As a young man, I always found myself being a dreamer and visionary. And i thought about my “ what if “ ?
“What if“, I can accelerate my education to become a young Dentist , and so I did graduating high school in 3 years, on to college and becoming a dentist
at 25 years old.
A graduate of Howard university, 1987, I dreamt of becoming an orthodontist. But soon I realized that my “what if“ was on hold as the Ortho
program told to reapply again in a year.
And, as I worked as an associate, I again began to dream about starting my own practice. And in 1990, in a small community in western New Jersey,Flanders - I started my 3 chair practice. As Flanders started to grow, so did my dental practice. I started like all General dentists seeing patients and sending my local specialists referrals, just wait for that “ yearly“ fruit platter or cookie platter “and that’s when I realized again “what if“ I start hiring
specialists to work for me and creating a dental practice with all specialists under “one roof“ .
And so my “what if“ turned into my “purpose” !
In 1993 and subsequently, I started hiring one associate, then another, then an orthodontist, oral surgeon, endodontist , pediatrics, and more. My practice became certified by the state to do sedation and so I said good bye to the fruit platters and hello to Rand Dental Associates, P.A. !!
Now, fast forward 35 years later, with a large team in the same location, I still think about my “what if“ ! And what I have learned is that patients don’t always need to know the “how“ yet they need to know the “why“ !
After Covid, we all had to have a mind shift if you still wanted in the game.In early 2021, I incorporated Dental Intelligence technology and learned
which departments were in need to help and rebuilding.
Yet, I always seemed like I needed more. And in time, early 2023, I adopted “Pearl AI" into the practice. I spent lots of time researching the right
technology fit for the practice, the team and the patients.
And so now “the what if purpose“ became the “why purpose“. Mind shifting with Pearl technology as an added tool in co-diagnosing. Helping hygienist in
their journey as advocates of periodontal disease and doctors in their journey as to treat with a “now mentality“ instead of saying “let’s watch that
tooth” !! Pearl Ai and Dental Intel have become 2 imperative programs that the TEAM could not live without at Rand Dental.
On a personal note, I am avid wild life photographer, world traveler, “bi-polar“ Arctic and Antarctica swimmer, family man and a huge LEGO builder and collector.
Jason has spent his career fusing technology and strategy across startups to fortune 500 companies, and now at the fast-growing eAssist Dental Solutions, the market leader in RCM services. Applying technology to business happened immediately after he obtained his electrical engineering degree as he became a subject matter expert on Motorola’s wireless security services team - “hacking” into networks worldwide, or sometimes domestically from their parking lot. (This may be a good time to turn off your Wi-Fi.) While attending Harvard Business School he co-founded a disruptive wireless internet service provider, netBlazr, which continues today as Boston's highest-rated internet. He was later appointed as a senior fellow at Clayton Christensen's HBS Forum for Growth and Innovation where he focused on effective leadership at the board level and contributed to the best selling book “How Will You Measure Your Life”. He later led the NetClarity Network Access Control product line toward its acquisition by KEYW Corp while repositioning and launching it as a SaaS product. Currently at eAssist Dental Solutions, he serves as their Chief Technology Officer where he believes that technology coupled with skilled and driven people are the real solution to the challenges we face as a dental industry.
Dr. Gordon Barfield is a leading expert on dental artificial intelligence. He spent 33 years as a practicing dentist and then orthodontist — treating patients everywhere from his own private practices to the US Air Force. Today, Dr. Barfield serves as Senior Clinical Manager at Overjet, the world-leader in dental AI, where he plays a critical role in both developing the company’s technology and educating oral health leaders. He earned his D.D.S. degree from The University of North Carolina, and completed his certification and residency in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the University of Nevada.
Santosh Patel, President and Co-Founder of Complete Specialty Solutions (CSS), is committed to helping general dentists thrive in today’s market. With over 15 years of large-scale operations experience in both the medical and dental industry, Santosh and his team are partnering with DSO/Group/Solo offices that want to provide patient’s the level of in-house specialty care they are looking for. CSS has developed systems, services and technology to provide dentists with the specialty department they need to keep patients in-house.
Ron Kerensky joined SGA Dental Partners after serving as the Chief Information Officer of AVI Foodsystems, the largest privately held Food Management company in the United States. As Chief Information Officer, Ron oversees all aspects of technology development, implementation and support for SGA. He has over 20 years of IT experience and a diverse background including retail, services and insurance.
Prior to AVI Foodsystems, Ron had also served as Chief Information Officer for Arhaus Furniture and Schumacher Homes and held several IT leadership roles in the insurance industry with Medical Mutual and Progressive Insurance.
Ron has his Bachelor's Degree from Youngstown State University and is a Desert Storm Veteran.
Sid Singh is an accomplished SaaS, Data and Analytics, and Technology focused executive with over two decades of experience in the FinTech industry. With his extensive experience and proven track record, Sid is a widely respected leader who has made significant contributions to the financial technology industry. He most recently served as President of the U.S. Information Solutions at Equifax [NYSE: EFX], where he led a team of nearly 3,000 associates focused on driving over $2.5Bn of enterprise revenue. In this role, Sid led a full turnaround and helped reposition EFX by undertaking a full commercial transformation, leveraging $1.2Bn in strategic M&A to add unique data assets, led an extensive cloud technology migration, and enabled machine learning-led SaaS analytics platforms to generate significant growth.
