Women In Optometry’s eighth annual Women’s Leadership Conference brought optometrists and industry professionals together in Anaheim, California, on Sept. 29 for an afternoon centered on the power of connection, authenticity and intentional leadership.
Held during the 2026 American Academy of Optometry Annual Meetinbg, this year’s conference challenged attendees to Focus. Amplify. Lead. — to deliberately choose where they invest their attention and energy, increase the reach and impact of their ideas and mobilize others toward a shared purpose.
As attendees arrived, the room quickly filled with conversation, setting an energetic tone for an afternoon of candid discussion and shared experiences.
THE RELATIONSHIP ADVANTAGE
Keynote speaker Barb Betts, international keynote speaker, CEO and author of The Relationship Advantage, opened the conversation around one of the afternoon’s central ideas: strong leadership starts with authentic relationships.
In her presentation, The Relationship Advantage: Master the Art of Influence and Connection for Real Results in Business and Life, Betts explored how relatability, authenticity and trust can strengthen relationships in business and in life.
She began by sharing her own journey to authenticity. As a child who felt like she did not quite fit in, Betts recalled wondering, “Who do I have to become in order to belong?” Over time, she became so skilled at reading every room and becoming who she thought she needed to be that she lost sight of who she really was.
That realization, she said, points to a fundamental truth about connection and leadership: the most important relationship a person will ever have is the one they have with themselves.
“You can’t have an authentic relationship with others if you don’t have one with yourself,” Betts said.
She challenged attendees to consider whether they allow themselves to show up authentically in every room they enter and how that alignment affects the way they lead, connect and build trust.
The keynote was sponsored by Alcon.
CONNECTIONS THAT RAISE YOU AND OTHERS
That focus continued during the panel discussion, Connections That Raise You and Others, featuring M. “Araba” Otoo, OD, MPH, FAAO; Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, FMCP, FOWNS, CFMP; and Jennifer Maples, OD, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, Dipl. ABCMO.
Dr. Otoo, founder of Cherish Eyesight and Vision and chair of the American Public Health Association Vision Care Section, shared how mentorship helped redirect her path toward optometry and ultimately toward her passion for public, international and global health. She also spoke candidly about leadership and self-doubt.
Dr. Gioia, founder of Integrative Vision, chose what she called the “not-so-safe” path in sharing her story. After seeking political asylum in multiple countries before finding a home in the U.S., she said much of her upbringing was shaped by fear. A health scare in her 30s eventually prompted her to rethink how she approached medicine and her own voice.
“I started looking outside the box in terms of how I saw medicine,” she said. “I am lucky to have found my voice — and I’m still working on it — that allow me to connect in these new avenues… I naturally connect now. I don’t have to look for it.”
Dr. Maples, known as The Mindful Optometrist, turned the idea of connection inward. She encouraged attendees to spend time without distractions, even if only for 10 minutes, to reconnect with their own thoughts and values.
“Sometimes late at night, or when I’m driving, I’ll check in with myself. ‘What do I need right now? Is there anything in my body that’s screaming at me?’ It sounds simple, but it takes mindfulness,” she said.
She noted that women, and physicians in particular, can become so attuned to the needs of others that their own voices get drowned out. Protecting time and energy, she said, can make it easier to connect with others authentically.
Recent graduates Brooke Major, OD, MS, and Noelle Tchang, OD, spoke on what helped create a solid foundation for their new careers, as well as what other new ODs should do in order to make the most of their first years as doctors.
CELEBRATING THE 2026 THEIA AWARD WINNERS
The afternoon concluded with the 11th annual Theia Awards of Excellence, recognizing six women who have made significant contributions to optometry.
The 2026 honorees were Kristin Anderson, OD, FAAO, Industry Influencer; Mila Ioussifova, OD, CNS, FAAO, FOWNS, Business; Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, Mentoring; Riya Paranthan, OD, Leadership; Bina Patel, OD, FAAO, Education; and Emilie K. Seitz, OD, FAAO, Young OD.
With the 2026 class, 77 women have now received Theia Awards since the program began 11 years ago.
The conference and awards celebration continued with a networking cocktail hour, giving attendees, speakers and honorees another opportunity to connect and carry the afternoon’s conversations forward.
