The Name Behind the OWA Pleiades Honoree Program

​Carene Kunkler served as the vice president of product supply at LensCrafters in Cincinnati, Ohio, for nearly a decade. In 2003, Carene Kunkler was named a Pleiades Honoree by the Optical Women's Association (OWA). The award is named after the daughters of Atlas, after whom the brightest star cluster in the Taurus constellation is also named.

Established in 1997, OWA is a nonprofit that advances the professional development of women in the optical industry. Every year, the OWA honors a person who has gone above and beyond to support women in optical industry leadership roles through the Pleiades Award, which began in 2000.

According to the OWA website, the award was named after the Greek myth of the Seven Sisters, daughters of the titan Atlas. According to the myth, Zeus turned the sisters into stars, which now form the brightest cluster in the constellation Taurus. OWA leadership agreed "Pleiades" was the perfect name for a program celebrating not just women but a collective that shines brightest when its members are working toward a shared goal.

A complete list of past Pleiades honorees is available at the OWA website, opticalwomen.com.

Carene Kunkler

Shop