Prior to joining Equifax, Sid spent 14 years at Global Payments Inc [ NYSE: GPN] and served as Group President of Integrated Solutions & Vertical Markets, where he was instrumental in the formation of $1.2Bn+ revenue SaaS-led business unit. Sid drove over $3.5bn in strategic M&A to create an industry leading software led strategy that delivered significant growth for GPN and its stakeholders. Sid has also held various executive leadership positions at GPN, including Chief Product Officer and Vice President and regional head of Asia Pacific.
Prior to this, Sid has held senior management positions with HSBC and Citibank in Asia Pacific. Sid’s contribution to the industry and dedication to his craft have earned him a position on the boards of Paya (Nasdaq: PAYA), VantageScore LLC, and the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). Sid holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Technical University, India and an MBA with a dual major in Marketing and Information Systems from the Institute of Management Technology, India.
Robert has over 23 years of experience across varying industries in the field of Information Technology. He joined DECA Dental group in 2016, just over 8 years ago. He was promoted to CIO in March of 2018.
Prior to joining DECA, Robert worked for almost 4 years at Aspire Financial, Inc. While at Aspire, Robert was the Director of Information Technology, responsible for all project initiatives and management of their IT dept. Before his time at Aspire, Robert was Network Operations and Technical Support Manager at Palm Harbor Homes. During his 11 years there, he managed a large IT and computer network of over 180 office and manufacturing plant locations.
Robert has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas, where he graduated Cum Laude.
Paul Kaiser is the CEO of DentalXChange and has over 20 years of healthcare IT experience including MedeAnalytics, Cognizant, TriZetto, TDS Clinical and Cerner. Paul is known for motivating and positioning teams to consistently exceed financial and operational goals and for creating positive cultures of accountability. He is passionate about relationships, innovation, partnerships and the opportunity to bring new ideas to the dental industry.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Missouri where he is also a board member for the University of Central Missouri Alumni Foundation. Paul is an a vid golfer and resides in Southlake, Texas where he enjoys spending quality time with his family.
Patrick Jacobwith, JD, is the CEO/General Counsel and partner at Sunset Technologies, which specializes in technology integration, security, and compliance for their dental customers. Sunset Technologies is one of the largest dental focused MSPs in the United States. Sunset provides services on a national level, with more than 100 employees.
During his 35 year plus career, Patrick has developed extensive leadership, strategy, and management skills. His approach to becoming a better leader has included taking roles that encompass all areas of a business. Patrick also speaks nationally on topics ranging from developing company culture, leadership and management development, cyber security, and HIPAA compliance.
In addition to Patrick’s business experience, he holds a B.S. in economics, is a certified HIPAA professional, and is a licensed attorney.
Patrick has developed his career in large organizations, including United Healthcare, SmithKline Beecham, Express Scripts, and SHPS, as well as smaller companies. Most recently, he has helped Sunset evolve into a national organization and assisted several other businesses in their growth process.
As General Counsel, Patrick utilizes his legal skills and knowledge in areas that include contracting, risk management, compliance, employment law, and mergers and acquisitions.
Finally, Patrick believes his most significant accomplishments are the people he has been able to help develop.
Liz is a skilled technology leader with a law degree specializing in security, privacy, and compliance. With a proven history of building winning teams, driving operational excellence, and accelerating profitable growth in software, hardware, and cloud computing environments, she is working constantly to improve the security profile of the organization, minimizing ever-present risks to all layers of today’s technology-driven world. Liz has successfully led organizations through SOx, PCI, FDA Medical Device, GDPR, HIPAA, and AICPA security and privacy certification audits/assessments. Enabled multiple organizations to obtain a clean SOC2 Attestation within six months. Led technology team that build HIPAA-compliant digital mental health platform as the initial product launch with strong expertise in healthcare and federal regulations. Her expertise includes security and risk management controls (ISO 9000, ISO 27000, ISO 13485, PCI,NIST, HIPAA,G DPR), BSA/AML, fraud detection, ISO Internal Assessment, and IT GRC (CISA).
Daniel is a collaborative leader known for his ability to drive positive impact through strong relationship management and teamwork. He focuses on transforming lives by engaging in meaningful conversations and delivering outstanding experiences. By prioritizing people, he helps them realize their full potential. As a dynamic speaker, Daniel excels at crafting persuasive messages that inspire and motivate. He is dedicated to providing exceptional customer experiences and is committed to achieving transformative outcomes.
Bill Radford has served as the Vice President of IT Infrastructure at Affordable Care, LLC for three years, where he leads the implementation of transformational technologies that position Affordable Care as a leader in the DSO industry. Affordable Care, LLC is America’s leading consumer retail healthcare company exclusively focused on tooth replacement solutions, serving affiliated dentists at approximately 400 practices across 43 states. The company supports multiple top brands, including Affordable Dentures & Implants, DDS Dentures + Implant Solutions, and Advanced Dental Implant Center.
Bill brings over 31 years of executive leadership, business development, and cybersecurity expertise, particularly in MSP, telephony, call center, and data center infrastructures. As a recognized thought leader, he has been instrumental in advancing infrastructure consolidation and standardization models that enable dynamic growth. Bill has also developed certification programs for ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI, and HIPAA.
