The
changing
face of
vision
“To whom much is given, much is expected,” is the Chen family motto,
and third-generation entrepreneur and philanthropist James Chen
surpasses all expectations by aiming to improve the sight of millions.
“
I’m one of those new breeds of
venture philanthropists, I get all the
thrill of being an entrepreneur, plus
the satisfaction of helping to bring
about social change… and it’s the best
job in the world!” says 49-year-old James Chen
(YPO Hong Kong). It sounds really simple, but this
‘job’ has many facets: Chen is chairman of both the Chen Yet-set
Foundation, based in Hong Kong and Wahum Group Holdings
based in Nigeria. He is also managing director of Legacy Advisors
and director and co-founder of Adaptive Eyewear (Adlens), and
it’s Adlens, that is at the forefront of Chen’s philanthropic passion.
Adlens is a technology company that develops and
commercializes adjustable eyeglasses, using innovative technology,
which can correct up to 90 percent of refractive errors. The
eyeglasses change lens power with the turn of a dial and with
the aid of a local health care worker, users can quickly and easily
determine their own lens power for near or distance vision. They
can then fix the power in a simple process that takes only minutes.
“In part, the entire Renaissance in Europe was enabled by the
advent of affordable vision correction,” explains Chen
“For example, corrective eyewear meant that craftsmen
and workers were able to continue working beyond the
age of 45, when most people need corrective eyewear.
Vision is irreducibly linked to national productivity,
education, quality of life and the economy of any country. These
glasses will soon be introduced as commercial products in the
developed world, and hopefully, the technology will also enable
vision correction for the masses of people in the developing world,
who have never had access to affordable vision correction.”
Vision for a Nation, an Adaptive Eyewear program in Rwanda,
is aiming for just that. It’s being implemented in three phases. The
Vision for the Nation team is currently working with local Rwandan
health workers in five villages to screen 3,300 people and provide
eyeglasses to all who need them. “Following the completion of the
current phase, of which we’ve already received recognition from the
CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) in 2009, Adaptive Eyewear aims to
help an entire district of Gicumbi in Rwanda, screening 300,000
people and dispensing around 50,000 eyeglasses. This ambitious
expansion, due to start in 2011, is crucial in refining the distribution
connect / asia International Conference on Social Enterprises in Eastern Asia: www.icseea.npocenter.org.tw/en connect / argentina The south american business forum: www.sabf.org.ar/english
30 \ Real Leaders