Trent Colberg | Top 40 Under 40 2025

Age: 37

Occupation: Founder and Optometrist, Evolutioneyes Optometry

Five years into his career as an optometrist, Trent Colberg had a vision to make eye care more convenient and accessible with a fully mobile clinic.

It didn’t come without startup jitters, though. “Winnebago gave us a blank template and said, ‘How do you want it set up?’” Colberg says. “I’m not a builder — it was stressful — but we figured it out.”

Colberg had faith in his new venture because he had identified a growing population of people who weren’t getting eye care regularly, or at all. Since founding Evolutioneyes in 2019, the clinic has been rolling through Alberta, offering state-of-the-art optometry services to more than 100 workplaces and organizations.

With Colberg literally steering the business, his team sees more than 1,500 patients annually. Evolutioneyes also travels to remote communities, providing optometry services at Indigenous schools, shelters and recovery centres.

His clinic’s impact reflects Colberg’s humble upbringing in Drumheller, Alta., and his belief that eye care can improve lives.

“A 10-year-old doesn’t know how clear life should be if they’ve never had an eye exam,” says Colberg. “We want to change that.”

Colberg has provided eye exams and glasses at no cost to the patient since 2020 at Calgary recovery centres, including the RESET Society and Fresh Start Recovery.

He has also teamed up with the international charities Operation Eyesight and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to provide vision care in underserved communities.

Colberg balances his philanthropic aspirations with keen business savvy. He earned an MBA at the same time as his Doctor of Optometry at Pacific University in Oregon, in order to disrupt an industry he sees as being in need of transformation.

In the next five years, Colberg plans to launch more Evolutioneyes mobile clinics in Alberta and two in another province.

“We’ve proven the model works, now it’s about scaling it where it’s needed most,” Colberg says. “Eye care shouldn’t be stuck in a mall.”

Thank yous
“My team at Evolutioneyes Optometry who is always ready to make a difference; my family, specifically my mom and dad, who are unconditionally there for me; my brother, who has been my best friend and the best team member from day one; my sister, who is always there for advice; Dan who has helped us take our business to the next level; my girlfriend who is always there for me; the great companies and groups that have shown support to our business over the last 6 years, which have allowed us to grow great personal and professional relationships; the city of Calgary which has allowed us the opportunity to do something different and grow!”