Brian Mullenix serves as the Vice President of Information Technology Systems at Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry. A career Healthcare IT leader, he spent 15 years at CVS-Aetna, where he specialized in the implementation of new technologies and user access management. At Riccobene Associates, he has spearheaded numerous security initiatives to enhance the organization’s security. Brian holds a Master of Science in Information Technology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and possesses multiple certifications in IT and project management.
I attended UW-Whitewater in pursuit of a Business degree. Quickly transitioning into the dental field, I have spent the last 23 years in the dental space. In those years I have worked chairside, managed offices, opened additional locations, managed revenue teams, helped coach and build teams all while following my passion of empowering others. I joined eAssist in June of 2019 and have taken every opportunity thrown my way. Starting as a Success Consultant, moving into the Launch Division, becoming a Team Leader, eventually becoming a Regional Leader. My journey continues as I help create our DSO/MSO division.
When I joined eAssist, I quickly realized that I was surrounded by many amazing women. All here for different reasons but at the end of the day we all want to serve dental practices. While at eAssist I have had the opportunity to have some amazing, brilliant women in my corner to allow me to grow within the company. My mission and goal, and the reason I feel so connected to WinDSO is my passion and drive comes from helping other women succeed. I recognized early on in my career that paying it forward is the best gift I can leave.
Courtni Adams is an operations and software executive who specializes in customer enablement at RevenueWell. She is a charismatic professional with a combined 20-year tenure of extensive experience in sales management, sales training, and platform adoption within the realm of healthcare. Courtni has success in stimulating profitability and promoting growth within companies where she trains, drives, and motivates customers to improve their performance/value ratio.
Brian Colao is the Director of Dykema's DSO Industry Group with more than 25 years of experience in the dental space. He is widely recognized as an authority on DSO formation, business structures, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance. Brian specializes in creating regulatory compliant business models, defending DSOs in litigation and regulatory actions, and assisting lenders and investors in the DSO space.
Dr. Aman Kaur is a seasoned executive and a DSO industry veteran passionate about driving results through clinical excellence and operational discipline. Dr. Kaur is the Founder and President of Women in DSO; she also assists DSOs in various stages of growth, PE Groups and VC Firms supporting different dental organizations and emerging healthcare companies.
In this capacity, Dr. Kaur works with board members and executive team members to develop organizational structure through business analysis. In addition, she helps build financial and operational efficiencies, compliance programs, governance, peer review, training programs and creates development and growth strategies.
Dr. Kaur is an inspirational leader who encourages actions that assist organizations in gaining market share and reputation among dental professionals while being grounded in clinical and financial information that leverages the business. Respected as a credible voice in the industry for her clinical and business decision-making, finding strategic solutions, and building partnerships and alliances, Dr. Kaur is constantly shaping the dental industry.
Optimize Dental Consulting helps dental group practices successfully implement new and optimize existing software to make the most of technology investments. For dental groups who want to roll out new software across all offices quickly and smoothly, Optimize provides an experienced project leader with DSO experience to avoid hiring new or pulling an existing team member away from their regular responsibilities. For dental groups focused on scaling, we support your management team by leading software implementations on a project-basis to save you time, standardize workflows and increase efficiency for improved EBITDA. www.optimizedent.com
Dave Allen is Managing Director for Healthcare Corporate & Investment Banking with Synovus. The Synovus team serves a range of independent, sponsor-owned, and public healthcare businesses providing both financing and advisory services. Dave has financed over a dozen dental platforms and over 100 add-ons, and provided advisory services to both small and large dental providers.
Dave co-founded Freeport Financial in 2005. He has also served as a board member and board observer for several businesses. Prior to Freeport, Dave was with GE Capital's Healthcare Financial Services Group, and advised and financed companies through other financial institutions.
Before entering banking, Dave served as an aide to Congressman Tom Campbell (Palo Alto-CA). He began his career as an analyst with Genentech, a biotechnology company.
Dave holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Chicago, and his BA in Economics and History from Northwestern University.
With over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, Scott is a seasoned leader in healthcare IT. He has dedicated the last 20 years to healthcare IT and has spent the past 6 years as a Chief Information Officer, bringing a wealth of expertise in managing and transforming IT operations to his role at DentalXChange.
Scott's career is marked by his strategic vision and ability to drive innovation while maintaining a focus on security and operational excellence. At DentalXChange, he is responsible for overseeing IT operations and data management, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of technology.
Scott holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island. He is passionate about BBQ cooking and has taken part in several competitions. He brings the same dedication and attention to detail to his culinary pursuits as he does to his professional role, creating his own rubs and sauces.
Carrie Gluck is a Chief Information Security Officer who brings substantial knowledge of various Information Security regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices to Rectangle Health. She clearly communicates how to protect against cybersecurity risks to both technical and non- technical individuals at all levels of the organization.
With more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology and Information Security, Carrie offers significant expertise in planning, developing, documenting, maintaining, and optimizing security and risk management processes. She also shares her diverse experience in a wide array of security technologies for authentication, encryption, monitoring, and management of systems.
Carrie’s extensive education in Information Security includes a Master of Science in Information Security and Assurance from Norwich University, as well as ten industry-leading IS, risk, and IT audit certifications.
As a trusted advisor to DSOs & Healthcare Platforms, Matthew McGaw specializes in simplifying complex technology decisions to drive adoption, eliminate wasteful spending, and ensure meaningful ROI. He also provides essential Go-to-Market strategy guidance, helping companies effectively serve the unique needs of the DSO landscape.
