Global Vision 2020

What Global Vision 2020 does

Global Vision 2020 is a Maryland-incorporated private nonprofit founded in 2014 by J. Kevin White, a retired U.S. Marine and Naval Academy graduate. The organization invented, patented, and commercializes the USee™ Refraction System — a hardware-based vision screening kit that uses dial-adjusted lenses to determine prescriptions and snap-together frames to dispense prescription eyeglasses in minutes, without requiring a trained optometrist. A companion mobile training app, available on iOS and Android and capable of operating offline, guides partner organizations through the screening workflow and supports up to 100 agents per account. The USee tool and USee Vision Kit are USPTO-registered trademarks and patents, recognized by Fast Company's World Changing Ideas 2020 and the USPTO Patent for Humanity 2020.

The business model combines direct e-commerce sales of physical Vision Kits and components (Screening Kit at $224, Adult Distance Kit at $1,591, Children's Distance Kit, Readers Kit, Prescription and Non-Prescription Sunglasses Kits, and Backpack Resupplies), licensing of the USee Kit to non-commercial entities, and a recurring and one-time donation program ($5/month funds one pair of glasses). Products are sold through a Shopify storefront and shipped from warehouses in Trappe, Maryland and Winnipeg, Canada via FedEx and UPS. Customers are NGOs, faith-based organizations, government health departments, hospitals, and academic institutions conducting vision outreach in 68 countries; the organization is barred by state law from selling directly to individuals in the United States for personal use.

Operations are founder-led and lean, with four named staff: Kevin White as Founder and Executive Director, Greg Wiens as Director of Operations (also serving Multiply/Mennonite Brethren clinics), James Morrell as Director of Business Development (healthcare and federal markets), and Jack Willey as a part-time Logistics Manager. Anchor partners include Multiply (permanent clinics in Malawi, Zambia, and Thailand), Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, IAPB, and the Talbot County Health Department. Cumulative impact metrics claim over one million prescription eyeglasses delivered across 68 countries, addressing a stated addressable population of 2.5 billion people lacking access to optometrists.

Name

Global Vision 2020

Legal name

Global Vision 2020, Inc.

Website

https://gv2020.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Vision 2020 is a Maryland-based nonprofit that invented and sells the patented USee™ Refraction System, a hardware kit and mobile training app enabling trained volunteers to dispense prescription eyeglasses in minutes to underserved populations across 68 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vision Care Medical Devices

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)

Keywords

• Vision screening kits
• Prescription eyeglass delivery
• Humanitarian vision care
• Refraction devices
• Eye health outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Easton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vision Kit Sales: Sale of USee Vision Kits and components including screening kits, distance kits, reading kits, prescription sunglasses, children's kits, backpack resupplies, and individual frames/lenses. Organizations purchase kits to conduct vision screening programs.
2. Licensing: Licensing of USee Kit to not-for-profit institutions and non-commercial entities for providing basic refractory services to low-income populations. Payment is per the Catalog of Goods.
3. Donations: Monthly recurring donations ($5/month provides one pair of glasses; $20/month brings clear vision to children, women, and men) and one-time donations from individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Global Vision 2020 sells the patented USee™ Vision Kit system, a hardware-based refraction and eyeglass-dispensing solution for humanitarian vision programs. The Screening Kit contains the USee refraction device and eye charts; partner organizations add Adult Distance, Children's Distance, Readers, Prescription Sunglasses, and resupply kits (frames, lenses, and accessories) to deliver prescription eyeglasses in minutes at a few dollars per person in low-resource settings without requiring an optometrist.

Product overview

Global Vision 2020 offers the USee™ Vision Kit system, a hardware-based vision screening and correction solution designed for use in developing countries and low-resource settings. The core product is the USee™ refraction device, which must be paired with various kit components to deliver prescription eyeglasses. The product portfolio includes: the Screening Kit (required for distance vision testing, includes the USee device and eye charts); the Adult Distance Kit and Children's Distance Kit (provide 250 frames with 540 lenses each for distance correction); the Readers Kit (300 reading glasses in four power levels, does not require screening); Prescription Sunglasses Kit and Non-Prescription Sunglasses Kit (sunglasses options); plus smaller Backpack Resupplies for field deployment (40 frames with 110-150 lenses); and accessory items like frames, glasses, pliers, and bags. The system enables volunteers to provide prescription eyeglasses in minutes without requiring an optometrist, serving populations lacking access to vision care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• USee: The USee is a unique refraction and vision kit system that enables delivery of corrective eyeglasses in minutes for a few dollars per person.

