We envision a world where cutting-edge, affordable solutions reach every corner of the globe to reduce corneal blindness, ensuring healthcare is not determined by the circumstances of our birth. By uniting clinicians, technology innovators, governmental and non-governmental organizations, social entrepreneurs, and donors, we aim to make this vision a reality, making comprehensive cornea care accessible and sustainable for all.
“From the very beginning, our focus has been on making sure everyone, no matter their zipcode, has the right to sight.”
Michelle Bockman, CEO
Our Legacy
KeraLink International was founded in 1962 with a singular mission: to restore sight and transform lives. For decades, we operated as a leading nonprofit eye bank, connecting the gift of corneal tissue with patients in need across the United States. In 2019, we stepped away from eye banking to address a greater need: millions living in darkness, not because a cure doesn’t exist, but because basic eye care is out of reach. Today, we work with local communities and visionary partners to train skilled eye care workers, expand frontline services, and strengthen systems that make quality care possible- because We believe that sight is not a privilege; it is a human right. And we won’t stop until everyone, everywhere, has the chance to see the world clearly.
Timeline
1962
KLI was founded as the Medical Eye Bank of Maryland.
1980s
KLI became Tissue Banks International and assisted in opening 48 eye banks in 24 countries. KLI became the world’s largest ocular tissue supplier.
1990s
Mission accomplished: KLI helped eliminate waiting lists for cornea transplants in the US, effectively eradicating untreated corneal blindness in the U.S.
2010s
KLI realized that what worked in high-income countries to eradicate corneal blindness would not work in LMICs.
2019
KLI sold its eye banks to focus solely on harnessing the power of new and emerging technologies to eradicate corneal blindness globally in ways not possible before.
2023
KLI launched Pantheon Vision to develop bioengineered corneal implants for use in LMICs and other countries to reduce reliance on human donor tissue.