Have the entrepreneurial spirit? This week’s podcast features two new graduate ODs that have embraced the mindset to innovate in optometry above and beyond traditional patient care. Dr. Jonathan Jacesko is a 2017 graduate of the Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry and a former Naval Flight Officer. His small business ventures started while he was a student at PCO, with the poetry and artwork collection Optopoetry that we covered in a 2017 podcast. That book went on to sell over 600 copies to date (and you can pick yours up here!).

Since Optopoetry, Dr. Jacesko has pursued multiple other entrepreneurial endeavors, some more successful than others. One such project that has not taken off like he had hoped was IshiPrints, an online program that could make any image into a Ishihara-style color plate graphic. Dr. Jacesko shares what he’s learned from both his successes and his failures, and his insights in using Kickstarter campaigns, using Wix for website designs, and advice on navigating the patent process. 

He teamed up with Dr. Chris Lopez, a 2018 graduate of the University of Houston School of Optometry to found Eyecare Market which launched earlier this year. Eyecare Market is an online marketplace whose goal is to connect ODs with optometric vendors so they can learn more about the innovative products in the comfort of their own homes. The goal is to solve pains for ODs who don’t have the time or money to attend trade shows or who want to adequately research products before they make it to the trade show floor, and to help small vendors connect with ODs without having to spend the many thousands of dollars that a booth at a large trade show would cost. 

Dr. Chris Lopez, Optometrist

We talk about the ins and outs of starting a business, with expert advice on what pitfalls young entrepreneurs may face (and hopefully avoid) on this podcast!