Awesome Speakers at the Summit
2023 SPEAKER LINEUP
- CEO & Co-founder in HR for HealthJOIN ALI LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 11:00am
- View Linkedin
Amol Nirgudkar
CEO in Patient Prism LLCAmol Nirgudkar
CEO in Patient Prism LLCJOIN AMOL LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 10:50amAmol Nirgudkar helps dental practices grow and reach their revenue and profit 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 and lead tracking software that leverages the power of artificial intelligence improve marketing performance,
sales delivery, and operational efficiencies within dental support organizations.Patient Prism employs advanced artificial intelligence to optimize dental marketing strategies, ensuring the acquisition of the most valuable patients. This technology not only facilitates patient conversion into scheduled appointments but also promptly identifies and addresses any operational challenges, guaranteeing the successful completion of patient treatments.
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.
On a personal note, Amol has traveled around the country and the world accompanying his piano prodigy daughter for concerts and competitions. Last year, in the midst of war, Amol and his daughter
Ovie took a humanitarian trip to Ukraine and helped refugees that were affected by the war. Blair Headley
Senior Consultant in Aligned Dental Partners, LLCBlair Headley
Senior Consultant in Aligned Dental Partners, LLCJOIN BLAIR LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitBlair Headley is a Senior Consultant at Aligned Dental Partners and provides consulting and management support to dental practices, dental groups, and dental support organizations throughout North America. Blair’s focus is on implementing customized growth plans, providing systems and training, and applying industry best-practices to Aligned Dental Partner’s clients.
Blair brings a decade of experience supporting entrepreneurial dentists to accomplish their goals. Prior to joining Aligned Dental Partners in 2019, Blair held roles at two esteemed consulting organizations. Most recently, Blair was the Director of Business Development for a dental consultancy where she assessed dental offices and dental groups for operational inefficiencies. She tailored growth plans for these clients that provided systems, training, reduced stress, and increased income for her clients. Prior to that, Blair was a practice management and marketing consultant and offered consulting and advisory support to hundreds of dentists throughout the US and Canada.
Blair holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Stevenson University in Owings Mills, MD. Blair can be reached at blair.headley@aligneddentalpartners.com
Bob Winder
President in Logan Growth AdvisorsBob Winder
President in Logan Growth AdvisorsJOIN BOB LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitBrian Colao
DykemaBrian Colao
DykemaJOIN BRIAN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitBrian Colao is the Director of Dykema’s Dental Service Organizations Group. He has been serving the dental industry for over 25 years and 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 the full array of regulatory compliance requirements for DSOs. Brian was named a “2019 DSO Influencer” by Group Dentistry Now and the “2023 Thought Leader of the Year” by Planet DDS.
Caitlin Waters
Assoc. Director of Comms in Risas DentalCaitlin Waters
Assoc. Director of Comms in Risas DentalJOIN CAITLIN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitDr. Chris Balaban
VP of Clinical Affairs in OverjetDr. Chris Balaban
VP of Clinical Affairs in OverjetJOIN CHRIS LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitChris McClure
Co-Founder in Aligned Dental Partners, LLCChris McClure
Co-Founder in Aligned Dental Partners, LLCJOIN CHRIS LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitChris co-founded and jointly heads Aligned Dental Partners, providing consulting and advisory services to dental companies throughout North America. Chris leads engagements with DSOs and large group practices to help grow their business, build infrastructure, and facilitate M&A activity. Chris and his team support dental companies throughout their lifecycle while driving EBITDA, reducing costs, and growing enterprise value. He oversees the operations of the firm and manages its team to best support individual client goals.
Chris has supported dentists and their businesses for over a decade and brings extensive experience in both consulting and executive leadership in the dental field. He has served various executive roles including CEO and COO for several client dental groups, including the founding COO for a New York-based dental support organization he started with a dentist investor. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Consulting for the then-largest consultancy to dental practices in the country. In that role, Chris oversaw a team of consultants who worked with hundreds of the country’s top dentists whose focus was to grow practice revenue and increase efficiency.
Chris started his career as a Big 4 Management Consultant where he advised leading Fortune 500 companies and the Department of Defense. His experience includes facilitating mergers and acquisitions, implementing ERP systems as part of major supply chain transformations, and developing and implementing enterprise performance management systems.
Chris has a B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University, Smeal College of Business, and holds various consulting and management certifications. Chris resides in Chagrin Falls, OH with his wife, two young daughters, and a beloved dog. He can be reached at: chris@aligneddentalpartners.com.
