sunglasses
(5)
Stephen Lease and the serious business of having fun
Five ventures came before goodr. With the sixth, Stephen Lease found a place for affordable sunglasses, unruly flamingos, and a surprisingly exacting idea of what makes work fun.
eyewa
eyewa is the Middle East's largest omnichannel eyewear retailer, selling prescription glasses, sunglasses, blue light glasses and contact lenses through its e-commerce platform, mobile app and a growing network of physical stores across the GCC. Founded in Dubai in 2017 by former Bain consultants Anass Boumediene and Mehdi Oudghiri, the company pairs affordable in-house brands with technology like AI-powered virtual try-on, and reached roughly 150 stores before raising a $100M Series C led by General Atlantic in late 2024 to fund a 100-store expansion.
Kelly Urban
Kelly Urban is the Chief Marketing Officer of Maui Jim, the Hawaii-born sunglasses maker now part of the Kering Eyewear group. Based in New York, she leads brand and marketing for a company famous for its PolarizedPlus2 lenses and aloha-rooted identity. Before Maui Jim she built a marketing and communications career that included time at GoPro and the agency Formula Public Relations, with strengths in strategic communications, brand storytelling, and team leadership.
DIFF Eyewear
DIFF Eyewear is a Southern California charitable eyewear brand founded in 2014 that sells designer-quality sunglasses, blue-light and prescription glasses at accessible prices while donating vision care for every pair sold. Built on a buy-one-give-one model, DIFF pairs trend-driven, celebrity- and pop-culture-inspired collections (Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter) with a philanthropic mission delivered through partners like Sightsavers, having funded well over a million pairs of reading glasses and eye exams for people in need.
DITA Eyewear
DITA Eyewear is a Los Angeles-founded luxury eyewear house that designs and handcrafts high-end sunglasses and optical frames in Japan. Founded in 1995 by childhood friends Jeff Solorio and John Juniper, DITA is known for meticulous production - a single pair can involve more than 100 steps and months of finishing using beta-titanium and premium acetates. The brand sells direct through dita.com, its own flagship boutiques, and a network of premium optical retailers, and has built a cult following among musicians, athletes, and film celebrities. It positions itself as 'A Category of One' in discreet, design-led luxury eyewear.