Robert Melendez was raised in California and met his wife while visiting family in New Mexico where he met his wife of 30 years. He graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2000 and then He completed his ophthalmology training at his number one choice at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center where he was chosen as Chief Resident and voted resident eye surgeon of the year in 2004. Dr. Melendez worked for 16 year performing high volume cataract and refractive surgery with over 2000 cataracts per year and learned LASIK/PRK in 2006. After his surgery training, he completed his MBA at UNM Anderson School of Management where he held many leadership positions both nationally and at the state level. Dr. Melendez served as the Secretary for Online Education of the American Academy of Ophthalmology where he helped create the first education app for eye surgeons. He was on the Young Ophthalmologist (YO) committee where he served for 9 years, 3 years of which were as chair. Dr. Melendez also served in the U.S. Air Force where he served as a Flight Surgeon and completed his term of service in 2020 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He also started The Juliette RP Vision Foundation (JulietteFoundation.org) in 2008, named after his mother who went blind, where they raise money for blind college students and for research grants. Dr. Melendez started his own practice, Juliette Eye Institute (JulietteEye.com) in 2020 where his focus is on Refractive Surgery performing cornea and lens based surgeries including SMILE, LASIK, PRK, ICL, RLE, and Laser Cataract Surgery with a majority of premium IOLs using the most sophisticated technologies in New Mexico. He also created his own business magazine called Ophthalmology Business Minute that is distributed to 4000 ophthalmologists in the U.S. and started the Outliers Ophthalmology Meeting in 2022. He is also publishing his first leadership book, Focus on Your Passion, not the Position later in 2022. He is passionate about education and mentoring the next generations. He was just promoted to full Clinical Professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine where he teaches medical students about ophthalmology and the business side.

First in Albuquerque to implant the Light Adjustable Lens, First in Albuquerque to implant the Alcon Clareon Vivity lens, and Staar Surgical EVO VISIAN Implantable Contact Lens.

2025 Keynote Speaker

Have you ever thought how some organizations become the brands customers can’t live without? Do you think it is possible to make price irrelevant? John will show you exactly how to do both. John is considered the authority on world-class customer experience and the best-selling author of six books on customer and employee experience. He is the president of The DiJulius Group, a consulting firm that works with companies like Starbucks, Alcon, Chick-fil-A, The Ritz-Carlton, Nestle, PwC, Lexus, Schneider Electric, and many more. John is not just telling others how to do it, he has built three successful businesses. In addition to The DiJulius Group, John is also the Founder of John Robert’s Spa, Named one of the Top 20 Salons in America with multiple locations (and over 150 employees). His third business, Believe in Dreams, is a non profit that helps make dreams come true for deserving children. John will demonstrate how you can make Customer Service your single biggest competitive advantage, become the brand Customers cannot live without and make price irrelevant!

Shareef’s career has focused on helping doctors increase the value and demand for elective procedures. Deeply involved with the commercial launches of VISX and Intralase, he has since advised dozens of companies and hundreds of surgeons. His new book, Beyond Bedside Manner, offers insights on enhancing the patient experience in the modern medical practice.

Purnima S. Patel, MD is the founder of ORA Vision LLC. She has a unique boutique practice in the Atlanta suburbs offering general ophthalmology and cataract surgery along with expertise in medical retina and uveitis. Dr. Patel is internationally recognized for her leadership and mentorship. She was on “The Power List” of the top 100 most influential women in ophthalmology in 2021. Previously, she served on the AAO’s Young Ophthalmologist Committee. Currently, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of the AAO’s Online Education Network, board member for AAO and Women in Ophthalmology. She is vice-president of the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology and Women in Ophthalmology.

Jai G. Parekh, MD, MBA, is an ophthalmic anterior segment surgeon as well as a business and non-profit entrepreneur with extensive experience in private equity, the biotech/pharma industry, academia, and the nonprofit sector. He is Co-Founder/CEO of EyeCare Consultants of NJ as well as a Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the NY Eye & Ear Infirmary of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Jai is in the C-suite for Nordic Pharma Eye Care, EyeCheq, and was recently CMO of Allergan between 2015-2020.

