With 26 years in the optical industry and a track record of building first-of-their-kind platforms, Charlene Nichols has dedicated her career to solving the operational and digital challenges facing independent eye care professionals — from omnichannel ecosystems to immersive metaverse environments.
Pioneering Optical Innovation
Charlene's career has been defined by spotting where the optical industry needs to evolve and building the tools to get it there. She has launched successful online ordering portals, virtual try-on and measuring applications, and virtual trade shows — work that has earned her recognition as an award-winning optical innovator and shaped how independent opticians and optometrists run their businesses, connect with patients, and move into the digital era.
Founding Optical Near Me & The Vision Show
In 2017, Charlene founded Optical Near Me — the world's first omnichannel ecosystem built specifically for independent opticians and optometrists, designed to give independents the same digital reach and patient connection as the largest national chains. Two years later, she founded The Vision Show, a virtual trade show that Vision Monday recognized as one of the most influential innovations in optical.
Omniverse City: An Industry Inside the Metaverse
As Founder, CEO, and Chief Imagineer of The Omniverse City, Charlene is leading the development of the first metaverse platform designed for an entire industry. Drawing on her experience as an AR/XR marketplace designer and Fortnite producer, she has built Omniverse City as a virtual environment where optical professionals, brands, labs, and patients can do business together in entirely new ways — reimagining trade shows, dispensing, training, and discovery for an immersive future.
A Mission for the Digital Era
Charlene's mission is unchanged across every venture she's built: empower optical businesses with the cutting-edge tools and technologies they need to thrive in the digital era. At Optical Near Me, she continues to drive that vision — bringing decades of industry knowledge together with immersive technology expertise to the platform that connects patients with the independent practices serving them.