Dr. Clifton Cameron
Chief Dental Officer in Lightwave DentalDr. Clifton Cameron
Chief Dental Officer in Lightwave DentalJOIN CLIFTON LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitThursday, Oct. 12th at 8:00amDave Salciccioli
Chief Strategy Officer in Singing River Dental PartnersDave Salciccioli
Chief Strategy Officer in Singing River Dental PartnersJOIN DAVE LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitDr. David Ferguson
Dr. David Ferguson
JOIN DAVID LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 11:35am- View Linkedin
Deneen Dismore
CEO and Founder in Dismore Consulting LLCDeneen Dismore
CEO and Founder in Dismore Consulting LLCJOIN DENEEN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 3:45pmDeneen Dismore, the outgoing CEO and Founder of Dismore Consulting LLC, serves as a New Patient Acquisition Specialist for the dental community. While she offers services as a Fractional CMO, Mentor, and Marketing Strategist, she is known for teaching dentists how to attract and retain new patients to boost profits.
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Deneen is familiar with working in fast-paced environments that prioritize business growth. Although she began her career in dentistry as the Marketing Director for two practices in Manhattan, she discovered her entrepreneurial calling after achieving two significant milestones. Deneen was thrilled when she nearly doubled the number of new patients in one practice. Additionally, she led the marketing initiatives of another practice that was featured on Inc. 5000’s list of America’s fastest-growing companies.
Her mission as a dental marketing strategist, specializing in new patient acquisition, is to provide immense value by effectively communicating your organization’s story to your target audience. Deneen also enjoys delving into the story behind the statistics in your dental software, as valuable insights and opportunities can be found within the data. By sharing your brand’s story and refining your marketing program based on metrics, proven processes, and insider industry knowledge, she maximizes your team’s potential for success.
Having achieved remarkable results in various industries beyond dentistry, Deneen has learned that the path to success remains consistent. Merely investing in marketing and advertising is insufficient to ensure prosperity for any organization. It is also inadequate for a few key leaders to possess knowledge and passion for the practice’s marketing plans. To optimize all marketing efforts, the entire team needs to be aware of upcoming initiatives, willingly embrace revised systems with enthusiasm, receive training to maximize growth opportunities, and consistently replicate these systems.
To connect with Deneen or to inquire about additional services, please visit www.deneendismore.com or email consulting@deneendismore.com.
Dr. Alex Giannini
Aligned Dental PartnersDr. Alex Giannini
Aligned Dental PartnersJOIN DR. ALEX LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitDr. Alex Giannini has founded and served as CEO of several dental groups and DSOs. With over 29 years of experience in the clinical, administration, and management of dental practices in over 10 states, including related businesses as well as real estate development/management, Dr. Giannini has doubled and quadrupled dental practice revenue and profitability within a year while creating a platform and national prominence. Dr. Giannini was the founder of Comfortable Care Dental Group’s initial office in 1989 which in turn became the first group in Florida as part of the Heartland Dental growth at the turn of century. In 2008, he founded Dynamic Dental Partners Group (DDPG) which in 2014 was listed at #14 on the Inc. 5000 list for the fastest‐growing private companies in America.
Dr. Giannini practiced high‐end fee-for-service dentistry in Florida for 9 years, after which time he co‐owned and managed dental practices in Florida, Arizona, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. In addition, Dr. Giannini has been featured as a guest speaker at many Practice Management conferences throughout the nation. Dr. Giannini has worked with institutional, private equity and family‐office investors. He has turned around 100s of practices including distressed Dental Groups and DSOs.
His role is strategic and includes shaping the philosophy and delivery of quality dental care along with implementing Clinical and Operational Policies, Structure, and Protocols for his management team to deliver productive and profitable dental offices. He is also involved in Doctor recruitment, complete business development, marketing, strategic planning as a business analyst to oversee the financial operations including the dental systems, forecasting, budgeting, and goal setting of each individual affiliated office and company. Dr. Giannini is currently President of the AAGDP (American Academy of Dental Group Practice www.aadgp.org) and part of the ADSO as well.
