2. The Innowe Challenge 2011 VisionSpringBringing high-quality,
low-cost vision care to neglected communities across the
developingworld.We talk of great visionaries who dreamt to make
real innovation happen, Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt,Mark Zuckerberg,
Ratan Tata. Here, we narrate to you the story about two people who
dreamt, withtheir eyes wide open to provide to the less privileged,
the power of clear vision.VisionSpring: A story on social
enterprise, micro-franchising and business with the next
billion.During his first year in optometry school, Jordan Kassalow
went on a trip to rural Mexico toprovide eye care services to some
2,000 people who suffer from vision problems.He saw a seven-year
old boy who couldnt see at all and was using Braille. "He suffered
the burdenof blindness: besides being unable to see, blind people
are ostracized in society as they areconsidered bad luck," Kassalow
recalls.Being a freshman, he asked his professor to review the boys
condition with him. As it turned out,the boy was not blind, just
profoundly near-sighted. The team had brought with them eyeglasses
ofvarying degrees and he was asked to get the one with the
strongest lens for the boy.As the boy aligned his eyes to the
lenses, I saw his face light up as he experienced the joy of
beingable to see. That moment transformed both our lives," he says.
"I wanted to be able to recreatemoments like this. It got me on
track."When Kassalow returned to Boston, he was startled to see
that of the 2,000 people they saw overfive days, 1,400 or 70%
needed glasses. Of these;We School, Mumbai Social Innovation:
VisionSpringTeam Netrutva 3. The Innowe Challenge 2011 ONLY 30% 70%
need simple was made-to- magnifying-type orderlenses that came in
5ready-made powersHe went on eight more training trips but was
dissatisfied with the strategy. He wanted to find asustainable
model. In any mission or cause, the most passionate radicals and
influencers are the ones thirsting for a change. They are the ones
dissatisfied with status quo and all they need is a mission, a
cause to ignite them.After working with Aravind, Kassalow had split
his time between international public health workand an optometric
practice in New York City. Scott, a businessman and senior
executive of a largefamily business, was attracted by the idea of
combining his interest in entrepreneurship with hispassion for
public service. On a visit to India in 1998, Kassalow and Scott saw
first-hand the hugemarket for reading glasses for the poor.In 2001,
they created Scojo Foundation to provide affordable reading glasses
to people withpresbyopia* living in low-income communities. During
this time, Kassalow and Scott also formedScojo Vision LLC, a
for-profit company in the United States that targeted the
affordable luxuryniche of the reading glasses market. From the
beginning, they designated that 5% of profits fromthe LLC would
funnel into Scojo Foundation. Kassalow felt that he and Scott were
a strong teamwhose skills and experiences complemented one another.
Kassalow knew about eye care, publichealth, and fundraising. Scott
knew about sales, marketing and business management.*Presbyopia is
a natural condition whereby the lens of the eye loses its
flexibility, resulting in blurry up-closevisionWe School, Mumbai
Social Innovation: VisionSpringTeam Netrutva 4. The Innowe
Challenge 2011Although they were both integrally involved in
designing and building the LLC and the Foundation,they agreed that
Scott would take the lead in the LLC and Kassalow would run the
Foundation.Chronicling VisionSprings journeyScojo
FoundationCreatedIndiaLaunched in Mexico &Renamed asEl
SalvadorGuatemalaBangladeshVisionSpring200120022003 2004 2005 2006
2007 2008George Soros Open Society Institute funded Scojo
Foundations pilot program in India in 2001 andbegan operations in
India in January, 2005.Scojo Indias revenue sources were from
eye-glasses sales, grants and loans. In May of 2006,
ScojoFoundation received a US$100,000 loan from Acumen Fund for its
India operations. Acumen Fundis a global non-profit venture fund
that invests in scalable and financially sustainable
organizationsdelivering products and services to the poor. Acumen
Fund tracks a combination of financial andsocial returns.Five years
later, Scojo New York was sold and Scojo Foundation was renamed
VisionSpring in2008.We School, Mumbai Social Innovation:
VisionSpring Team Netrutva 5. The Innowe Challenge 2011Serving the
base of the Pyramid: A market for reading glasses in India880
millionOneIn India live on less than US$ 2 per dayeye care
professional per 30,200 people92.4 million Rs.250-500Indians suffer
from presbyopiaspent on a pair of reading glasses by rural folkThis
population was VisionSprings primary market which would benefit
from reading glasses interms of improved quality of life and
increased productivity. Many people did not know that therewas a
simple and affordable solution to presbyopia, and therefore did not
look for opportunities tobuy reading glasses even if they were
