Naren Arulrajah is a "visionary entrepreneur" who believes that success is a by-product of our dedication to serving others.

Naren is the CEO and Founder of Ekwa Marketing (www.ekwa.com). Ekwa is a 200-person team and a leader in helping doctors dominate Google and digital marketing. Ekwa exclusively serves doctors in private practice. Ekwa's clients include ophthalmologists, ob-gyns, dentists, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and med-spa owners.

Naren is most proud of the fact that 95% of Ekwa's clients stay with Ekwa year after year.

Naren has personally consulted with doctors who own and operate ophthalmology practices across the US and helped them scale from startups to multi-million dollar practices. His digital marketing expertise and entrepreneurial experience are appreciated by doctors worldwide.

Naren consistently focuses on giving back much value to the ophthalmology and medical community, which has been instrumental in his own success. In that spirit, along with other key opinion leaders, he founded Ophthalmology Business Academy (www.obacademy.org) to help doctors find personal, professional, and financial success.

Naren is a consultant, speaker, author, and innovator. AceTech Ontario honored Naren's accomplishments with its 2014 Leadership Initiative Award.

Guido Piquet is the Chief Operations Officer for Mann Eye Institute in Houston and Austin, TX. Entering the world of Ophthalmology in 2006, Guido began his career as the IT Director for the practice. Since that time, he has learned about all aspects of managing an Ophthalmic practice by taking on different roles within the organization. In 2011 Guido took a Clinic Manager position in one of the largest practice locations in Katy, TX. He credits his time there for learning the business of Ophthalmology from the inside out.

Guido’s leadership approach has always focused on building those around him. He learned from one of his mentors early in his career that a leader’s job is to surround themselves with the best and the brightest people. Only by creating an environment for the development of those around you can a leader find true success.

In 2016, Guido’s advancement in the field and leadership skills helped to propel him into the role of Chief Operations Officer so that he could help others find the same path to success. In his tenure, the practice has more than doubled in size, opened new offices through acquisition and organic growth, been involved in new construction projects, opened Ambulatory Surgery Centers and is currently working on an Office-Based Surgery project in Austin, and successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic with the practice emerging stronger than before.

Guido has a passion for education and, more importantly, continuing education formally and through networking with peers across the country. In 2001 Guido graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Houston. He has recently been involved in the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators. He successfully completed their Certified Ophthalmic Executive certification in 2020 and actively attends annual meetings and continuing education events. Mann Eye Institute is also a member of a group of top practices from across the country that meets twice per year to network, listen to industry-leading speakers, and learn from each other. In 2020, Guido decided to further his formal education by entering the Master of Business Administration program at the Jack Welch Management Institute. He is close to graduating and has loved the program, truly being able to experience their motto of “Learn it today, apply it tomorrow.”

Outside of his professional career, Guido enjoys spending time with his wife Dianna (Licensed Professional Counselor – Associate) and their two teenage daughters and enjoying the quieter pleasures of life. He is excited to help his wife begin her private practice and will take with him all the lessons he has learned in healthcare throughout the years.

Guido’s diverse range of experience and unique perspective as a Technology leader has helped to shape his approach to advancing the field of Ophthalmology. His true passion is finding new technology to help make the business of Ophthalmology more efficient, cost-effective, and to give a better patient experience. The only thing more important to him is assisting others in growing through networking with others in the field and practicing servant leadership with the other members of his team.

Sarah Duval, COE, COA, is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Concord Eye Center, a busy, multispecialty practice in Concord, NH. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Hampshire in May 2001, she began her career in ophthalmology in June as the Refractive Surgery Coordinator at Concord Eye Care. She quickly realized that she was intrigued by ophthalmology and could see a strong career path forward in the industry, and she decided to learn many aspects of the business.

As the refractive surgeon started slowing down toward retirement, Sarah looked to fill her time with additional skills and duties and trained to be a technician. As a technician, she focused primarily on diagnostic testing and photography, including retinal angiography, eventually earning the COA credential. Her role as a technician morphed into being a cataract surgery counselor, mainly focusing on the education and growth of the advanced technology IOLs. Through her savvy promotion of ATIOLs, and ability to connect easily with patients, she was recognized as having an aptitude for marketing. She was promoted to marketing coordinator, acting as a liaison to the outside marketing agency the practice had retained. During this time, Concord Eye Care merged with another practice, creating Concord Eye Center, and Ms. Duval played a part in the marketing and direction of the merger. Soon after, she replaced the agency as the Marketing and Business Development Director. Her role has evolved once again, now being the front office manager, overseeing both locations, in addition to her primary duties as Marketing and Business Development.

