I. Ben Gaddie, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Chief Technology Officer at Keplr Vision
Louisville, Kentucky, United States
About I. Ben Gaddie, O.D., F.A.A.O.
I. Ben Gaddie, O.D., F.A.A.O. is Chief Technology Officer at Keplr Vision. Location: Louisville, Kentucky, United States.
My career goal has been to elevate optometry by leading through example, education, and advocacy. Being Chairman of AOA and Co-Chair of the Vision Expo Meetings for close to a decade, gave me the opportunity to partner with industry who were instrumental in getting us to where we are today as a profession. The highlight of my career was spending 20 years working alongside my dad, where I learned the ins and outs of running a business and encountered some of the most challenging glaucoma and retina cases. One of my greatest achievements was to elevate the generations of Gaddie Eye Centers by leading the private equity roll-up as a Founding Partner and Chief Medical Officer of keplr Vision in 2017. Today, keplr Vision now includes over 300 offices in 30 states. My passion for optometric advocacy is evident in the role I played championing the passing of historic legislation, the Better Access to Quality Eye Care bill (SB 110), into law on February 24, 2011, which expanded the role of optometry for Kentuckians with overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of the state legislature. Being able to successfully advocate for the best care for patients in rural populations was a watershed moment for optometry. I am energized by educating optometrists and working with industry partners from delivering over 1200 invited talks and advising pre-clinical startups to large strategics to influence innovation that will enable our profession to make patients’ lives better. I am a member of Visionary Ventures and have been a strategic advisor to venture capital, banks, and family funds by performing due diligence on companies to assess their viability and potential risk while providing chronic disease state pathology and clinical medical expertise to inform investment confidence. Recently, I was asked to deliver the Commencement speech at UAB School of Optometry, which was both an honor and a privilege. Outside of my career commitment to elevate optometry and eyecare, I spend time with my family, golf, and never miss a Kentucky Derby.
Skills
Additional experience
Chief Medical Officer
Keplr Vision
July 2017 – September 2024
Education
- Doctor's Degree, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Residency, Northeastern State University