Scaling Healing through Smart Innovation

RASHID TAHER

Co-Founder

EyeCheq

Eye health screenings remain one of the most underserved areas of healthcare, leaving millions at risk of preventable vision loss. Over 50% of blindness cases result from delayed detection and intervention, not due to a lack of treatment options but because of barriers to access and early screening. The problem isn’t just medical—it’s an issue of innovation, integration, and reach. Leading the charge to change this is Dr. Rashid Taher, a vitreo-retinal surgeon, entrepreneur, and investor. As CoFounder of EyeCheq, he is redefining eyecare screenings by harnessing AI-powered technology to enable faster, more accurate, and more accessible retinal screenings. With over two decades of experience in vitreo-retinal surgery, Dr. Taher has played a pivotal role in advancing retinal disease management at various South Florida institutions such as Elite EyeCare Specialists, Eye Centers of South Florida, and North Miami Beach Surgical Center. His expertise extends beyond the operating room—he is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, co-founding Pediatric Radiology of America, the first paediatric tele-radiology platform, DrSmarts, an edtech initiative that revolutionized student engagement, and backing innovative healthcare startups as an angel investor. A graduate of The George Washington University School of Medicine, with specialized training from Boston University and the University of Florida, Dr. Taher seamlessly bridges the gap between medicine and technology. Through EyeCheq, he is not only pioneering the future of retinal diagnostics but also ensuring that early detection and intervention become the standard rather than the exception. TradeFlock sat down with Dr. Taher to discuss his vision, leadership, and the future of eye care.

What inspired your shift from practicing medicine to launching a health-tech startup, and how has your medical background influenced your approach?

I didn’t leave medicine—I expanded its reach. As a retinal specialist, I encountered too many patients whose blindness could have been prevented if their disease had been caught earlier. The issue wasn’t a lack of treatment; it was a lack of timely diagnosis. That raised a critical question: Why should early detection depend on whether a patient happens to seek care? That question led to EyeCheq—an AI-powered platform designed to bring eye health screenings to people where they already are. My medical background informs every aspect of this journey, from identifying real patient challenges to ensuring our technology enhances clinical care rather than replacing it. “As a physician, I could help one patient at a time. As an entrepreneur, I can build solutions that help millions. That’s the mission that drives me every day.”

How does EyeCheq ensure its AI technology is ethical, inclusive, and accessible?

AI in healthcare is a powerful tool, but only if it’s built responsibly. At EyeCheq, we prioritize clinical rigor, bias mitigation, and accessibility. “The best technology is meaningless if people can’t access it,” so we deploy our kiosks in labs, pharmacies, retail healthcare, employer wellness centers, and community clinics—places where patients naturally engage with the healthcare system. We also ensure that our AI models are validated using diverse, real-world clinical data. Bias in AI can create serious disparities in healthcare outcomes, so we actively collaborate with independent researchers and clinicians to ensure our technology works effectively across all populations. For us, innovation isn’t just about improving accuracy— it’s about creating meaningful impact. EyeCheq isn’t just a screening tool; it’s a commitment to making eye care smarter, fairer, and more accessible.

How do you balance being both a healer and a disruptor?

I don’t see these roles as mutually exclusive. Whether in the operating room or in the boardroom, my goal has always been the same—to prevent blindness and improve patient outcomes. The difference is scale. Medicine, by nature, is cautious, and for good reason. But “innovation is not the enemy of medicine; stagnation is.” Disruption in healthcare isn’t about breaking the system—it’s about pushing it forward. The eye is more than a sensory organ—it is a window into systemic health. With the advent of large language models and advancements in AI, we are now able to glean more than just ocular health from a retinal image. Soon, we will be able to extract systemic diagnostic insights from retinal biomarkers, detecting conditions such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic syndromes. The future of medicine lies in leveraging these insights, making preventive care more proactive and comprehensive than ever before. At EyeCheq, we’re not just building technology, we’re reshaping access to care, ensuring that early detection is the norm, not the exception. That’s the future we’re working toward—one where no one loses their vision due to a lack of screening, and where innovation serves the fundamental mission of medicine: to heal, but at a greater scale than ever before.

Can you share a time when things didn’t go as planned and what it taught you about resilience and adaptability?

Entrepreneurship is full of humbling moments. One of our biggest challenges at EyeCheq came early on. We had everything lined up— a clinically validated clinical support tool, high-traffic kiosk placements—yet utilization rates were much lower than expected. The demand was there, the technology was sound, so what was missing? The issue wasn’t the product—it was adoption. Healthcare staff, already overwhelmed with their workloads, were hesitant to integrate something new. That realization forced us to pivot. “You don’t just build a great product; you build a system that people want to use.” We reworked our approach, focusing on education, seamless workflow integration, and demonstrating tangible ROI to healthcare administrators. The result? A 600% increase in screening rates in some of our pilot programs. Resilience in business isn’t just about persistence—it’s about listening, learning, and adapting. Sometimes, the key to success isn’t pushing harder but seeing the challenge from a different angle.

Looking back at your 25+ years of experience, what are the top three moments that have defined your career?

Performing my first complex vitreo-retinal surgery: The first time I restored sight to a patient who was on the verge of permanent blindness was a moment that solidified my purpose as a physician. That experience continues to drive my passion for patient care. Launching EyeCheq: Bringing AI-driven eye health screenings to market has been one of the most fulfilling moments of my career. Seeing our technology help prevent blindness in realworld settings is proof of why we started this journey. Expanding EyeCheq’s reach into underserved communities: Ensuring that our technology is accessible to those who need it most—particularly in rural and underserved populations—has been a defining milestone. Every time we expand access, we reaffirm our mission of preventing avoidable blindness on a global scale.