Dr. Jason Gladwell
CEO in Gladwell OrthodonticsDr. Jason Gladwell
CEO in Gladwell OrthodonticsJOIN DR. JASON LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitThursday, Oct. 12th at 8:00amElizabeth Voss
Labor and Employment Partner in DykemaElizabeth Voss
Labor and Employment Partner in DykemaJOIN ELIZABETH LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 11:00amEric Pastan
Skytale GroupEric Pastan
Skytale GroupJOIN ERIC LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 10:50am- View Linkedin
Florian Hillen
CEO & Founder in VideaHealthFlorian Hillen
CEO & Founder in VideaHealthJOIN FLORIAN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFlorian Hillen is the Founder & CEO of VideaHealth, the dental AI platform trusted by DSOs and dental practices. VideaHealth’s FDA-cleared AI-powered technology analyzes and annotates x-rays for dentists to help them more effectively and efficiently detect disease.
Previously, he conducted research projects at the intersection of engineering and social science at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society and Harvard Business School. Florian has previously worked for McKinsey & Company and founded ninu, a digital healthtech start-up. He holds two Master’s degrees from MIT in Computer Science and Technology & Policy, a Bachelor’s degree in Management & Technology, and the first State exam in Medicine. - View Linkedin
Dr. Greg White
CEO & President in PepperPointe PartnershipsDr. Greg White
CEO & President in PepperPointe PartnershipsJOIN GREG LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitDr. Greg White is one of the founding partners of White, Greer & Maggard Orthodontics, formed in 1991 and currently part of one of the largest, privately-owned pediatric and orthodontic group practices in the country. He actively practiced orthodontics for more than 25 years. Dr. White values building meaningful and lasting relationships, has a high propensity for action, a commitment to excellence, and an entrepreneurial spirit. He co-founded the company that invented, produced, and sold what is still the world’s top-selling custom breast prosthesis for post-mastectomy breast cancer survivors. He has also owned multiple restaurant concepts for more than 20 years.
He is proving to be a visionary in the dental industry, specifically in his specialty, with a deep understanding of the market and the ever-increasing consumer demands. Dr. White serves as the president and CEO of PepperPointe Partnerships, which currently serves more than 135 dental locations and more than 150 doctors throughout Kentucky, New York, and Virginia.
Heidi Arndt
Heidi Arndt
JOIN HEIDI LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitIan McNickle
CEO in Icon Dental PartnersIan McNickle
CEO in Icon Dental PartnersJOIN IAN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 11:00amJanet Hagerman
Janet HagermanJanet Hagerman
Janet HagermanJOIN JANET LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 10:50amDr. Jeff Paz
Sleep Apnea GurusDr. Jeff Paz
Sleep Apnea GurusJOIN JEFF LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 11:35am- View Linkedin
Jessica Lamers
Director of Strategic Events in Dental Intelligence Inc.Jessica Lamers
Director of Strategic Events in Dental Intelligence Inc.JOIN JESSICA LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitJessica Lamers is a dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in the dental industry. Throughout her career, she has held various roles and demonstrated her expertise in supporting dentists, leading regions, and driving companies towards success. Jessica’s true passion lies in empowering others to achieve their goals through education, training, and personal development. She understands that while solid dental operations are crucial, embracing innovation is essential for long-term success. As the Director of Strategic Events at Dental Intelligence Inc., the industry’s leading software for managing and growing dental practices, Jessica is committed to pioneering innovative solutions and connecting DSO customers with the developers who can transform the way they do business. With her expertise and dedication, Jessica strives to help practices thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of dentistry.
- View Linkedin
Jill Nesbitt
Founder / Dental Software Consultant in Optimize Dental ConsultingJill Nesbitt
Founder / Dental Software Consultant in Optimize Dental ConsultingJOIN JILL LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitOptimize Dental Consulting provides dental software implementation leadership so DSO’s can successfully roll out technology solutions. DSO’s invest in software solutions to achieve standardization, centralization and to increase efficiency for their team. They find that changing dental software is stressful, impacts every single team member and sometimes fails to be adopted, slowing the DSO leadership team from achieving the original goal of purchasing technology in the first place! Bringing in professional management with enterprise-class expertise allows the DSO to realize the benefits of technology, provide a white glove experience for their doctors, while avoiding hiring a FTE or having to train an internal resource.
We align people and processes to optimize dental software technology. For DSO’s looking to implement practice management software, analytics/ KPI platform, RCM solutions, etc. we offer professional project management and technology initiative leadership services. To achieve the successful adoption of dental software technology across all locations, we share best practices, manage the project and support your team with change management communications and SOP creation.
Services include:
• Project Management starting with an onsite assessment to observe current state and identify opportunities.
• We create change management communications such as flyers, slide decks and emails tailored by role.
