VisionSpring Rings the Nasdaq Stock Market Closing Bell

VisionSpring, a global social enterprise that accelerates the use of eyeglasses among people living on less than $4/day, visits the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. VisionSpring will ring the Closing Bell one week after World Sight Day, when they announced a $15 million dollar gift from MacKenzie Scott. The gift catalyzes the launch of their strategic initiative Livelihoods in Focus – a $70 million effort to bring sight tests to 12 million agricultural and artisan workers by 2030 and dispense eyeglasses to all of those who need them. In honour of the occasion, Ella Gudwin, CEO rings the Closing Bell. Ms. Gudwin said, “VisionSpring is a proud impact unicorn. To date, we have unlocked more than $2 billion in income earning potential for households vulnerable to poverty with the simple, 700 year-old technology of eyeglasses. With Livelihoods in Focus we are starting the next chapter in our impact story.” VisionSpring Founder, Jordan Kassalow added, “Today we invite new corporate partners to join us in bringing the wonder of clear vision to workers in your global supply chains and emerging customer communities. The ROI on this investment is unparalleled in terms of workers’ livelihoods and well-being as well as productivity and product quality for companies and brands.” Livelihoods in Focus builds on 20 years of international experience and robust evidence gathered in the tea-growing region of Assam, India. A rigorous randomized controlled trial there found that a pair of eyeglasses lifts productivity by 22-32% among workers. When the economic benefits seen in Assam are extended to new tea, coffee, and cocoa farming and artisan regions with similar characteristics, scaling the effort has the potential to generate more than $1 billion in new income earning potential for workers and their families in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.