Mark Agnew: Challenging the Buy-One-Give-one Social Business Model

What if you could get creative and challenge the well-known buy-one-give-on business model? Mark Agnew is doing just that and shares his ideas in this interview! Agnew knows firsthand what it’s like to live with severe vision loss. At 28 years old, he was mugged and suffered injuries leading to complete vision loss in his right eye. After working nearly two decades in the financial industry, he longed for a more meaningful life. In 2000, Agnew founded Eyeglasses.com, an online one-stop shop for eyeglasses, prescription lenses, and sunglasses, to make purchasing eyeglasses an easier and less costly process. Eyeglasses.com offers more than 300 premium brands at greatly reduced prices. Through the launch of Pi Wear, the now 58-year-old husband and father is on a mission to help others who cannot see their own futures. ”Corporate social responsibility has come a long way,” says Agnew. “While it was once applauded when companies gave anything back at all, with more companies becoming conscious, we are seeing this movement toward corporate giving that has meaningful, systemic impact. This is progress and should be celebrated. Frankly, the shift comes not a moment too soon, as social issues including health, are not being funded by government as much as they need to be. Business needs to help.”