Dr. Belinda Starkey knows the importance of breaking through the clutter to relate to consumers on their terms; her involvement in the American Optometric Association (AOA)’s Eye Deserve More initiative as an AOA trustee emphasizes the commitment to cutting through the noise and addressing consumer needs directly.

“This year, we dug into some insights about people, and we found, which isn’t shocking, that they are prioritizing their technology over a lot of things, including their health,” she says. “Seventy-seven percent of Americans in our target audience say it’s essential to have the latest technology and gadgets. Imagine if they were taking that much consideration for their eyes, which hold a lot more valuable technology.”

This discovery led to the AOA’s recent multiday, immersive pop-up in NYC, “The Eye,” centered on a high-tech, conceptual prototype that allowed attendees to experience the incredible technology within their own eyes.

Here, we catch up with Dr. Starkey on her optometric heroes, motto, and more.