In October 2020, Sarah earned the elite Certified Ophthalmic Executive credential through ASOA and was soon after elected to the National Board for the Certification of Ophthalmic Executives (NBCOE). In April, she assumed the role of Vice President of the Board. She will become the President-elect in 2023 and President in 2024. In addition to her role on the NBCOE, she is an active ASOA volunteer, having served on the annual meeting program committee, the Administrative Eyecare Editorial Advisory Board, and the webinar and podcast taskforce. She has authored three articles for Administrative Eyecare magazine. She is currently working on her first feature article for the magazine, which is slated to be published in the Spring of 2023. She has been a presenter at the ASOA annual meeting on more than one occasion and has participated in panel discussions on webinars and virtual roundtables.

In her spare time, Sarah keeps busy as an elected member of her local school board. She lives in a small New Hampshire town outside of Concord with her teenage son, John.

Board Certified Ophthalmologist | Vitreoretinal Surgeon | Clinical Researcher | Founder of TheiaMD

David Lazar, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist with subspecialty training in medical and surgical diseases of the retina. He serves the Southern California community from his practice, Lazar Retina, in West Los Angeles. This state-of-the-art facility mimics Dr. Lazar’s dedication to providing the best treatment available for conditions that affect eye health and threaten vision. He’s also firmly committed to providing personalized, patient-focused care in a warm and welcoming environment.

As a vitreoretinal specialist, Dr. Lazar is well-known for his surgical skill and expertise in diagnosing and treating issues that affect the retina and the vitreous body. He offers innovative procedures and therapies to diagnose and treat a range of eye conditions, including macular degeneration, macular holes, macular pucker, retinal tears and detachments, vein occlusions, posterior vitreous detachment, and diabetic retinopathy.

Dr. Lazar was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He completed fellowship training in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at the Lahey Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. While there, he also served as a Clinical Associate at Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.

Prior to his fellowship, Dr. Lazar was Chief Resident at the LSU/Ochsner Clinic Foundation program in New Orleans, Louisiana. During his time in New Orleans, he worked at the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital providing retina care for Veterans experiencing eye conditions associated with aging, including complications from diabetes and high blood pressure, macular degeneration, and retinal detachments.

Further, he is the CEO, and founder of TheiaMD™ TheiaMD™ started after noticing that many of his patients were not getting the full benefits of commercial hypochlorous acid solutions commonly used to treat dry eye and other conditions. He began testing and discovered that some of these products did not have the correct concentration of hypochlorous acid, and others lost effectiveness after being opened within weeks. To provide a better solution for his patients, he created a generator that would produce fresh solution at each application, and TheiaMD™ was born.

Dr. Lazar has presented his research findings at several national meetings, including: the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), the American Association of Ophthalmic Oncologists and Pathologists (AAOP), the American Uveitis Society (AUS), and the Southern Medical Association (SMA).

He currently serves as a co-investigator in several national clinical trials for the treatment of dry and wet macular degeneration. He’s also frequently asked to provide a second opinion regarding treatment options for severe eye conditions. His patients can rely on his medical expertise and reap the benefits of his patient-first approach to eye care.

Cataract & Retina Surgeon

Founder and CEO of Coastal Eye

Clinical Instructor, Yale University

Consultant, Bausch & Lomb | Zeiss Meditec | Beyeonics | IOR Partners | Topcon Medical

Dr. Omar Shakir is the founder and CEO of Coastal Eye, specializing in cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. He is also a Clinical Instructor at Yale University. Dr. Shakir received his Doctor of Medicine from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York, followed by training at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Florida. While in medical school, Dr. Shakir completed his Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Dr. Shakir is Board-Certified and fellowship trained in vitreous and retina surgery from Yale University. He has gained national recognition for his pioneering work in office-based retina surgery and has presented at multiple prestigious meetings on the topic. He also serves as a consultant to major eye care industry partners. Lastly, Dr. Shakir is involved in startups and entrepreneurship in the ophthalmology field.

Retina and Uveitis Specialist

Gentile Retina - NYC and Long Island

Adjunct Assistant Professor and Clinical Instructor

New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai

NYU Langone Long Island School of Medicine

Dr. Deep Parikh is a distinguished specialist in uveitis and medical retinas. He maintains a private practice at Gentile Retina New York City and Long Island and is honored to hold the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor and Clinical Instructor at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he trains residents and fellows. He is also Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU Long Island School of Medicine and SUNY College of Optometry.

Dr. Parikh trained at Northwell for his Ophthalmology residency, completed his Uveitis Fellowship with Dr. Michael Samson at MEETH, and earned his Medical Retina Fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary.

His clinical focus on uveitis and retina disorders reflects a deep commitment to addressing complex ocular conditions. Renowned for his patient-centered approach, Dr. Parikh combines his advanced medical knowledge and training with empathetic care to provide comprehensive solutions for his patients. His exceptional communication skills enable him to share intricate medical concepts with peers and the public, making him a sought-after speaker. Dr. Parikh's passion for clinical research signifies his commitment to staying at the forefront of medical advancements. He strives to provide his patients with the best possible care, informed by the latest insights and innovations.