Susan and Troy Cole are the co-founders of Fort Worth-based LogiCole Consulting. The advisory firm partners with growth-focused refractive practices to optimize their marketing and sales processes for higher conversions on their premium procedures.

With more than 40 years of combined experience serving industry-leading practices across the country, Troy and Susan have the depth of knowledge to cut through the noise and help their clients implement tactics and strategies that move the needle.

As certified DISC Human Behavior Consultants, Troy and Susan coach practices on the DISC Personality Insights framework, so they can:

• Authentically connect with any prospect - young or old, outgoing or introverted, emotional or analytical.
• Communicate the benefits of your surgical skill, your practice and your treatments in a way that your prospects actually understand and value, so you can completely avoid competing with other practices on price.
• Build the confidence it takes to “ask for the sale” and book high-ticket treatments of $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 or more.
• And do it all without slimy “hard selling” tactics that leave prospects feeling beat down, and lead to buyer’s remorse and cancelations.

Troy and Susan Cole are the co-founders of Fort Worth-based LogiCole Consulting. The advisory firm partners with growth-focused refractive practices to optimize their marketing and sales processes for higher conversions on their premium procedures.

With more than 40 years of combined experience serving industry-leading practices across the country, Troy and Susan have the depth of knowledge to cut through the noise and help their clients implement tactics and strategies that move the needle.

As certified DISC Human Behavior Consultants, Troy and Susan coach practices on the DISC Personality Insights framework, so they can:

• Authentically connect with any prospect - young or old, outgoing or introverted, emotional or analytical.
• Communicate the benefits of your surgical skill, your practice and your treatments in a way that your prospects actually understand and value, so you can completely avoid competing with other practices on price.
• Build the confidence it takes to “ask for the sale” and book high-ticket treatments of $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 or more.
• And do it all without slimy “hard selling” tactics that leave prospects feeling beat down, and lead to buyer’s remorse and cancelations.

Eva Kim, MD, is the Front Range (Denver) Medical Director and Vice President of Operations for ICON Eyecare in Denver, CO as well as an ophthalmologist who is fellowship-trained in Uveitis and Cornea/External Diseases. She specializes in cataract and refractive surgery and uveitis. She performs corneal and intraocular refractive surgery (RLE and ICL). Dr. Kim is also a speaker for various industry-leading companies such as RxSight, Alcon, Staar Surgical, and ArcScan.

After receiving her Bachelors in Science from Stanford University, Dr. Kim went on to obtain her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. Her ophthalmology residency took place at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary before finishing her clinical fellowship in Uveitis and Cornea/External Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Kim practiced with Northern California Kaiser Permanente from 2006-2016 as a comprehensive ophthalmologist, cataract surgeon, uveitis specialist, and Chief of Patient Service. For seven years she also held the role of Lead Communications Consultant, focusing on elevating the quality of physician to physician and physician to patient communication and service experience. For five years straight based on patient feedback, Dr. Kim was ranked 1st patient service scores out of 258 Ophthalmologists in Northern California.

In 2013, Dr. Kim was elected to the Northern California Permanente Medical Group Emerging Leaders Cohort, a two-year leadership and business course led by professors from the most prestigious business schools in the United States. She also has over 18 years of medical research and resident teaching experience and is a member of the AAO, ASCRS, and has co-authored many published medical chapters, papers, and posters. In 2016, Dr. Kim and her family moved to Denver, Colorado where she began her time with ICON EYECARE.

Outside of work, Dr. Kim loves spending time with her family. She and her husband Chuck have three amazing children (10, 13, 16) who inspire her to be the best mother and doctor that she can be. As a family, they love to ski and attend the many sporting events in which the children are involved. She is also a lover of music and dance.

Nick Sideris specializes in social media for medical practices and is the owner of Patient Pipeline.