How GUNNAR’s Founder Is Changing The Way People Look At Their Screens – with Jennifer Michelsen

Jennifer Michelsen, GUNNAR Optiks, eCommerce, Physical Product, Women Founders

My goal with this interview was to find out how an entrepreneur can market and raise money for a new product in a category that never existed before.

Jennifer Michelsen got the idea for her business when her husband’s migraines were traced to all the time he spent staring at his computer monitor. After researching the problem, she discovered a growing issue for people who spend much of their days in front of the computer: Computer Vision Syndrome, which she says is about four times more prevalent than carpal tunnel. That discovery lead her to launch GUNNAR Optiks, maker of glasses designed to relieve strain in people who spend extended periods in front of monitor.

Jennifer Michelsen

GUNNAR Optiks

Jennifer Michelsen is the co-founder of GUNNAR Optiks. With a degree in advertising from University of Rhode Island and a focus on international business, she led a career that capitalizes on her marketing skills. Working initially in the biotech industry, she held demanding positions in media planning and as a correspondent for a Swiss medical device manufacturer. Switching business sectors but still utilizing her marketing background, Ms. Michelsen rounded out her business skills as she spent her later career engagements marketing for several large hedge fund and investment companies.

 

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