available.These glasses typically cost less than $10 in US
drugstores. Kassalow felt that the problem wasreally a question of
distribution. People in the villages just didnt have access to the
glasses. Itstruck him that the real problem was really a market
failure for eyeglasses, and he came up with theidea of training
local women, whom he saw as the keys to ending the poverty spiral
that entrappedmany of his patients. Kassalow came up with the
concept of a Business-in-a-Bag, which is themicro franchise kit
that VisionSpring has today. These kits, which contain different
styles andstrengths of glasses combined with the training needed to
sell the glasses, empower thousands ofmicro entrepreneurs around
the world today. This bag came at a below-cost deposit of
Rs.500.Vision Entrepreneurs conduct educational outreach on vision
care and offer screenings in theircommunities. To maximize their
efforts, Vision Entrepreneurs partner with reputable
localinstitutions such as schools and churches to host mobile
vision campaigns. .The Business-in-a-Bag has around 40 pairs of
various styles, colors and powers of glasses, accessories,
mirror,measuring wire, Eye Charts, Invoice Pad, Eye hospital
referral pad, daily sales form, customer information
sheet,certificate of Training completionWe School, MumbaiSocial
Innovation: VisionSpring Team Netrutva 6. The Innowe Challenge
2011Grassroots Innovation-The VisionSpring wayVisionSpring reduces
poverty and generates opportunity by educating and empowering
visionentrepreneurs and equipping them with the tools needed to
market and sell eyeglasses at affordableprices.VisionSpring has
achieved significant impact bringing dramatically improved vision
to over400,000 individuals at the base of the economic pyramid and
leading to improvements in health,income, and productivity in the
worlds poorest communities. In sum, VisionSpring is anoutstanding
example of enterprising social innovation.We School, MumbaiSocial
Innovation: VisionSpringTeam Netrutva 7. The Innowe Challenge
2011The continuing evolution of VisionSprings business model
VisionSprings innovations blend methods from the worlds of business
andphilanthropy to create sustainable social value that has the
potential forlarge-scale impact.We School, Mumbai Social
Innovation: VisionSpring Team Netrutva 8. The Innowe Challenge
2011We School, Mumbai Social Innovation: VisionSpring Team Netrutva
9. The Innowe Challenge 2011Comprehensive Eye Care Refers for
complexPartners vision problemsThe Business Model with a difference
VisionSpring literally has its eyes on the market. With strong
customerfeedback, it is able to stay ahead of competition.Reaching
the last mile: the Distribution ModelWe School, Mumbai Social
Innovation: VisionSpring Team NetrutvaRefers for complexvision
problems 10. The Innowe Challenge 2011VisionSpring is a solid,
illustrative example of the micro franchise model coupled with
micro-consignment while building entrepreneurship among village
folk in India and also having adramatic impact in four
countries.VisionSpring has built effective partnerships with Shakti
Ammas of HUL, Drishtee, ITC e-choupalssanchalaks and Byrraju
Foundation and 23 others who receive training from VisionSpring
trainerswho would then receive the micro franchise kits and begin
selling. As a result of this partnership,nearly 10,000 reading
glasses have been sold through Community Health Workers who, in
turn,earned generous profit. If VisionSpring were to do this on its
own, it would take years of planningand raising the necessary
financial resources. It is the trust in the visionentrepreneurs
that has made the innovation really touch the grassroots.Developing
the Social Innovation NicheWhat sets VisionSpring apart is that it
has managed to spread the good work across severaldeveloping
countries and it constantly focuses on self-sustenance and creating
a social impact. Theorganization has the culture of a small
business, driven to be innovative and deliver measurableresults
against bottom lines which trickles down to every vision
entrepreneur.The value chain provides sufficient financial
incentive and social impact potential to convincepartners to open
their networks, leverage their infrastructure and provide the
resources to managethese programs. Partners can take a share of the
large profit margins, and receive some of thewidespread recognition
for the double social impact provided by this innovative model.No
other organization sells eyeglasses to villages. In fact, very few
organizations have developedthe infrastructure to reach villages
with retail products, save large consumer products companiessuch as
Coca-Cola, HUL or agricultural products companies.VisionSpring has
taken advantage of its exclusive position in the villages by
gathering market dataon customer preferences and building its brand
name.We have been privileged to hear Mr. Maruti Ram, Vision
Entrepreneur Channel Manager, India andwere inspired to write this
story.We School, MumbaiSocial Innovation: VisionSpring Team
Netrutva