West McDonald is an expert in workflow AI solutions delivery, dedicated to helping businesses integrate AI effectively. With extensive industry experience, he is a highly sought-after speaker at major events, celebrated for his humor, wit, and practical insights that transform business operations and inspire innovation, offering strategies that truly cut through the AI 'fluff'.
As CTO & Co-Founder of SOTA Cloud, the leading cloud-based dental imaging platform, Dustin Johnson specializes in developing secure, device-agnostic, and deeply integrated solutions that transform dental practices. His expertise spans the full imaging stack, driven by a background in software engineering and physics and a constant pursuit of cutting-edge imaging technology.
We’re excited to announce the return of the FBI to the DSO Tech Summit! ASAC Baker was a standout speaker at our inaugural summit, where he discussed cybersecurity, and we’re still hearing feedback about the insights he shared. For our 5th summit, we’ve invited him back to dive into the critical intersection of AI and cybersecurity, ensuring DSOs are prepared for the evolving digital landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the leading experts in the field!
As Vice President of Partner Success at Sunset Technologies, Chad is dedicated to building lasting partnerships and driving new business development. His career is distinguished by a deep commitment to key account management, successfully nurturing strategic relationships, and expanding professional networks.
Prior to this role, as Director of Strategic Accounts, Chad honed his expertise in relationship building, ensuring partners received unparalleled support and service. This dedication to partner success is not just a professional mandate, but a personal mission to facilitate exceptional dental care through innovative solutions and collaborative growth.
Nathan James is a seasoned innovator with 18 years of experience in technology, product management, and organizational leadership. He excels in agile software development, process automation, and leading cross-disciplinary teams. Notably, he led a multi-million dollar Agile tech company, drove a Waterfall to Agile transformation, and launched dozens of SaaS, desktop, and mobile applications. His expertise also includes designing payment processing systems, CRM automation, and even performing legal "hacking" for the Department of Defense.
Eric is an experienced SaaS sales executive specializing in building and leading high-performing teams within the AI landscape to achieve exceptional revenue growth. He has a proven track record of guiding startups to product-market fit, tripling ARR, and expanding into global revenue units, consistently delivering over $250 million in revenue from pre-IPO to post-IPO stages. Eric believes in empowering teams through strong leadership and strategic talent development, particularly within AI-driven sales environments. His expertise spans inside sales, field sales, business development, partner and channel sales, and sales engineering.
Jeremy is a dynamic customer success executive with over 20 years of experience, specializing in scaling global customer success organizations within the digital healthcare space, with a particular focus on AI/ML systems. He excels at partnering with founder CEOs to transform visionary ideas into impactful customer journeys, enhancing product adoption and driving significant financial performance. His expertise spans SaaS, SaMD, B2B, B2B2C, and FDA-regulated products, leveraging deep knowledge of healthcare domains to scale customer success for millions of users and achieve over $100M in annual recurring revenue. Jeremy builds and leads high-performing, distributed teams, consistently delivering strategic value and revenue growth.
Sina possesses over 15 years of cross-sector and cross-functional expertise in the Canadian and U.S. healthcare industries, more than 9 of which have been dedicated exclusively to advancing dentistry. Prior to his current leadership role at Zentist, Sina served as the Vice President of Strategic Markets to some of the leading cloud-based enterprise software companies serving multi-location dental service providers across North America.
His senior leadership experience also includes having served as the Vice President of Clinical Operations at a national private equity-funded dental service provider organization where he reported directly to the CEO. Throughout his career, Sina has personally delivered over 100 Continuing Education accredited seminars and instructed at Continuing Education courses teaching more than 5,000 healthcare practitioners in the U.S. and Canada how to maximize their practice value.
For the past 10+ years, Lorri Detrick has worked in the dental field as an operations leader and consultant. She served as the Chief Operating Officer for Access Dental Services, a mid-sized DSO in California and Utah for six years. She then spent time consulting in the dental arena, working for private equity as well as independent large group owners, assisting with growth strategy and operational platform development. For two years she worked for a technology consultancy (West Monroe Partners) performing due diligence on behalf of private equity clients looking at DSO targets for purchase and becoming a subject matter expert in teledentistry. Lorri is now the COO for Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry, a DSO operating in North Carolina and Virginia with over 50 locations.
Prior to moving into dentistry, Lorri worked in both acute and skilled nursing healthcare sectors. She started her career as a Social Worker, obtaining her MSW from the University of Washington in Seattle. However, after having been offered the opportunity to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, she found her true passion for operations and leadership. After 10 years in skilled nursing operations, Lorri actively sought out the opportunity to move into an area of healthcare that created less burnout, and dentistry has been a perfect fit.
Lorri has a track record of success in developing amazing culture, achieving and exceeding financial goals, and coaching bright, loyal teams. In her work, she emphasizes transparency, diversity, compassion and fun in the midst of daily challenges. She was attracted to Riccobene Associates due to the alignment to these core values that she felt immediately upon engagement with Dr. Riccobene and his team. Her goals are to continue to drive the family-oriented, employee- and patient-centric culture that Dr. Riccobene has built, while also ensuring robust and replicable systems are in place to support ongoing growth.