• We answer the question “How will we know this is a success?” by creating KPIs and success metrics that serve as measurable outcomes for successful adoption. We understand that go live is not success, actually achieving the DSO’s goals is the success.
• We guide the decision making for software set up at a global and per location level and identify resources for the efficient transfer and auditing of data at conversion.
• We guide the creation of SOPs (standard operating procedures) custom to the organization to provide for documented resourcing for each office’s utilization and new hire training.
• We run a pilot and capture learning that informs future go lives and improves our SOPs and once the full team feels confident then we rapidly roll out to all locations. Jillian Hasselmann
HR for HealthJillian Hasselmann
HR for HealthJOIN JILLIAN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitJohn McClure
Co-Founder in Aligned Dental Partners, LLCJohn McClure
Co-Founder in Aligned Dental Partners, LLCJOIN JOHN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitJohn co-founded and jointly heads Aligned Dental Partners LLC, after spending the last decade working directly with 2,000+ dental practices. John focuses on the analytical aspects of each new client and develops customized solutions aligned to the goals of each individual practitioner.
Prior to this role, John served as the Chief Development Officer for a New-York-based DSO which he co-founded with a dentist investor. He handled all aspects of the due diligence and the acquisition and transition phases for affiliated dental offices. John developed a strategic acquisition plan that was used to successfully acquire and assimilate the DSOs practices, and also oversaw dentist recruitment, identifying top tier, high-talent practitioners to provide outstanding patient care.
Prior to co-founding the DSO, John spent 9 years with the nation’s premier dental consultancy. As the Director of Business Development, John oversaw a team of analysts that assessed 1,000s of dental practices, both domestically and internationally, each year. Additionally, John personally performed in-depth analysis for many of the largest and most-premier dental offices in the country.
John is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in business management.
Jonathan Moffat
Founder in Aligned AdvisorsJonathan Moffat
Founder in Aligned AdvisorsJOIN JONATHAN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitKate Dobens
Kate Dobens
JOIN KATE LIVEat DSO Leadership Summit- View Linkedin
Kellie Cernobyl
COO in Freedom Dental ManagementKellie Cernobyl
COO in Freedom Dental ManagementJOIN KELLIE LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitKellie Cernobyl has been working with the same dental group since 2010, when it was only two practices. She became Director of Operations in 2015 when Freedom Dental Management was formed. Her role as COO was established in 2022.
Kellie is a Pennsylvania native and was raised in Lancaster County. She moved to Delaware in 1997 to attend Goldey-Beacom College, a small business school in Wilmington, and graduated in 2002. She has been married to her amazing husband for 20 years and has three awesome children, ages 4, 8, and 10. She attributes her success to the support she has at home and strives to set a good example for her children, demonstrating that through hard work and dedication you can achieve anything you set your mind to. In her spare time, she enjoys vacationing at the beach, reading, baking and listening to podcasts.
Kerry Straine
CEO in Straine Dental ManagementKerry Straine
CEO in Straine Dental ManagementJOIN KERRY LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitKerry Straine, CEO of Straine Dental Management, is the most sought-after thought leader in the country. After earning a degree in Business Administration in 1978, Mr. Straine began a career providing tax and business advisory services to dentists before creating the Straine Management System in 1992, which became the premier practice management platform in the dental industry.
Mr. Straine has consulted with numerous dental support organizations and dental supply companies to increase their “business of dentistry” knowledge, improve their operational efficiencies, and deliver significant financial results. Mr. Straine’s clients range in size from start-up practices to many of the largest private equity backed DSOs in the market today. Having overseen consulting services for more than 4,000 dental practices and participating in over 15,000 complimentary practice assessments, he is one of the most admired dental professionals in the entire dental industry today.
Mr. Straine is called “The Data Whisperer” in the dental analytics software field for his validated research and optimization formulas and “The Secret Weapon” by Private Equity firms who’ve engaged Straine to help them understand how to support clinical providers and optimize performance of their organizations.
Kerry Straine
CEO in Straine Dental ManagementKerry Straine
CEO in Straine Dental ManagementJOIN KERRY LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitKerry Straine, CEO of Straine Dental Management, is the most sought-after thought leader in the country. After earning a degree in Business Administration in 1978, Mr. Straine began a career providing tax and business advisory services to dentists before creating the Straine Management System in 1992, which became the premier practice management platform in the dental industry.
