Dr. Mark Lynn isn’t ready to slow down yet. A visionary local businessman and optometrist, he continues to expand his impact in the Louisville market with the launch of two groundbreaking ventures: Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training, and Lynn Family Vision. These latest endeavors are dedicated to promoting eye health through advanced methods and technologies.
“I’ve always told my family and staff I’ll probably die in one of my offices,” Lynn said. “Since ninth grade I knew I wanted to be an eye doctor. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to follow my dream throughout my entire career. When you’re doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.”
Family-Centered Excellence in Eye Care
Lynn, his wife, Cindy, and two of their children, Mark and Jackie, proudly operate Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training. This office specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries from sports and other incidents that can affect both eye and overall health. It also focuses on training athletes to reach their peak performance levels through sport vision training.
After selling his original optometry practice, which included 93 locations across six states, Lynn pursued his passion for sports vision, aiming to help athletes and others think and process information faster. His work focuses on the vestibular-ocular connection, which explores how the brain and eyes interact. Discrepancies in this connection can lead to significant health issues, and Lynn is dedicated to identifying root causes and providing targeted therapy for improvement.
“Most of us have experienced a concussion at some point, whether from playing sports or through other injuries,” Lynn said. “Many people aren’t even aware they’ve had a concussion. Typically a concussion disrupts how the brain and eyes work together. While some issues may resolve on their own, others may stay with you for months or years if you do not get the right help. If you’re experiencing memory issues, difficulty focusing, balance problems or brain fog, it could be related to how efficiently your eyes and brain are working together. We’re here to evaluate and help improve those areas.”
Lynn’s new practice sees a diverse range of patients, from professional athletes to corporate executives. “We work with everyone from professional athletes to gamers and CEOs who want to think faster,” he said. “The majority of our patients have experienced a traumatic brain injury, concussion or stroke, all of which can severely impact brain function. We have a chance to help you, but we won’t know until we do the evaluation.”
In addition to treating traumatic brain injuries and concussions, Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training also assists children with reading difficulties and memory issues. Often these issues are due to their eyes not tracking or using correct quick-eye movements to see the written word. These issues, usually unrelated to visual acuity, can significantly affect a child’s ability to learn.
Comprehensive Eye Care at Lynn Family Vision
Lynn Family Vision, the second new venture, offers a traditional optometric experience, including routine eye exams, contact lenses and glasses. Located in the Hurstbourne and Prospect areas, they stock over 1,000 frames from leading brands like Oakley, Ray-Ban, Nike, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, Persol and more. The offices offer same-day appointments, accept most insurance plans and, in some cases, patients can even receive their glasses while they wait.
The two businesses operate across three locations: the Edith Road office, which specializes in sports vision and traumatic brain injury therapy and evaluations, and the Prospect and Hurstbourne offices, which provide routine eye exams, frames and contact lenses. The Hurstbourne office also offers full evaluations and therapy for sports vision, traumatic brain injury, vestibular migraines, concussions and more. Lynn continues to work directly with patients, providing both evaluations and routine exams.
A Family Legacy of Service and Community Giving
Having his family involved in the business is nothing new for Lynn, who has worked alongside his wife for many years, as well as his son, a former professor at the University of Louisville. Recently his youngest daughter, Jackie, joined the team as a certified billing specialist, further strengthening the family’s commitment to the business.
“My wife, Cindy, and I have worked together for most of my career,” Lynn said. “She’s been involved since the very beginning, even when I was still in school. Now she oversees accounts receivable and payable for my offices and my daughter’s two dental offices. My son manages day-to-day operations across all offices, and ensures staff are trained in our policies and procedures, which is crucial for business growth. Jackie has been instrumental in managing both medical and vision insurance claims for all three offices.”
Lynn has also become more visible in recent years, with his name adorning two prominent soccer stadiums in Louisville. The Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium has been home to the University of Louisville men’s and women’s soccer teams since 2014, while Lynn Family Stadium has hosted both Louisville City and Racing Louisville professional soccer games since 2021.
“We didn’t have soccer when I was growing up, and my first experience was taking my oldest daughter to watch her boyfriend play in high school; I didn’t understand it at all,” Lynn said. “When Tom Jurich approached us about building a soccer stadium at the University of Louisville, my first response was, ‘Are you nuts?’ because I knew nothing about soccer. I realized that if we were going to sponsor the stadium, then I needed to understand the sport! The experience has been incredibly rewarding.”
“Lynn Family Stadium was a little different thought process,” he adds. “It was less about soccer and more about the growth of the city and the state. The good lord has taken care my family, and we’ve been very lucky to be able to have what we have. If we teach our kids anything, it’s when you get something, make sure you give back. If you don’t give back, it really means nothing. The soccer stadium was our way to give back to the city of Louisville.”
Lynn Family Stadium represents just a fraction of the Lynn family’s contributions to the community. Over the years they have made significant donations to institutions such as the University of Louisville, Bellarmine, Spalding, Simmons, Sacred Heart Academy, Ballard High School, Visually Impaired Preschool Services, FFA, Habitat for Humanity, 4H, Kosair Children’s Hospital, Blessings in a Backpack and many more.
“If everyone who has enough for themselves would give back just a little, imagine how much better our world could be,” Lynn said. “There’s a lot of need out there. When you have a chance to help others, especially the kids, that’s our future. Give them an opportunity and help out.”
As he looks to the future, Lynn remains committed to his research into traumatic brain injuries, as well as helping people improve their vision and total eye care.
“I’ve never planned too far ahead,” Lynn said. “My guiding principle throughout my career has been to take care of patients one at a time, offering them the best possible care at a fair price and trying to find answers for their problems. We follow simple but effective business rules. First, always do what’s right for the patient. Second, do what is right for the staff. Third and finally, do what is right for the business. By putting patients first, we ensure that every decision will be made for the right reasons.”
For more info, call 502-516-4662.
