SportRx Augments Marketing And Operations With Curtis Ellis And Monica Rigali In New Leadership Roles

September 17, 2024

September 17, 2024 (San Diego, CA) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – SportRx is reinforcing its position as the leading retailer of custom prescription sport eyewear for all types of athletes, adding Monica Rigali as Vice President of Marketing and Curtis Ellis as Vice President of Sales and Operations. Rigali, an outdoor industry veteran, has led marketing and e-commerce efforts for iconic brands like Nike and JanSport. Ellis brings two decades of experience in the eyewear industry, having worked with brands such as Oakley, SPY+, and 100%. Both will report to Rob Tavakoli, a 17-year SportRx employee recently promoted to CEO.

Founded in 1996, SportRx pioneered prescription lenses for wrap-around sport frames, addressing a gap for active outdoor enthusiasts who needed prescription performance eyewear to perform their best while pursuing their passions. Today, SportRx offers over 2,000 products from more than 40 brands, supported by a team of in-house ABO-certified opticians. The company has helped more than one million individuals enjoy their passions with optical clarity.

Despite its leadership in blending advanced optical technologies with prescription elements, many prescription eyewear users remain unaware that performance eyewear options exist. Instead, many prescription eyewear users forgo prescription lenses in their performance eyewear, along with the ability to perform their best. With Rigali and Ellis on board, Tavakoli aims to change this.

“SportRx has been incredibly successful as a brand that relatively few of its ideal customers know about. Monica has a proven record of helping brands raise their exposure and growing audiences. She’s going to bring some fresh thinking to the prescription eyewear category that the industry hasn’t seen,” commented Tavakoli. “Monica is also an athlete in her own right, relying on prescription eyewear to perform her best, adding authenticity to our team.”

Tavakoli has been a driving force behind SportRx’s growth, starting as an optician and leading several growth-focused initiatives. In 2022, he became CEO, tasked with reinforcing the company’s infrastructure post-pandemic to maintain its leadership.

“SportRx has an incredible legacy, and still has considerable runway for growth in several product categories,” commented Rigali. “The team has a startup mentality–moving fast to add products to our growing portfolio and inviting those who love to get outdoors into our high-performance eyewear eco-system. One of my first initiatives at SportRx is to raise awareness with active-outdoor enthusiasts nationwide that SportRx can customize their favorite eyewear to help them see and perform their best while chasing adventure.”

Few in the performance eyewear industry have the diverse brand experience and accolades that match those of Curtis Ellis. His operational expertise, industry connections, and widespread respect of his peers will be assets as he dovetails efforts with Rigali to expand the reputation of the SporRx brand in the industry and with new customers.

“SportRx is the eyewear industry’s best-kept secret, a leading brand that is under the radar of the majority of its potential customers. We have the best customer service in the industry, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a group with a broader selection of products. In this role, I’m going to be able to leverage my industry connections and expertise to ensure we’re a great partner for the industry and the millions of people who can better pursue their passions with the right outdoor eyewear,” commented Ellis.

The success of SportRx can be attributed to the dedication of its dedicated team members as much as it can be to its unparalleled product line. Recognized five times by Outside Magazine as one of America’s Best Places to Work, the brand thrives on a culture that values both its people and its performance. Rigali and Ellis will be joining a team of veteran SportRx employees, including Shelby Sommerfield, Rusty Taylor, and Tim Darnell, all of whom have been with the company for more than eight years.

About SportRx:

SportRx is a San Diego-based company that was built by active opticians who ride their bikes, run their races, push their jogging strollers, and bomb down slopes. Over the last two decades, we have specialized in custom prescription sport sunglasses and prescription snow goggles for athletes in virtually every sport with virtually any prescription. Since 1996, we’ve been on a mission to help people see better while doing the things they love. Every member of our friendly customer service team is an ABO Certified Optician. With free shipping, free returns, and a five-star customer rating, we alleviate any uncertainty when it comes to buying prescription eyewear online. We have educated millions of viewers on the best sport sunglasses and goggles through our YouTube channel. Visit the SportRx YouTube channel and SportRx Blog for in-depth sports eyewear reviews and buyers’ guides.