Mr. Straine has consulted with numerous dental support organizations and dental supply companies to increase their “business of dentistry” knowledge, improve their operational efficiencies, and deliver significant financial results. Mr. Straine’s clients range in size from start-up practices to many of the largest private equity backed DSOs in the market today. Having overseen consulting services for more than 4,000 dental practices and participating in over 15,000 complimentary practice assessments, he is one of the most admired dental professionals in the entire dental industry today.
Mr. Straine is called “The Data Whisperer” in the dental analytics software field for his validated research and optimization formulas and “The Secret Weapon” by Private Equity firms who’ve engaged Straine to help them understand how to support clinical providers and optimize performance of their organizations.
Maria Melone
Managing Director in Caber Hill AdvisorsMaria Melone
Managing Director in Caber Hill AdvisorsJOIN MARIA LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 11:00amMcKenzie Fagan
National Sales Manager in Henry Schein OneMcKenzie Fagan
National Sales Manager in Henry Schein OneJOIN MCKENZIE LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitMike Panahi
Founding Partner in Roligo Capital Dental PartnersMike Panahi
Founding Partner in Roligo Capital Dental PartnersJOIN MIKE LIVEat DSO Leadership Summit- View Linkedin
Mike White
Principal in CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)Mike White
Principal in CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)JOIN MIKE LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitWith over 15+ years of experience, Mike serves as a principal within the health firm’s health care industry. Truly passionate about his work, he strives to provide strategic business intelligence by identifying complex, financial, operational, and technical issues while developing comprehensive solutions to enhance the client’s business operations. Mike is one of the national leaders for CLA focused on building teams and financial structure, specifically Dental, MedSpa and Aesthetics groups.
Technical experience
• BizOps
• Financial Consulting
• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Business Development
• Strategic Planning
• Buy/Sell Side Support
• MedSpa and Aesthetic Groups
• Medical Service Organizations and individual Physician Practices
• Dental Service Organizations and individual Dental PracticesEducation and professional involvement
• Master of accounting science from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
• Bachelor of science in accountancy from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas
• Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants - View Linkedin
Nicole Toudouze
CEO + Co-founder in TranscendentalNicole Toudouze
CEO + Co-founder in TranscendentalJOIN NICOLE LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 3:45pmNicole is an industry leading marketing strategist specializing in growing businesses with custom, evidence-based marketing programs. Nicole has an extensive background in advertising, with a career in the ad agency space, she has managed marketing strategy for brands like Bank of America, 7-Eleven and H-E-B. In 2012, she transitioned to dentistry and became Marketing Director of DFW Family Dentistry. In 2014, Nicole launched Breakaway Marketing, an extension of Breakaway Practice support services and DSO. As Marketing Director of Breakaway, Nicole oversaw the branding and marketing of all entities of Breakaway and directed the marketing services of over 300 dental practices nationwide. Additionally, Nicole is well versed in merger and acquisition rebrands, and was on the marketing team that implemented a billion dollar rebrand for San Antonio Credit Union to Credit Human in 2017. In 2018, Nicole began building Transcendental, which is now a seven figure startup agency. Transcendental is a strategic marketing agency that fosters growth for practices utilizing data-driven insights and a unique, proven dental marketing methodology.
Ophir Tanz
Chief Executive Officer in PearlOphir Tanz
Chief Executive Officer in PearlJOIN OPHIR LIVEat DSO Leadership Summit- View Linkedin
Paige Mead
CEO in Paige Mead RecruitingPaige Mead
CEO in Paige Mead RecruitingJOIN PAIGE LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 10:50amPaige Mead is the CEO of Paige Mead Recruiting and the go-to connector in the dental industry. Whether it’s in the context of Executive Search, Sales & Commercial Operations recruiting, or Board & C-suite Consulting – Paige helps change-makers and critical thinkers navigate the fast-moving & reputation- sensitive dental landscape to find and sustain their perfect industry relationships – and do so with authenticity, clarity, and confidence.
Paige began her recruiting career 25 years ago with the global staffing firm, Adecco. She joined the dental industry in 2007 with Burkhart Dental Supply and officially launched Paige Mead Recruiting to serve the trade side of the dental industry in 2015. Over the last 15 years, she has grown a network that spans across all corners of the industry and every market segment. In the last 3 years, Paige has worked with 18 start-up companies making waves in the industry talent pool. Because of this, her brand has become deeply trusted enabling her to make highly qualified connections among industry companies and the talent that will fuel them.
