Hellah is the embodiment of positivity, athleticism, and community leadership. He grew up playing soccer barefoot on dirt fields in Mali, West Africa, where the focus of sport was camaraderie. His method of using action, content, and events to build friendships and drive change defines Hellah’s career as a runner and wildly popular running community leader.
A run streaker, Hellah has run every single day since May 15, 2017. His initial goal was to run just 10 minutes daily for two weeks—no excuses—to overcome his dislike of the sport, which had been made un-fun by years of rigorous, high level soccer training. “I was afraid of it, and I wanted to hold myself accountable,” he said. As his streak extended from weeks to years, Hellah has built a large social following. Folks clearly find meaning in his daily effort and gear knowledge and have joined him in his pursuits.
Hellah turned his everyday commitment into a historical record in 2021 when he became the first black man to solo run across America: 3,061 miles, 14 states, 84 days. He pledged his run to the nonprofit Soles4Souls and raised over $50,000 to provide shoes for those in need. Today, he lives in New Jersey and uses his public platform to advocate for societal progress through running.
Once asked why he trains the way he does, Hellah answered, “To be the best, man.” He just wants to be the very best he can personally be—and he wants to help others do the same. And though his personal path is unique, his sentiment and warmth resonate with all who cross his path. In short, Hellah’s approach to life is infectious—and his journey is just beginning.
Dr. Becker began her journey in Dental Sleep Medicine 16 years ago due to her father’s CPAP intolerance. She gained Diplomate status with the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and gained respect from local Sleep Physicians and ENTs. In 2017, her father died in his sleep, sparking her passion to help others with Sleep Disordered Breathing, Apnea, and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (OSA).
Dr. Becker realized that her children had sleep disorders, and she didn’t know where to go for help. She transitioned her DSM practice from adults to include children, seeking answers for her own children and parents who trusted her to help their children. Dr. Becker has lectured extensively on the topic of pediatric sleep disorders, she mentors others, and guides dentists in implementing solutions to address this preventable epidemic, balancing her roles as a mother, dentist, business owner, and pediatric airway warrior.
Dr. Erin Elliott grew up in Southern California but went away to a small NAIA school in Western New York where she played collegiate soccer and graduated summa cum laude from Houghton College. After graduating Creighton Dental School in the top 5 in 2003, she settled in North Idaho to begin her general dentistry career.
She has a special interest in Dental Sleep Medicine and technology. She has lectured extensively on this topic and loves to help general dentists extend this life-saving service to their patients. She is an active member of her local American Dental Association, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. She teaches a 2 day Sleep Apnea Implementation Course with 3D-Dentists and Dr. Tarun Agarwal.
Dr. Nguyen maintains a private practice outside of Washington, DC in Northern Virginia. In 2016, she was honored with Top 25 Women in Dentistry by Dental Products Magazine, and she finished her graduate training at the prestigious Kois Center in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Nguyen is a key opinion leader in the Wellness Dentistry Network, focusing on bridging the gap between medicine and dentistry. She has a keen interest in managing patients with dental malocclusions comorbid with airway and sleep issues. She has developed the Sleep and Airway Group and co-founded ASAP, an online mini-residency for pediatric dental sleep medicine. She was honored as the Scientific Advisor for the Kois Center in 2021.
Scott Craig is a graduate of DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business. He is a passionate leader and advocate in the sleep community on a local and national level. He is a recipient of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine’s (AADSM) 2014 Clinical Research Award. He is also a member of the American AADSM and the Illinois Sleep Society.
Scott has served as CEO of Midwest Dental Sleep Center (MDSC) since 2007. Under his leadership, MDSC has become one of the largest and most respected dental sleep medicine clinics in the country. The center is AADSM-accredited and has four AADSM diplomates with five locations serving the Chicago-land area.
Ryan J. Soose, MD is board-certified in both otolaryngology and sleep medicine. He specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. He is actively engaged with sleep research, a robust clinical practice, national and international academic organizations, and the training of residents, fellows, and medical students.
Dr. Soose is an appointed member of the Sleep Disorders Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. He is also a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the International Surgical Sleep Society, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the International Surgical Sleep Society (ISSS). Dr. Soose has a special interest in sedated endoscopy and neurostimulation therapy in the management of patients with sleep apnea.
Dr. Mayoor Patel received his dental degree from the University of Tennessee in 1994 and then went on to complete a one-year residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD). He also earned a Masters in Science from Tufts University in 2011. Additionally, Dr. Patel served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor at the Craniofacial Pain Center at Tufts Dental School from 2011-2014 and presently again.
He also served as Adjunct Clinical Instructor in the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences at the Augusta University, College of Dental Medicine in Augusta Georgia (formerly Medical College of Georgia). He is one of five dental professionals in Georgia to be board certified in Dental Sleep Medicine (DABDSM). Additionally, Dr. Patel is one of two Dental Practitioners in the country to be triple-boarded in Craniofacial Pain, Orofacial Pain, and Dental Sleep Medicine. He has lectured extensively and authored countless articles and book chapters.
