Every year at Vision Expo East in spring, the Optical Women’s Association (OWA) from Dallas/Texas honours personalities from the optical industry for their achievements. The winners of the OWA Star Awards 2025 have now been announced. The OWA is also planning a global event at MIDO for its international expansion plans.
Three outstanding women in optics will be honoured by the OWA in 2025 with the Star Awards: the Pleades Award, the Pyxis Award and the Emerging Leader Award. They share a passion and desire to see women in leadership positions, and they set an amazing example of what ‘great’ looks like. Each year, OWA award winners receive $1,000 to use for a charity of their choice.
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Pleades Award: Lori Archer
Each year, the Pleiades Award honours an individual who has made a special contribution to promoting the leadership role of women in the optical industry. The ‘Pleiades’ are also known as the ‘Seven Sisters’ – in reference to the seven brightest stars.
Lori Archer is a seasoned executive at UnitedHealthcare Vision, a division of UnitedHealth Group – a Fortune 5 company. As Chief Executive Officer, Archer is responsible for the business strategy, execution and operations of this diversified organisation that serves commercial, private and government clients.
She is an insightful leader with nearly 30 years of experience in virtually all aspects of the vision insurance and optical business. She has a proven track record of delivering member-focused vision benefits with unmatched choice in access to care.
Lori Archer is Chair-Elect of the Board of the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP), a member of the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC) 2024 and a member of the Optical Women’s Association.
Pyxis Award: Megan Molony
Pyxis is a constellation in the southern sky known as ‘The Compass’. The award is presented to a member of the OWA who actively participates in the organisation and promotes the OWA throughout the optical industry, contributing to the continued growth of the OWA.
Megan Molony has been in the optical industry since 1995. Since then, she has worked for some of the largest global optical companies, including Luxottica and Essilor, as well as National Vision, where she has held several key leadership positions in various capacities. These roles include merchandising, product development, customer experience, strategic planning, pricing strategy, managed care, operations and innovation.
Molony joined National Vision in 2017. As National Vision’s Chief Merchandising and Managed Care Officer, she has strategic oversight of product, pricing, visual merchandising and managed care and is instrumental in sourcing high-quality, cost-effective products to provide a broad assortment for all National Vision brands and drive sales through strong vision care partnerships.
In addition to her role at National Vision, Megan Molony has been actively involved in the OWA since 2016 and is now Vice President and Co-Chair of the Professional Development Fund Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP).
Emerging Leader Award: Kayla Ashlee
Established in 2018, the Emerging Leader Award is presented to a woman who is a rising star and exemplifies leadership as a new, distinctive talent in the optical industry. Examples may include Millennials or GEN Xers, but are not limited to these generations. Unlike the Pleiades and Pyxis Awards, the Emerging Leader Award does not necessarily have to be presented every year.
Kayla Ashlee is the CEO and founder of Spexy, an international optometric speaker, a certified optometrist and a true optometric renegade. Her direct and relatable approach to education has set her apart in the optical industry. Ashlee has taken her knowledge from industry coaching and adapted it to reach any eye care practice looking to grow by embedding her training into an online video learning platform called Spexy.
She has also invented a tool called FrameTurn for independent opticians. This creation makes it possible to have access to eyewear inventory coaching and guidance based on each optician’s individual sales figures and has proven to be a massive profit maker for independent opticians.
OWA at the MIDO
The OWA was already a guest at the last SILMO (SILMO article, under ‘Strong women, strong vision’) at the SILMO Talk ‘Empowering Vision: Women in Optics’ for more visibility at an international level. Also present: Marge Axelrad, founding member of the Optical Women’s Association (OWA). For over 20 years, the OWA has provided a platform for mutual support, mentoring and professional development in the USA. The network is now looking to expand into Europe.
On the occasion of MIDO, an OWA Global Event will take place in Milan on 8 February 2025 in the Otticlub Lounge, now called ‘The Vision Stage’: under the title ‘Breaking Optical Barriers: Women Who Conquered the Climb to Success’, there will be a top-class panel discussion with experienced executives, moderated by OWA Vice President Megan Molony.
The event, sponsored by MIDO, will begin with an introduction by Lorraine Berton, President of ANFAO and MIDO, followed by a panel discussion that will provide insights into their journey to the top (panel to be announced soon). The discussion will focus on the challenges they have faced, including overcoming gender bias, balancing work and family, and navigating corporate structures. This event promises to inspire and empower future leaders in optics.
