AOA+ bakes up something a little sweet, different for keynote

Johnny Cupcakes is his name and sweet T's are his game.

Actually, Johnny Earle is his name, but since 2001, his iconic skull-and-crossbones—and—cupcake-branded clothing line has been the game that's launched Johnny Cupcakes Inc. into a worldwide, pop-culture phenomenon. This Optometry's Meeting^®, Johnny Cupcakes brings his business and entrepreneurial acumen to the AOA+ lineup as the featured keynote speaker.

Lauded in Forbes, NPR, WIRED, he New York Times and countless other media outlets, Johnny Cupcakes continues to cook up headlines for his unique "T-shirt bakery" empire that began with Earle selling swag out of the trunk of his '89 Toyota Camry. Before long, the recognizably logoed T-shirts were catching people's attention nationwide. As Earle puts it, he risked it all by quitting his day job to throw 100% of his energy into building an independent clothing line.

Despite being in one of the most difficult product categories to get noticed—and being only 19 years old at the time—Earle's solution was to create an inimitable brand experience for which customers would loyally line up around the block, time and time again. Now, years later, those customers aren't just lining up outside his look-alike bakery, they're camping out for weeks in anticipation of limited release items.

Enjoying worldwide fame, the Johnny Cupcakes brand has collaborated with big names in entertainment and other properties, ranging from Nickelodeon and "The Simpsons" to Marilyn Monroe's estate, Linkin Park, and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Named "America's No. 1 Young Entrepreneur" by Business Week, "Top Innovator in Retail" by The Boston Globe and featured in INC magazine as CEO of one of the world's fastest-growing independent businesses, Earle now shares his creative consulting and strategies with clients including Apple, L'Oreal, Disney, IBM, Audi, Harvard University, Wieden+Kennedy, Marriott and P&G.

Come listen to Johnny Cupcakes' keynote presentation, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Friday, June 21, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision, and find your way into his pop-up "bakery" afterward.