By David Wetherelt, CEO of Parallel Eyewear & Founder of Like Minds Alliance
For most of my life, I’ve been drawn to people who see the world differently. Maybe because, as it turns out, I’m one of them.
Running Parallel Eyewear has been more than just managing a brand. It’s been a mirror. Every day, through the lenses we design, the people we meet, and the stories our customers share, I’m reminded that there’s beauty in divergence, in the way we think, see, and experience life.
When we say at Parallel, “It’s ok to see the world differently,” that isn’t a marketing slogan. It’s a philosophy born from lived experience.
How Parallel Became Personal
When I first got involved with Parallel Eyewear, it was simply a business move, a chance to help relaunch a brand that already had great bones: world-class Neox™ lens technology, eco-friendly frames, and a legacy built by its founder, David Johnson.
But somewhere along the way, the work stopped being about sunglasses and started becoming about vision. Not just optical clarity, but perspective.
I had already been on my own late-in-life journey, discovering that I’m neurodivergent, living with Autism and ADHD that went unrecognized for decades. That realization transformed how I saw everything: myself, the systems I moved through, and the world at large. It also led me to create Like Minds Alliance, a nonprofit that supports others navigating similar paths of self-understanding and growth.
Now, helping lead Parallel has deepened that transformation. I’ve come to see that what we wear on our faces can represent what we believe in our hearts: that how we see, literally and figuratively, shapes the way we live.
The Beauty of Seeing Differently
Seeing the world differently isn’t just about vision. It’s about mindset.
The artists and dreamers who paint in colors no one else imagined.
The scientists who question reality until it bends toward truth.
The neurodivergent minds who process the world at a higher volume, catching patterns most people miss.
The travelers who find home in every horizon.
The activists who dare to say, this isn’t good enough yet.
These people move humanity forward. They remind us that life isn’t meant to be viewed through a single lens.
And that’s what Parallel stands for: the idea that every lens, every frame, every person has its own way of bringing the world into focus.
From Eye Health to Mind Health
Our glasses do more than block glare or blue light. They help people with sensory sensitivities, migraines, and screen fatigue. Many of our customers are neurodivergent or have kids who are. They tell us how wearing the right pair of glasses calms their nervous systems, helps them focus, or makes the world feel a little softer.
That means everything to me, because I know that feeling personally, the relief when the world finally fits.
Parallel Eyewear’s profits help fund Like Minds Alliance, which provides coaching, advocacy, and wellness programs for neurodivergent individuals and their families. Through projects like the HenneSea-Clara Duffy Boat, we bring people together for sensory-friendly community experiences. We’re proving that business and social impact don’t have to live in separate worlds.
Every purchase, every shared story, every photo of someone wearing their new Parallels, it’s all part of a bigger movement toward inclusion, empathy, and belonging.
A San Diego State of Mind
Living and working in San Diego shapes this vision too. There’s something about this city, the light, the ocean, the endless sense of possibility, that makes you want to see the world with fresh eyes.
Our designs celebrate that spirit: the adventurers, the sailors, the surfers, the golfers, the hikers, and the thinkers who carry a bit of San Diego sunshine wherever they go.
When you wear Parallel Eyewear, you’re carrying that ethos with you: curiosity, courage, and compassion, for yourself and for others who see differently.
How Running Parallel Has Changed Me
Leading this company has humbled me. It’s taught me that clarity doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from learning to see through another person’s lens.
Every day, I work with a team that includes neurodivergent creators, advisors, and friends. I see how their perspectives make our designs better, our storytelling more authentic, and our mission more meaningful.
Parallel isn’t just about sunglasses anymore. It’s a reflection of a worldview, one where technology, design, and humanity intersect. It’s a love letter to everyone who ever felt different and decided to turn that difference into light.
An Invitation
So here’s my invitation to you, whether you’re an artist, an athlete, a scientist, a dreamer, or just someone trying to make sense of the noise.
Put on your glasses. Step outside. Take a deep breath.
See the world, your way.
Because how you see it matters.
Because you matter.
And because it’s more than OK to see the world differently, it’s extraordinary.
—
David Wetherelt
CEO, Parallel Eyewear
President & Founder, Like Minds Alliance
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About the Author
David Wetherelt is the CEO of Parallel Eyewear, President and Founder of Like Minds Alliance, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Interstella. Diagnosed late in life with Autism and ADHD, David’s work bridges technology, mental health, and social impact. He leads with the belief that seeing the world differently is both a gift and a responsibility. Through his companies, he continues to champion innovation, inclusion, and the beauty of unique perspective.