Method Procurement is leading the delivery of digital solutions that transform dental spend management,drive productivity, and yield improved financial results for dental organizations of all sizes. Dan joined Method as a co-founder in 2018.He is widely regarded as a spend management technology and process optimization expert and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
With over 25 years as both a practitioner and consultant, Dan has led technology transformation engagements for clients such as major universities and academic health science centers, including one of the nation’s first e-Procurement programs in higher education.
Prior to guiding Method’s suite of solutions, he founded a procurement analytics solution provider and served over 8 years in leadership positions with JAGGAER, the world’s largest independent spend management technology company.
Michael represents Datto at numerous trade shows and technology conferences throughout North America, frequently presenting alongside members of the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. The objective of these presentations is to connect with business owners and IT professionals to educate them on current cyber threats and the role business continuity plays in combatting these threats.
Twitter: @michael_depalma
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldepalma1/
Spiros Liolis is a versatile executive who has built a reputation as a technology visionary and transformation catalyst. With 20+ years of experience, Spiros is known for maximizing revenue and growth by driving forward-thinking business development strategies, revolutionary solution development and proactive sales enablement. His background includes expertise spanning digital transformation, emerging technology innovation and entrepreneurship.
Having led business and projects in 50+ countries and virtually all industries, Spiros is uniquely qualified with multidiscipline, multicultural experience. Currently, as CTO – Global Alliances at Microfocus, he drives sustainable YoY growth plans along with overseeing all aspects of digital transformation. Previously, Spiros served as Senior Business Development Director, Management & Automation Technologies at Amazon Web Services. His early career includes strategy consulting, sales management and international business development roles at Hewlett- Packard.
Spiros holds an MS in Engineering Management and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He also possesses multiple technical certifications and is a member of the distinguished Forbes Technology Council.
Mr. Young has nearly 30 years of experience in FinTech, consumer lending, and payments. Previously he was the CCO of Marcus by Goldman Sachs, driving market-leading growth through partnerships with best-in-class brands including Apple, Amazon, Walmart, JetBlue, and AARP. Mr. Young also served as Market President for Citi, Line of Business Head for Barclays, and CEO of GE Capital Personal Finance. Throughout his career, Mr. Young has been recognized for securing and managing top partnerships, including with affinity organizations in healthcare and other verticals.
Rushi's background is in machine learning and artificial intelligence technology, previously working at MIT as a researcher in this area. He is passionate about voice technology and how it can improve healthcare outcomes. Currently he lives in Boston along with his wife and his puppy jasper.
Lifetime entrepreneur and seasoned IT veteran, Peter Evans draws on more than 30 years of experience with Oracle database systems, ERP and BI/Data Analytics.
Seeing the growth of multi-clinic ownership, Peter recognized a void in the business system offerings in the dental industry.
Working with several Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), Dentists and major dental industry players, Peter validated the market opportunity and founded EDMS. EDMS offers a fully integrated management and reporting platform for group dental clinics, allowing at-a-glance view of all financial, operational and administrative reporting. The platform is technology agnostic and works with data from ANY practice management software found in the clinic location. EDMS's proprietary algorithms also deliver Data Mining for deep intelligence into the business.
Ophir Tanz is an award-winning entrepreneur and technologist. He is the founder and CEO of Pearl, an AI company focused on delivering transformative solutions for the dental industry. Previously, Ophir founded and led GumGum to over $1B in global revenue by applying computer vision machine learning to drive and measure value for the digital media and sports sponsorship industries. Ophir received his Bachelor’s and Master’s from Carnegie Mellon University. An established member of the Los Angeles startup community, Ophir actively advises and invests in startups, has been featured on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine, and is the recipient of multiple business leadership awards.
Ali has been in the dental industry for over 15 years. His experience includes aligning strategic plans with patient needs and a keen ability to meet revenue and growth goals, focusing on healthcare operations and increasing EBITDA; he is a firm believer in fostering a workplace culture built on trust and applies his genuine passion for connecting with people and developing future leaders.
An internationally trained dentist, Ali is in charge of supporting GDP Operations teams within Guardian Dentistry across all regions while further developing the culture anchored by the organization’s core mission, vision, and values. He leads GDP initiatives that support partners and teams in building their practices, including strategic growth plans, process improvements, and drivers of team member engagement.
Ali joined GDP in 2020 after spending ten years with ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, serving on the company’s Leadership Team as the Vice President of Operations. In addition to his dental training, Ali earned his Certificate of Strategic Management from Harvard University and his MBA from the University of Denver.
Brian has been in the dental space for approximately 25 years. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities in the United States on DSO formation, DSO business structures, DSO related mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance for DSOs including the corporate practice of dentistry, illegal fee splitting, advertising regulations, laboratory regulations, patient finance regulations, billing regulations, HIPAA regulations, credentialing, permit and licensure regulations, marketing regulations, and labor law regulations affecting dental practices.
Brian currently has clients in all 50 states and six Canadian provinces and has appeared before all 50 U.S. dental boards and the territory of Puerto Rico. Brian has handled numerous cases of first impression involving the corporate practice of dentistry and fee-splitting nationwide that resulted in legal opinions that defined and established the law in the DSO industry.
Amol Nirgudkar helps dentists grow their practices and reach their revenue goals. As a certified public accountant, business consultant, author, and inventor, he has 20 years of experience working with dental practices and groups. He is the co-founder of Patient Prism, an award-winning call tracking software that leverages the power of artificial intelligence to review and score every new patient phone call.
