Celebrating the ClearVision-Adira Grant Program and Our 2025 Winners

The ClearVision-Adira Grant, founded in 2024 in partnership with the Optical Women’s Association, has quickly become a defining program supporting women’s growth and advancement across the optical industry.

“The foundational role of my mother Mimi Friedfeld, as a founding member of the OWA, underscores ClearVision's deep-rooted commitment to supporting women in the optical industry,” David Friedfeld, co-owner and president of ClearVision, said. “This collaboration with the OWA through the ClearVision-Adira Grants, as well as our Platinum Sponsorship of the organization, reflects a legacy of empowerment and our shared mission with the OWA to champion women's achievements and potential in our field. We look forward to the positive impact these grants will have."

This year’s grant recognizes two winners whose work reflects the program’s spirit of service and innovation: Tiffany Rosell, Owner of Sweet View Optical, and Aubri St. Clair, Owner of The Aubtician. Both women represent the next generation of leaders shaping the future of independent optical care.

Funded by ClearVision Optical in alignment with the launch of its women’s brand, Adira, the ClearVision-Adira Grant awards two $2,000 grants each round—two rounds in its inaugural year of 2024 and one round in 2025—supporting women across every stage of their careers. Founded as a partnership between ClearVision and the OWA, the program invites members to submit 300-word personal essays responding to prompts about their greatest challenges, biggest dreams, and the skills or support they need to grow. All essays are anonymized during voting, ensuring fairness as OWA members select the winners.

“[The ClearVision-Adira Grant] helped me grow not just as a professional, but also as a leader and advocate in the industry,” Judy Quinones, a team lead licensed optician at LensCrafters and past winner, said, “with even more commitment to mentoring future opticians and helping grow the profession."

Each year, the essays submitted paint a vivid picture of ambition and momentum in the field. Many applicants seek advanced training—whether mastering clinical specialties, strengthening leadership abilities, or pursuing long-delayed education. Their stories reflect a drive to push themselves further within an industry that continues to innovate rapidly.

Entrepreneurship also runs strongly through the submissions. Applicants describe ambitions to build or expand businesses—from independent optical boutiques to consulting practices, custom frame studios, and health-forward services that tie wellness to patient care. These ventures are often driven by a desire for autonomy and the opportunity to create something that reflects their values, creativity, and commitment to community.

“I applied for the grant because I wanted to start raising more dementia awareness for everyone,” Karen Michaelson, owner of KARE Consulting LLC and Eyes on Dementia, as well as a previous winner, shared. “The Adira Grant gave me the last push to make it happen."

A deep sense of service threads through many essays. Some applicants focus on accessibility—improving vision care for children with disabilities, supporting low-income students, or increasing awareness around conditions such as concussions or dementia within the optical field. Others reflect on their own burnout or caregiving responsibilities and seek healthier balance to sustain themselves while continuing to support others.

“I am so grateful and honored to have the support of the OWA and ClearVision to make my dream of helping my non-verbal patients communicate effectively with fitting and dispensing their eyewear,” Danielle Crull, owner of A Child’s Eyes and a past winner, said. “I truly believe this technology will help them express not only their needs, but also their personality. I do hope that we make a world more accessible to these awesome little human beings.”

In these stories the purpose of the ClearVision-Adira Grant becomes unmistakable. It is not simply an investment in coursework, equipment, or training; it is an investment in the women who keep the optical industry moving forward. As the program continues to grow, so does the community it empowers—a network of women transforming their own futures and, in the process, the future of optical care itself.