Products and services

• USee™ Vision System The overarching patented system that enables trained refractionists to perform visual acuity tests and deliver prescription eyeglasses in minutes using a dial-snap-wear process, serving populations without access to optometrists.
• Screening Kit Required kit for vision screening, containing the USee refraction device and eye charts. Price $224.00 USD. Required for the Adult and Children's Distance Kits.
• Adult Distance Kit Kit for addressing nearsighted and farsighted adults. Contains 250 adult frames in black and brown, plus 540 adult lenses in various powers from +4.0 to -6 diopters. Requires a Screening Kit. Weight 30 lbs. Price $1,591.
• Children's Distance Kit Smaller frames and lenses for children ages 5-11 or small-faced adults. Contains 250 children's frames in black, brown, pink, and green, plus 540 children's lenses from +4.0 to -6 diopters. Requires a Screening Kit. Weight 27 lbs.
• Readers Kit Contains 300 reading glasses in black and brown frames with microfiber bags, across powers +1.00, +1.50, +2.50, and +3.50. Does not require a Screening Kit. Weight 31.6 lbs.
• Prescription Sunglasses Kit Contains 250 frames in black and brown, 250 microfiber bags, and 540 tinted lenses from +4.0 to -6 diopters plus a plastic lens box. Requires a Screening Kit. Weight 32 lbs.
• Non-Prescription Sunglasses Kit Contains 300 non-prescription sunglasses with microfiber bags. Complements distributions and can be a source of revenue generation for free or subsidized distribution programs.
• Sample Kit (Mini Kit) Designed for demonstrating benefits to new customers and board presentations. Includes 1 Screening Kit, 3 adult distance sample frames in black and brown, and 50 adult distance sample lenses from +4.0 to -6 diopters. Weight 3.3 lbs. Price $325 USD.
• Adult Distance Backpack Resupply Contains 40 adult distance glasses with frames and lenses for resupplying backpack kits or mixed orders. Includes 40 frames in black and brown, 110 lenses from +4.0 to -6 diopters, a plastic lens case, and 40 microfiber bags. Price $378.
• Children's Distance Backpack Resupply Contains 40 children's distance glasses for resupplying backpack kits. Includes frames in various colors and lenses from +4.0 to -6 diopters.
• Readers Backpack Resupply Contains 40 adult reading glasses in various prescriptions for restocking backpack kits or mixed orders. Includes 10 each of +1.0, +1.5, +2.5, and +3.5 power. Price $122.
• Prescription Sunglasses Backpack Resupply Contains 40 tinted distance glasses (prescription sunglasses) with frames in black and brown, 40 microfiber bags, 150 lenses in various powers from +4.0 to -6 diopters, and a plastic lens case. CE and ISO Safety Certified. Price $407.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million pairs of prescription eyeglasses delivered globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Talbot County Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Joint recognition for Children's Eye Health and Safety Month in Talbot County, Maryland.
• Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2019Partnership for awareness campaign, implementation of improved distribution techniques, learning from and establishing best practices for medical outreach in the developing world, and economic development through social entrepreneurship.
• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2019Partnership for awareness campaign and establishing best practices for medical outreach in the developing world. Kevin White built partnerships with both JHU and Georgetown University.
• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Active participation in IAPB annual meetings. Kevin White worked with eye health leaders to develop outreach solutions for the most vulnerable people around the globe at IAPB annual conference in Tanzania.
• Multiply (Mennonite Brethren International Development)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGreg Wiens oversees multiple permanent Mennonite Eyeglass clinics in Malawi, Zambia, and Thailand as well as dozens of short term clinics in over a dozen different countries through this international development wing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Peek Vision: UK-based social enterprise providing smartphone-based vision screening (Peek Acuity) and school eye-health programs used by governments and NGOs globally. Comparable to Global Vision 2020 in delivering tech-enabled vision screening through partner organizations in low-resource settings; differs on the screening technology modality (smartphone vs. dial-based refraction).
• RestoringVision: US-based nonprofit that distributes reading glasses and sunglasses globally through NGO and mission-partner networks. Directly comparable to Global Vision 2020 in mission, partner-led distribution model, and target end beneficiary (underserved populations without optometrist access), though RestoringVision primarily delivers non-prescription readers rather than prescription correction kits.
• VisionSpring: Social enterprise that provides affordable eyeglasses to low-income consumers in developing countries via partner organizations and Reading Glasses for All programs. Closely comparable business model to Global Vision 2020: B2B-to-partners distribution of low-cost prescription and reading eyewear in emerging markets.

Broad incumbents

• Warby Parker: US eyewear retailer with a "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" social-impact program that distributes glasses through nonprofit partners. Operates in the same end-mission space as Global Vision 2020 but as a consumer D2C brand; relevant benchmark for direct-to-consumer optics economics and partner-distribution models.
• Sightsavers: Large international NGO focused on preventable blindness and visual impairment in low- and middle-income countries, including refractive error programs. Operates at much greater scale than Global Vision 2020 and addresses overlapping end beneficiaries, but via institutional grant-funded clinical programs rather than partner kit sales.
• OneSight: Larger nonprofit (Luxottica/EssilorLuxottica-affiliated historically) running global vision clinics and school-based vision-screening programs. Operates in the same social-vision-care category as Global Vision 2020 with substantially greater funding, brand reach, and clinical infrastructure; not a direct kit competitor but addresses the same end-problem.
• Optometry Giving Sight: International NGO focused on funding optometry education, vision centers, and access programs in underserved regions. Comparable to Global Vision 2020 in mission (expanding access to vision care), though the mechanism is optometrist training and infrastructure rather than kit-based refraction.
• EssilorLuxottica (OneSight Foundation & 2.5 New Vision Generation): Largest global eyewear manufacturer-retailer running philanthropic inclusion programs (incl. 2.5 NVG) that outfit underserved populations with corrective lenses. Comparable end beneficiary to Global Vision 2020, but with vastly greater resources, supply chain, and ability to subsidize or undercut kit-based models.

Emerging players

• Clearly (formerly Clearly.ca): Online eyewear retailer with a social mission (Buy One Give One program historically donating glasses through partners). Adjacent to Global Vision 2020 in delivering affordable prescription eyewear to underserved populations, but operates primarily direct-to-consumer in developed markets rather than partner-led kit distribution.

Regional players

• Vision Aid Overseas: UK-based nonprofit training local eye-care workers and providing eyeglasses in low-income countries, primarily in Africa and Asia. Comparable mission and end-beneficiary population to Global Vision 2020; differs in being optometrist-led volunteer models rather than partner kit sales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gv2020_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GlobalVision-tj8tm
• Facebookfacebook.com/gv2020
• Instagraminstagram.com/global_vision_2020
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-vision-2020

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Vision 2020