When the call doesn’t end in a booked appointment, the software alerts the team and provides call coaching data so they can win back that potential patient during a follow-up call. Amol has five patents to his credit. He is also one of the most well-known and highly followed thought leaders in dentistry and shares his knowledge abundantly via social media platforms.
Patrick Jacobwith, JD is the CEO of Sunset Technologies, a multi-state organization based in Minnesota. He has over 25 years in healthcare, as well as experience as a licensed attorney and a Certified HIPAA Professional.
Prior to Sunset, Patrick worked in a large healthcare organization (more than 1500 employees) as a Vice President of Operations. He managed a budget of more than $300 million dollars and a multi-faceted team of approximately 450 people. Under Patrick’s tenure Sunset has grown from 15 to more than 90 employees in seven years. In addition, Sunset has become a nationally recognized leader in the dental MSP market, and has built a reputation of battling cyber crime (in partnership with state and federal governments), as well as providing HIPAA compliant solutions.
Patrick’s approach is to build a solid plan, including a sound strategy that begins with the people in the organization. Sunset’s culture and core values are built on how they can help their customers and team to feel Rest Assured. Patrick believes in excellent service and building healthy and productive relationships. He is guided each day by three words: Service, Humility, and Love. Patrick can be reached at patrick.jacobwith@sunsetsecure.com
Jeremy is a general dentist with a combined business background. He is the Managing Partner of Revere Partners, the first independent Venture Capital fund focused on oral health. Jeremy previously built out the Barchester Bay Group, a portfolio consisting of over 35 ventures. Jeremy has held key operator roles at startups including Head of Marketing and Chief Dental Officer at Simplifeye, based in NYC, and the Chief Marketing Officer of Verena Solutions, based in Chicago. He oversaw provider and clinical growth initiatives at quip, the oral health and subscription electric toothbrush company and strategic provider innovation and development at Oscar Health (which had an IPO in 2021).
Jeremy has practiced general dentistry part-time for nearly a decade following his DMD at Tufts, sits on the Boards of healthcare and dental startups, and is an angel investor in approximately 30 companies. Jeremy has a 18+ year proven track record with startups through several successful multi-million dollar fundraises and acquisitions.
Jeremy started his career with three web and graphic design startups and moved into a luxury goods and commodity venture, DormAid, for college students. He later founded a venture incubator, CEO in A Box, following his MBA at Chicago Booth.
Jeremy received The President's Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden, Crain's Notable in Health Care, Top 100 Healthcare Visionaries award from IFAH USA, Top 100 Doctors from the Global Summits Institute for his commitment to oral health innovation, and 40 under 40 awards from Incisal Edge and YJP.
Erin helps DSOs navigate the world of cloud computing to set them up with the right tools to scale and grow their businesses. She has been in the dental field for 29 years, having spent the last 17 years working with DSOs to achieve their goals by implementing major initiatives across their organizations. She has worked with companies such as Heartland, Clear Choice, and Walmart Health to incorporate state of the art technology - from imaging to implants to restorative materials - into their standard of care. She is excited to moderate this panel and gain further insight into best practices DSOs have adopted to successfully implement new technologies.
Andrew is an Account Executive with InsideDesk, a pioneer in Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) technology and claims management systems. InsideDesk currently works with DSO's and dental groups to provide smarter tooling to front line employees working insurance claims, and in-depth analytics to senior leadership. The outcomes for DSO's are a more effective workforce, and reporting that provides actionable insight for profitable change.
Andrew has over 7 years in software sales and client enablement, including previously working for Lighthouse360 during their successful acquisition by Henry Schein One. Today he is passionate about the emerging technology in RCM,and educating the dental industry of its existence and necessity for an evolving dental industry. Andrew believes market changes are grown from the inside out, so listening, learning, and collaborating from those doing the job daily brings him the satisfaction of helping to deliver a world class solution.
John Sheldon is the Chief Marketing Officer atSmileDirectClub. In this role, he focuses on delivering the best possible experience to customers in order to continue growing SmileDirectClub and reach more people searching for affordable access to a straighter and more confident smile. As the Chief Marketing Officer, John oversees all digital media,paid media, creative development, social media, communication tactics, and experiential initiatives for the brand. As a results-driven marketing leader, John continually builds a track-record of success and is a champion for creating strategic plans based on key insights.
John has a strong background in digital transformation and innovation across a range of industries. He previously served as Chief Revenue Officer of Fresh Direct, a food tech company and the Northeast's leading online fresh food grocer. He was also the Senior Vice President of Innovation Portfolios for Mastercard driving innovation globally for the company, and the Head of Strategy at eBay Enterprises Marketing Solutions. He has launched and worked with dozens of digital-first brands and lead the strategy to bring many great brands into the digital ecosystem.
John earned a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Bill Neumann is a dental industry veteran with 15+ years of experience in all facets of the industry. He is a DSO consultant and CEO and partner at Group Dentistry Now & JoinDSO. Bill co-founded the first print publication for DSOs, Efficiency in Group Practice, launched the first app for dental product literature, videos, and information, Dental Sales Pro Connect, founded the first dental industry networking platform, Dental Sales Pro, invented the iBarrier, a disposable infection control sleeve, and managed and trained a sales force for dental manufacturer, Coltene/Whaledent. Bill is an advisor for the ADSO and several other dental companies. He sits on the board of Dental Lifeline Network, serves on the OSAP conference committee, and is an international public speaker on DSO topics at many dental events.
