Draft:Steven Lee (optometrist)
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Submission declined on 12 November 2025 by Pythoncoder (talk).
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| Submission declined on 3 November 2025 by Patre23 (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. Declined by Patre23 10 days ago. | |
Comment: The sources are focused on a business the subject of this article is involved in and give just trivial mentions to the subject of the article. To establish notability for this subject, sources that give significant coverage to the subject are needed. Patre23 (talk) 10:52, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
Steven Lee | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Waterloo; Illinois College of Optometry |
| Occupation(s) | Optometrist, technology entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder of Opternative (later Visibly); work on online vision testing |
| Board member of | Illinois College of Optometry (Board of Trustees) |
Steven Lee is an optometrist and technology entrepreneur. He is the clinical co-founder of Opternative, later rebranded as Visibly, a company that developed an at-home, self-administered vision test using a computer and smartphone.[1][2][3]
After his work at Visibly, Lee served as chief executive officer of VisionPros, a Canadian-based digital eyewear platform that delivered glasses and contact lenses across North America and was later acquired by CloudMD Software & Services.[4][5] He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO).[6]
Early life and education
[edit]Lee completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Waterloo in 2002 and a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree at the Illinois College of Optometry in 2007.[7] He later attended the TEDMED conference, where his biography highlighted his interest in combining clinical eye care with digital technology.[7]
Career
[edit]Opternative / Visibly
[edit]Lee co-founded Opternative in Chicago in 2012 with the aim of providing a remote, self-guided vision test for adults seeking to renew their eyeglass or contact-lens prescriptions.[2] The online service used a computer monitor to present optotypes and a smartphone as a controller, guiding users through a series of visual tasks and questions. Contemporary reporting in Fast Company, Wired and TechCrunch described the product as an online refractive assessment rather than a comprehensive eye-health examination and noted that users were encouraged to undergo periodic in-person exams with eye-care professionals.[1][2][3][8]
Television segments and local news outlets, including Fox 32 Chicago, later demonstrated the software and interviewed Lee about how the home test worked in practice.[9]
In October 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter stating that Opternative’s vision-test software required a premarket submission before it could be marketed as a medical device.[10] The letter focused on the regulatory status of the software and prompted the company to work with the agency on an appropriate pathway for clearance.
In December 2018, Opternative announced that it had changed its name to Visibly as part of a strategy to emphasize partnerships with eye-care providers and industry organizations.[11][12]
Reception and regulation
[edit]Coverage of Opternative and Visibly placed the company within wider debates about telemedicine and the scope of practice in optometry. Supporters cited the potential for online refraction to make prescription renewals more convenient and affordable, especially for patients with stable prescriptions and limited access to local clinics.[1][3] Professional associations and some optometrists expressed concern that consumers might treat remote refraction as a substitute for a comprehensive examination that screens for ocular disease and systemic health issues, arguing that this distinction was not always clear to the public.[8]
The regulatory environment for online vision testing developed as U.S. state legislatures, professional boards and federal agencies considered how such services should be classified and supervised. The 2017 FDA warning letter and the later 510(k) clearance for VDAP are often cited as key milestones in defining how digital visual-acuity tools can be marketed in the United States.[13][14]
VisionPros
[edit]Following his tenure at Visibly, Lee became CEO of VisionPros, a vertically integrated online eyewear business headquartered in Canada. A 2021 news release from CloudMD, which announced a binding term sheet to acquire VisionPros, identified Lee as the company’s chief executive officer and described him as a pioneer of online vision tests whose earlier work established one of the first such platforms in the North American market.[15]
A later interview in LogRocket’s "Leader Spotlight" series noted that Lee joined VisionPros after leaving Visibly and led the company through its acquisition by CloudMD, while continuing to work on digital tools for eye care and e-commerce.[16]
Litigation
[edit]In 2015, Lee settled a lawsuit brought by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO). Reporting in Vision Monday stated that the case involved allegations that he had sold copyrighted test questions for optometry board examinations through a prior business and noted that the settlement, which required payments to NBEO, included no admission of wrongdoing by Lee.[17]
In 2017, Opternative filed a lawsuit against eyewear retailer Warby Parker, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of non-disclosure agreements related to mobile eye-exam technology. Technology and digital-health outlets reported on the filing and placed it within the competitive landscape for online vision-testing services.[18][19][20]
