Ocular Nutrition Society

What Ocular Nutrition Society does

Ocular Wellness & Nutrition Society (OWNS), formerly the Ocular Nutrition Society, is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit founded in 2007 and headquartered in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with a legal address in Massapequa Park, NY. The organization is a professional membership society serving eye care practitioners (optometrists, ophthalmologists, and nutrition-interested healthcare providers) in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Its core mission is to advance evidence-based nutrition and wellness strategies for ocular health, with stated focus on conditions such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye disease.

OWNS delivers value through a digital membership platform comprising a member portal, COPE-approved continuing education (approximately 6 hours annually), webinars and course recordings, a public Find-a-Practitioner directory, the NUTRIENTS journal access, and the FOWNS fellowship credential. Beyond the core membership product (priced at $149/year, $268 for two years, or $74.50 for retired/military members), the society offers certification pathways including the Certified Personalized Nutrition Practitioner (CPNP) and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) programs delivered through partnerships with the American Nutrition Association and University of Western States, with OWNS members receiving a 35% discount.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual and multi-year membership dues, supplemented by affiliate partnerships (notably Fullscript for supplement dispensing) and sponsorships from industry players such as EyePromise, Bausch + Lomb, and LKC Technologies. Go-to-market is community-led: OWNS recruits members via the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting (where it hosts a free reception), CE webinars, blog and newsletter content, and endorsements from the ANA. Leadership includes President Dr. Neda Gioia, Vice President Dr. Kaleb Abbott, Founder and Past President Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, Executive Director Kari Cline, and President Emeritus Dr. Stuart Richer. No public revenue, membership counts, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Name

Ocular Nutrition Society

Legal name

The Ocular Wellness & Nutrition Society

Website

https://ocularnutritionsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ocular Wellness & Nutrition Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional society serving optometrists, ophthalmologists, and nutrition-interested healthcare practitioners with COPE-approved continuing education, FOWNS fellowship credentialing, and nutrition certifications. Revenue comes from annual/multi-year membership dues and affiliate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from individual professional memberships. Annual membership at $149 provides access to CE content, member portal, fellowship pathway, and discounts on certification programs.
2. Multi-Year Membership: Two-year membership option at $268, offering 10% savings compared to annual renewals. Generates upfront revenue and improves member retention.
3. Specialty Membership Tiers: Reduced-rate memberships for retired professionals and military members at $74.50/year, maintaining engagement with former practitioners.
4. Certification Program Revenue: Revenue from Certified Personalized Nutrition Practitioner (CPNP) and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) programs through partnership with American Nutrition Association and University of Western States, with OWNS members receiving 35% discount.
5. Affiliate Partnerships: Partnership with Fullscript digital health platform provides members with supplement dispensing affiliate benefits and promotional arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OWNS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership society that delivers evidence-based nutrition and wellness education to eye care providers. It sells annual, multi-year, student, and retired/military memberships that include COPE-approved continuing education, a FOWNS fellowship pathway, access to journal platforms, and discounts on partner certifications (CPNP, CNS). It also operates the public Find a Practitioner directory and produces free and member-only educational resources.

Product overview

Ocular Wellness & Nutrition Society (OWNS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a professional membership society and educational platform for eyecare providers. The core offering is the annual/2-year membership program ($149/year or $268/2 years) providing COPE-approved continuing education, fellowship credentials (FOWNS), access to the NUTRIENTS journal, and member discounts including 35% off the CPNP certification through American Nutrition Association. The certification portfolio includes the Certified Personalized Nutrition Practitioner (CPNP) - a 44-credit online program for healthcare practitioners - and the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) - an advanced credential through ANA and University of Western States requiring MS/Doctoral degree. Additional offerings include the Find-a-Practitioner directory, free educational resources like the Wellness Essentials guide, and access to course recordings on topics spanning glaucoma, dry eye, nutraceuticals, and carotenoids. OWNS partners with Fullscript for supplement dispensing and provides various affiliate discounts to members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 hours of COPE-approved CE annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• American Nutrition Association (ANA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWNS collaboration with ANA to launch Personalized Nutrition Practitioner (PNP) certification program. OWNS members receive 35% discount on program enrollment. This partnership represents the 'biggest membership benefit' for OWNS and expands nutrition credentials available to eye care professionals.
• University of Western StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred education partner for Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) program. OWNS provides pathway and discounts for members pursuing advanced nutrition credentials through UWS's accredited program.
• FullscriptcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital health platform affiliate partnership providing OWNS members with access to quality supplementation tools and patient education. Fullscript offers practitioners free access to build supplement protocols with no cost to join.
• LKC TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for ERG-related educational content. Manufacturer of RETeval portable ERG device featured in OWNS course content and blogs about diabetic retinopathy management.
• EyePromiseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLongtime sponsor providing support for OWNS virtual CE programming. Leading ocular nutrition supplement brand in optometry industry.
• American Academy of OptometrycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional society partnership for annual reception hosting and collaborative CE programming. OWNS holds free annual reception at Academy meeting for members.
• Bausch + LombminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of OWNS Annual Reception and Awards at American Academy of Optometry, where new FOWNS Fellows are honored.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Optometry: The American Academy of Optometry is the larger professional society for optometrists where OWNS holds its annual reception. AAO offers COPE-approved CE across all optometric specialties and represents the incumbent whose conference presence OWNS leverages for member engagement.
• American Optometric Association: The American Optometric Association is the largest US optometric association and the primary political/advocacy body for the profession. AOA offers CE and specialty interest groups that could absorb ocular nutrition content, making it the dominant incumbent OWNS must coexist with.
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the largest US nutrition professional organization, offering membership, CE, certifications, and special-interest groups. It is the broad-incumbent counterpart to OWNS's partner ANA and represents the dominant professional society in nutrition.
• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology: ARVO is the largest vision-science research organization, hosting the premier vision research conference. While research-focused rather than CE-focused, ARVO shares the eye-care professional society structure and represents a broader incumbent in OWNS's clinical territory.

Direct peers

• American College of Lifestyle Medicine: ACLM is a medical professional society offering membership, CE, and certification (DipABLM) for clinicians integrating lifestyle interventions. ACLM parallels OWNS as a smaller specialty society building credentialing authority around an emerging clinical domain.
• American Nutrition Association: The American Nutrition Association is OWNS's flagship partner and operates a near-identical membership society model for nutrition professionals — recurring dues, CE programming, fellowship designations, and the CNS certification that OWNS now distributes. ANA is the most direct comparability point for OWNS's business model.
• College of Optometrists in Vision Development: COVD is a specialty optometric society with a similar membership-plus-COE/CE model targeting optometrists in vision development and rehabilitation. COVD is structurally analogous to OWNS as a subspecialty society offering fellowship, CE, and a member directory within optometry.

Others

• American Academy of Ophthalmology: The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the major professional society for ophthalmologists (MD eye physicians). While ophthalmology and optometry are distinct professions, AAO represents a connected eye-care professional community and serves as a complementary ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Institute for Functional Medicine: IFM offers functional medicine certification and practitioner training — including President Gioia's IFMCP credential. IFM occupies adjacent territory in functional/integrative medicine education with overlapping practitioner audiences for OWNS's CPNP certification.
• National Association of Nutrition Professionals: NANP is a smaller professional association for holistic nutrition practitioners, offering membership and the BCHN certification. It is a comparable emerging specialty society in the broader nutrition professional space adjacent to OWNS's audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ocular Nutrition Society