Dr. Carolyn Brown, DDS, MEd is a leading healthcare consultant, dentist and advisor working with consultancy firms such as Alvarez and Marsal in dental benefit design for Medicare Advantage, managed care, commercial and Medicaid plans. She is considered one of the foremost subject matter experts in dental alternative payment models, value-based care and dental participation in ACO’s. Dr. Brown has worked with venture capital firms, dental service organizations, large dental programs, dental foundations and in the health technology industry. She brings vast and robust experience in strategy, benefit operations, clini cal operations and expansion, entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial product and company development in health care innovation.
Dr. Brown’s first company back-mapped ICD-9 codes for major academic hospitals in 2006. She has helped to develop algorithms and economic analyses for value-based care in the medical and dental benefit design. She has engaged and educated providers all over the country in 40+ continuing education sessions, written several articles, and was the Co-Chair of the Journal of Dental Public Health’s Special Edition on Oral Health Value-based Care.
Dr. Brown is an active investor in the health and dental innovation space, as an angel investor, advisor and co-founder of several software companies. She holds a dental degree, a master’s degree in education, a certificate in dental education, and is the only dentist to complete a certificate in Value-Based Care from The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She also completed a certificate in sustainable capitalism and ESG from the UC Berkeley School of Law. She was faculty at University of San Francisco, and the University of the Pacific. She has published over 10 peer-reviewed articles and served on many national and statewide committees. Dr. Brown is a nationally recognized thought leader, consultant to dental companies on payer strategy, innovation, value-based transformation, medical-dental integration and board governance.
Throughout her career, Jana has led teams that focus on removing technical and process barriers in order to equip customers to maximize the value of technology. She has over 25 years of experience building effective teams with a focus on SaaS and medical markets. Prior to joining Curve Dental, Jana was a Vice President at Brightree.
Patrick Jacobwith, JD, is the CEO/General Counsel and partner at Sunset Technologies, which specializes in technology integration, security, and compliance for their dental customers. Sunset Technologies is one of the largest dental focused MSPs in the United States. With over 100 employees, Sunset provides services on a national level.
During his more than 35-year career, Patrick has developed extensive leadership, strategy, and management skills. His approach to becoming a better leader has included taking roles that encompass all areas of a business. Patrick also speaks nationally on topics ranging from developing company culture, leadership and management development, cyber security, and HIPAA compliance.
In addition to Patrick's business experience, he holds a B.S. in economics, is a certified HIPAA professional, and is a licensed attorney.
Patrick has developed his career in large organizations, including United Healthcare, SmithKline Beecham, Express Scripts, and SHPS, as well as smaller companies. Most recently, he has helped Sunset evolve into a national organization and assisted several other businesses in their growth process.
As General Counsel, Patrick utilizes his legal skills and knowledge in areas that include contracting, risk management, compliance, employment law, and mergers and acquisitions.
Finally, Patrick believes his most significant accomplishments are the people he has been able to help develop.
Brendan is a highly experienced executive strategist in the healthcare and dental industry with over two decades of experience. He has a deep understanding of the industry and has successfully managed various ventures, including medical distribution, dental as well as healthcare investments and ownership of a dental service organization. Currently, Brendan serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of HealthStream Ventures, a prominent M&A and transaction advisory firm in the field. In his duties with HealthStream, Brendan leads all strategic efforts across their buy side advisory, dental and medical group formation, and capital advisory verticals.
In the past, Brendan founded and led Advanced Med Corp, a leading medical equipment distribution company in the US. He has also been actively involved in healthcare legislation, contributing to the creation and presentation of bills related to cosmetic medical procedures. Brendan's expertise extends beyond business, as he has served as an Active Duty United States Marine and has worked as an Advisor to a Private Military Consulting Firm. He is also an alumnus of East Carolina and Wake Forest Universities. Most importantly, he manages his professional efforts in a capacity that still allows him to have quality time with his wife and three
children.
Samantha “Sam” Strain is an award-winning multi-site healthcare merger and acquisition (M+A) executive. She most recently exited from American Dental Partners (JLL) upon sale to Heartland Dental (KKR) in early 2021. Currently, Sam serves as the Chief Development Officer and Co-Founder of HealthStream Ventures, a prominent M&A and transaction advisory firm in the field. In her duties with HealthStream, Sam leads all development efforts across their buy side advisory, dental and medical group formation, and capital advisory verticals. A twenty year veteran in the dental industry, she has a deep understanding of the industry and has successfully managed various ventures, including distribution, healthcare banking finance and investments and ownership of a dental service organization. Early in her career, she co-founded a community for women dentists that grew to reach over 250 dentists and went on to partner with Benco Dental, inspiring female leadership organizations throughout dentistry such as the Lucky Hobbs Project. She is a prominent figure in the Dental Service Organization community as an influencer, entrepreneur, investor and advisor. Look for TwoFront, vVardis, Different Kind, Oral UptimeHealth, Curve, and DoubleMint. These are just some of the visionary companies in Sam’s rolodex of shapeshifters changing Oral Health for the better. Sam holds a BS in Business Administration & Economics from Meredith College and MBA coursework from Vanderbilt, Owen Graduate School of Management. Sam’s favorite night of the week is Friday night because her plans usually include hanging out with her favorite people, her husband and three boys
Shirley has spent over 15 years serving the dental profession in various roles. Early in her career, she taught dental providers and their teams how to achieve success by leveraging technology, creating systems and enhancing financial conversations. It was there where she learned first-hand the true value of patient financing as an integral part of a dental practice.