Ralf Tomandl
COO in HR for HealthRalf Tomandl
COO in HR for HealthJOIN RALF LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 11:35amSantosh Patel
President in Complete Specialty SolutionsSantosh Patel
President in Complete Specialty SolutionsJOIN SANTOSH LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSaturday, Oct. 14th at 11:35am- View Linkedin
Sarah Ruberg
CEO + Founder in Our Thrive TribeSarah Ruberg
CEO + Founder in Our Thrive TribeJOIN SARAH LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitFriday, Oct. 13th at 3:45pmSarah is a seasoned professional in the dentistry industry, specializing in building connections and fostering growth. With a decade of experience at the Dentist Entrepreneur Organization and two dental marketing firms, she held significant roles including Director of Culture and Engagement, Account Manager, Project Manager, and Business Development. Sarah’s passion for the DSO community, developed during her tenure at the DEO, led her to transition from Intrapreneur to Entrepreneur. Recognizing the need for social media as a tool for relationship building in both practice and vendor sides, she uses her industry knowledge and strategic skills to craft custom strategies. As the founder of Our Thrive Tribe, Sarah empowers her clients to focus on their passion by serving as a growth catalyst and strategic partner.
Shannon Patterson
Partner in Benston Copple & AssociatesShannon Patterson
Partner in Benston Copple & AssociatesJOIN SHANNON LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitThursday, Oct. 12th at 8:00am- View Linkedin
Steven DeLong
CEO in Bluetree DentalSteven DeLong
CEO in Bluetree DentalJOIN STEVEN LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitSteve has been in the dental industry since 2009. He began as an
administrator for a pediatric dental group in Reno, NV where he focused his time, education, and professional experiences on relieving the owner providers of the stresses associated with managing both the clinical and business operations of the group. It wasn’t long before he and the owners started to see the benefits of professional administrative support and began to explore the creation of a company with the goal of expanding these support services beyond a single practice and seeking out like minded clinical professionals to partner with. It was then Bluetree Dental and Bluetree Practice Services was born.Prior to dentistry Steve spent time in various private, non-profit, and corporate roles.
Steve completed his BS in Accounting and his MBA at Utah State University while working FT and raising four children with his beautiful wife JoAnn.
Chief Medical Officer Tanner Applegate
Chief Medical Officer Tanner Applegate
JOIN TANNER LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitTeresa Williams
Consulting CFO in CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)Teresa Williams
Consulting CFO in CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)JOIN TERESA LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitTheresa Yanicak
Director of Operations in Mint Hill DentistryTheresa Yanicak
Director of Operations in Mint Hill DentistryJOIN THERESA LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitTheresa is a clinical dental hygienist with an MBA in Healthcare Administration.
Theresa is a performance-driven healthcare executive leader with 30 years of experience, focused on optimizing operational/program functions and leading large-scale projects from inception to successful completion while executing sound strategic decisions and utilizing excellent communication and people management skills to meet critical objectives by offering innovative, personalized solutions, and targeting specific client needs. She lead with integrity, grace, and authenticity.
Theresa continues to provide leadership and education as a C-Suite executive and brings experience as an educator, main-stage speaker, consultant, recruiter, and clinician.
Theresa’s passion is connecting the dental community with what they need through strong relationships.
Vanessa Buchheit
COO in Smalltown DentalVanessa Buchheit
COO in Smalltown DentalJOIN VANESSA LIVEat DSO Leadership SummitVanessa Buchheit is the Chief Operations Officer for Smalltown Dental and has devoted nearly 20 years to the dental industry. Before becoming a COO, Vanessa spent years developing dental teams by working side-by-side with them, as a treatment coordinator with a 90% case acceptance rate and then as an office manager who led high production practices. An opportunity to help dental teams nationwide with Henry Schein, brought her into the world of consulting where she quickly became one of the most respected professionals in the industry. Successfully sewing the consultative approach into the thread of sales, she later became a Regional Manager overseeing the sales team in Nebraska and South Dakota. Over the last decade, she has lectured extensively on several dental topics related to leadership in the practice, implementing periodontal programs, increasing case acceptance, or how to increase your New Patients. Vanessa has several published articles such as “All it takes is leadership” in dental economics. Using her real-world professional experience coupled with her mastery of the business and attention to detail, she is able to guide practices to identify areas of growth and implement winning systems.
Interested in Speaking?
If you are interested in speaking at the 2024 DSO Leadership Summit, please email the following to Speaking@DSOSummit.com:
- CV
- Bio
- Potential Speaking Topics
- Previous Speaking History
- Videos of previous speaking events
Compensation is not provided to our speakers; one full access badge to the Summit will be provided.