Zenni Optical
[edit]In the mid-2020s, Lee became associated with projects at Zenni Optical that focused on privacy-oriented lens coatings. In 2025, technology and consumer-electronics outlets reported on Zenni’s "ID Guard" feature, a near-infrared-reflecting coating offered under the EyeQLenz brand as a way to interfere with some facial-recognition systems.[21][22] These reports quoted Lee explaining how the coating reflects portions of the near-infrared spectrum that many cameras use for facial recognition and outlining circumstances in which the technology may be less effective.[23][24]
Trade publications in optometry reported that Zenni hosted an event in San Francisco to introduce EyeQLenz with ID Guard, describing it as a panel discussion on facial-recognition technology and privacy that featured Lee among the speakers.[25]
Professional service and outreach
[edit]Lee is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Illinois College of Optometry, where he is listed as part of the institution’s leadership team.[6]
He has spoken at meetings and public events on innovation in eye care and telemedicine. A TEDxIIT talk titled "Mission for Vision" features Lee discussing global patterns of uncorrected refractive error and the possible role of digital tools in increasing access to basic vision screening.Mission For Vision – TEDxIIT (talk by Steven Lee) on YouTube
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Barrett, Brian (October 12, 2015). "The Eye Doctor on Your Laptop Will See You Now". Wired. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c Kessler, Sarah (March 20, 2014). "The End of Eye Charts? A Startup Can Now Give Eyeglass Exams Online". Fast Company. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c Constine, Josh (July 27, 2015). "Opternative's Online Eye Exam Gets You A Glasses Prescription From Home". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "CloudMD to Acquire VisionPros, a Rapidly Growing Digital Eyecare Platform with a Robust Suite of Digital Vision Care Tools". GlobeNewswire (Press release). February 16, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ Srinivas, Jessica (October 2, 2024). "Leader Spotlight: The process of novel innovation, with Dr. Steven Lee". LogRocket. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "Leadership Team – Board of Trustees". Illinois College of Optometry. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Steven Lee". TEDMED. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Opternative Online Eye Exam Service Sparks Criticism from Optometrists". ABC News. August 5, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Take an eye exam using your smartphone". FOX 32 Chicago. July 29, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative Inc – Warning Letter (MARCS-CMS 532477)". FDA. March 13, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative Changes Name to 'Visibly' to Better Reflect a Move Toward Partnerships". Vision Monday. December 11, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative Changes Name to Visibly". Review of Optometry. December 13, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative Inc – Warning Letter (MARCS-CMS 532477)". FDA. March 13, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Park, Andrea (August 17, 2022). "Visibly wins FDA clearance for self-administered online vision test". MedTech Dive. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "CloudMD to Acquire VisionPros, a Rapidly Growing Digital Eyecare Platform with a Robust Suite of Digital Vision Care Tools". GlobeNewswire (Press release). February 16, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ Srinivas, Jessica (October 2, 2024). "Leader Spotlight: The process of novel innovation, with Dr. Steven Lee". LogRocket. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative Co-Founder Steven Lee, OD, Settles Lawsuit With National Board of Examiners in Optometry". Vision Monday. August 17, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative vs. Warby Parker". TechCrunch. October 16, 2017. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Comstock, Jonah (October 17, 2017). "Opternative sues Warby Parker for breach of mobile eye exam NDA". MobiHealthNews. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Opternative sues Warby Parker, claiming misappropriation of trade secrets for online eye tests". Vision Monday. October 19, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Gault, Matthew (October 27, 2025). "Zenni's Anti-Facial Recognition Glasses are Eyewear for Our Paranoid Age". 404 Media. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Sharpe, Christina (October 29, 2025). "Zenni Blocks Facial Recognition With Rose-Colored Glasses—But There's a Catch". Techlicious. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Gault, Matthew (October 27, 2025). "Zenni's Anti-Facial Recognition Glasses are Eyewear for Our Paranoid Age". 404 Media. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ Sharpe, Christina (October 29, 2025). "Zenni Blocks Facial Recognition With Rose-Colored Glasses—But There's a Catch". Techlicious. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Zenni Optical hosts event to celebrate launch of EyeQLenz with ID Guard". Optometric Management. October 28, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
External links
[edit]Category:Living people Category:American optometrists Category:American technology businesspeople Category:Telemedicine Category:Illinois College of Optometry alumni Category:University of Waterloo alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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