Her network vastly expanded when she became Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for CareCredit where she had the opportunity to collaborate with other leading organizations in the dental industry. Through partnerships with manufacturers and technology platforms, she was able to launch new products and bring innovative solutions to market for dental providers and their patients.
Shirley’s successful career has led her to sharing insights and experience in many speaking engagements over the past decade. Today, she continues to share her passion for serving the dental profession as Vice President of National Accounts for CareCredit, A Synchrony Solution. As leader of the DSO sales organization, she leverages her first-hand experience and deep domain expertise to support the needs of the largest dental support organizations across the country.
Shirley also finds immense joy in mentoring others to achieve their personal and professional best. She is a member of the Synchrony Women’s Network, a participant inSynchrony’s Women’s Leadership Experience and recently joined the Women in DSO as an Advisory Board Member.
With over a decade of exclusive dedication to the dental industry, Jessica Lamers brings a wealth of expertise to her role as Director of Strategic Events at Dental Intelligence Inc. Her diverse background encompasses roles ranging from clinical to administrative, enabling her to leverage her extensive knowledge and experience to assist companies in implementing successful business models.
Passionate about empowering others through education, training, and personal development, Jessica is dedicated to fostering growth and enabling individuals to thrive. While respecting the foundational principles of current dental operations, she is a driving force behind the push for innovative advancements within the industry. This determination guided her to embrace the position of Director of Enterprise Business Development at Dental Intelligence Inc., aiming to forge stronger connections between industry partners and enhance the experience of the customers we are dedicated to serving.
Dental Intelligence Inc. empowers dental professionals to cultivate stronger teams, forge fulfilling careers, and provide enhanced healthcare to their patients. Our solution enables you to intelligently shape the future of your practice, ensuring your focus remains on what truly matters – delivering an exceptional patient experience.
Reconnecting with her origins in Oklahoma to ensure proximity to family and provide a nurturing environment for her treasured daughters, Everlee Mae and Magnolia Grace, Jessica actively engages with her local community. Her involvement extends to vital roles within diverse groups, such as the Central Oklahoma AADOM Chapter. Furthermore, Jessica holds a significant advisory position and contributes her valuable insights and expertise as a esteemed member of the Women of DSO board of advisors.
During Ron’s 30+ years of tenure at Quality Systems Inc, NextGen Healthcare, and now Planet DDS, he has worked with some of the largest dental organizations and dental schools in the United States as well as a number of federally qualified health centers. Given the nature of solutions Ron has worked on, he is highly experienced in understanding the product needs of a wide range of functions across these organizations stemming from front desk, back office, clinical, and management teams.
Cassie Tallon is a seasoned professional in the dental sector, boasting over two decades of specialized expertise in operations and marketing. She is a highly sought-after speaker, recognized for her ability to implement strategic operational efficiencies within Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), resulting in optimized internal workflows. Her unique aptitude for operational synergy is reflected in her strategies for partnership management and her accomplishments in communication, collateral design, and both organic and paid social strategies.
Tallon's leadership acumen and strategic prowess have seen her excel in various roles, including her tenure as Practice Manager and Integrator at Branson Dental Center. Her initiatives led to an impressive 189% growth in production and her commitment to process optimization, particularly in enhancing patient care; led to improved outcomes, streamlined workflows, and efficient ordering processes. Tallon's exceptional skills also extend to event management, account payable management, RCM and innovative job posting and direct hiring strategies.
Cassie Tallon's deep understanding of operational and marketing dynamics in the dental industry combined with her unwavering commitment to operational synergy places her as a leader in the field. Her track record of significant contributions and her dedication to fostering growth through strategic integrations make her an invaluable asset to any organization. With a continuous eye towards revolutionizing dentistry, Cassie is ideally positioned to further her significant impact in the industry.
Cassie Tallon's vast expertise has recently led her to launch The Fractional Match, thefractionalmatch.com, a venture aimed at providing support to the DSO space by placing fractional professionals and equipping c-suite level teams with resources they need to grow. As Founder and CEO, she spearheads this initiative, which also integrates vendor partnerships, further cementing her commitment to operational synergy. This venture underlines her dedication to innovation, and the continuous enhancement of operations in the dental sector.
With over 22 years of experience in dentistry, Sherri Richard began her career working in the front office of a Nashville dental practice. A keen ability to estimate (down to a penny) a patient’s collection amount advanced her to Practice Manager for Brady Family Dentistry, a local multi-site DSO. By optimizing her resources and available technology to simplify burdending tasks, she led the expansion of one practice to three locations, within just five short years. Sherri Richard is a leader, inspiring manager, and talented director who is passionate about educating the dental market on the benefits of technology’s efficiencies.
Sherri currently serves as Director of Practice Revenue Advisors for Vyne Dental, a company offering easy-to-use solutions that liberate dental billers from the confines of traditional practice management software. Helping provide technology that improves workflows, reduces administrative costs, and streamlines reimbursements, Sherri continues to advance the dental industry through technology’s trusted solutions.