innovators are changing the industry that we operate in today, but they are also providing you with a blueprint to build a practice that serves your patients better and supports your life more fully.

• The 30-Eye Threshold: You’ll understand why an office-based surgery (OBS) center can reach a break-even point with as few as 20 eyes per month, and why moving to 30 eyes (15 patients) provides the safe financial margin necessary for practice stability.
• Massive Revenue Scaling: You’ll see the exact roadmap of how one practice transitioned from traditional co-management to an integrated OBS model, growing from $90,000 in referral fees to $11 million in gross revenue using their existing patient base.
• Consolidating the Digital Workspace: See how to eliminate the inefficiency of navigating 14 different open tabs by integrating fragmented workflows (including phones, faxes, and ordering) into one cohesive, technician-friendly system.
• Insurance-Driven Recalls: Understand how leveraging unique vision insurance data allows you to send targeted recall messages that remind patients to “use or lose” their benefits before they expire, significantly reducing the time between exams.
• Breaking the Two-Year Cycle: Discover how a customizable eyewear model leads to a 25% higher return rate, with the average customer owning eight top frames within a single year, effectively ending the struggle of the 24-month replacement cycle.
• Increased Clinical Investment: Learn why patients are often more willing to invest in premium lens technology (spending an average of 20% more on upgrades) because they view the base frame as a long-term foundation for their style collection.

Connect with Tony Burns from iOR Partners

Tony Burns is the Founder and CEO of iOR Partners. He brings 34 years of healthcare experience in sub-specialty outpatient facility operations and development, including 25 years at an Executive level focused on outpatient surgical and ancillary care. He has developed and managed over 300 office-based and freestanding multi-specialty ambulatory surgery centers nationwide.

iOR Partners provides a turnkey system that allows optometrists to monetize surgical referrals by bringing the surgeon into the optometric practice. Their “Office-Based Surgery” (OBS) model bypasses the need for traditional ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), utilizing space as small as 450 square feet to perform cataracts, refractive, and plastics procedures.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-burns-267270160/ 
• Website: https://iorpartners.com/ 

Connect with Nathan Kondamuri from Pair Eyewear

Nathan Kondamuri is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Pair Eyewear. A lifelong glasses wearer, he co-founded the company to move eyewear away from being a “static medical device” toward a form of personal expression. Under his leadership, the brand has secured major licensing deals and transformed the traditional optical retail cycle.

Pair Eyewear features a patented system of customizable “Top Frames” that magnetically snap onto a base prescription frame. This model drives significant practice growth by increasing patient return rates. Their B2B platform allows ECPs to offer thousands of styles without carrying massive physical inventory.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-kondamuri-5729928a/ 
• Website: https://paireyewear.com/ 

Connect with Jared Noble from Arrellio

Jared Noble is the Founder of Arrellio. Having grown up in the industry and started as a technician for his father’s practice at age 12, Noble built the platform specifically to solve the “people problems” and operational inefficiencies faced by front-office staff.

Arrellio is an all-in-one technology platform that integrates patient engagement, supply chain management, and VoIP communications into a single interface. By consolidating the 14+ tabs staff typically use, the platform automates contact lens ordering and leverages vision insurance data to send “use it or lose it” recall messages. The system also features AI-driven sentiment scoring and call transcripts to improve staff coaching and patient retention.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nobleljared/ 
• Website: https://arrellio.com/

Connect with Eugene Shatsman 

Eugene Shatsman is Host of Power Hour, Managing Partner of National Strategic Group, and a TEDx Speaker. A growth strategist and consultant to hundreds of optometric practices nationwide, Eugene specializes in scaling independent eye care businesses through structured strategy, marketing science, and operational clarity.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugeneshatsman/ 
• Website: eugeneshatsman.com