Dr. Nicole D. Chenet completed her DDS degree from West Virginia University School of Dentistry in 2000. In May, 2001, Dr. Chenet began her practice in Pittsburgh, PA. Since 2015, her practice is limited to the treatment of patients with snoring and sleep apnea. She has the honor of being the Dental Sleep Medicine provider for Allegheny Health Network, Center for Sleep Medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Chenet is the first DSM provider to publish a chapter dedicated to oral appliance therapy in K.J.Lee’s Essential Otolaryngology. She is an Adjunct Clinical Professor for WVU School of Dentistry. She is also featured in industry publications and podcasts. She is a lecturer in local and national conferences and seminars, including the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine annual meeting, PA State Sleep Society, WV State Sleep Society, University of California SF Dental Sleep Meeting, UPMC and AHN Sleep meetings.
Dr. Chenet and her husband, J. Robert Chenet, OD are blessed to have three children and feel very fortunate that they are able to practice and raise their family in their native Pittsburgh area.
Dr. Weddle has spent her entire career seeking knowledge about the interconnections between medicine and dentistry. Her desire to find answers for her own parents, children, and herself led her to study dental sleep medicine, orthodontics, TMJ disorders, craniofacial pain, and other airway-related topics, allowing her to help both her family and her patients with what she has learned.
Dr. Weddle has presented to study clubs, associations, dentists, physicians, auxiliaries, and the general public. She is a believer in collaborative care and is a member of the GOTHAM Collaborative (Growth Airway TMJ Health and Airway Management), which brings together dentists, physicians, therapists, and other auxiliaries in order to help people. Dr. Weddle is in private practice with both a general dentistry and a TMJ and airway practice. She is a Diplomate in the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr. Weddle also teaches physicians at the HMH JFK Neuroscience Institute Sleep Fellowship Program and teaches dentists at Spear Education Airway Prosthodontics Workshop and Newark Beth Israel General Practice Residency Program as a visiting faculty member.
Dr. Jamison Spencer is the director of Dental Sleep Medicine for the Center for Sleep Apnea and TMJ, in Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT. He has personally treated thousands of patients with sleep apnea and TMJ problems, and now focuses on helping dentists help their patients with such problems.
Dr. Spencer is the Past-President of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP), a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Pain, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine and has a Masters in Craniofacial Pain from Tufts University. He taught head and neck anatomy at Boise State University, and is adjunct faculty at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr. Spencer has been invited to give lectures on TMD, Dental Sleep Medicine and head and neck anatomy throughout the United States at every major dental meeting, Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Europe and India. Dr. Spencer created Spencer Study Club, an online education, mentoring and implementation program to help dentists and their teams help more of their patients with sleep apnea and TMJ disorders.
Dr. Spencer now lives in Pleasant View, Utah with his wife of 30 years, Jennifer, and their 2 children of 6 who are still at home. Dr. Spencer enjoys outdoor activities including running, skiing, waterskiing and mountain biking, can still out ski all of his children and would have been at the Boston marathon in 2020 had it not been canceled.
Born amidst the vast High Plains of Texas, Dr. Kerr has dedicated over 15 years to the art and science of dentistry. A proud graduate of the University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio, Dr. Kerr is not just a dentist, but an entrepreneur with an unwavering passion for innovation and growth.
In the past decade, he successfully scaled his first dental practice, culminating in a triumphant exit in 2022. But his journey didn’t stop there. Recognizing a critical need in the community, Dr. Kerr founded Sleep Better Austin, a pioneering business focused on addressing sleep issues, particularly those related to breathing.
Under his visionary leadership, Sleep Better Austin has flourished, now boasting six locations across the Austin metroplex and a burgeoning presence in Bentonville, AR. With a bold ambition to establish a nationwide brand, Dr. Kerr is unwavering in his commitment to improving lives through better sleep.
In addition to his accomplishments in dentistry and sleep health, Dr. Kerr is also a certified EOS Implementer. He passionately helps businesses and leadership teams achieve their vision and goals using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), bringing structure and clarity to their operations.
A native of Pittsburgh PA, Dr. Dave Federici graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in 1992 after receiving his BS in Biology ’88 also from Pitt. He has been in private practice in Manahawkin, NJ since 1992.
He specializes in and collaborates with all types of physicians to treat OSA and SRBD’s with Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT). He is a member of the AADSM, a Diplomate of the ABDSM, Faculty of the AADSM Mastery education program, Faculty of the AADSM Breaking Down Barriers, Chair of the AADSM OAT for OSA Task Force, Director of Dental Sleep Medicine at Select Dental Management, and is a Board member of the NJ Sleep Society.
He has written for and been published in the JDSM, Sleep Review, amongst other publications. He has been married to his wife of 33 yrs and is blessed to have two amazing daughters. When outside of doing what he loves in DSM, Dr. Federici loves to travel with his family, enjoys golf, and loves the outdoors.
Jagdeep Bijwadia, MD, is a board-certified internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and sleep medicine specialist. Dr. Bijwadia leads Synaptrx Sleep, which is a consultative practice focused on sleep disorders in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Dr. Bijwadia attended medical school at the University of Mumbai in India. He went on to complete an internal medicine residency at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York, before rounding out his education with fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Dr. Bijwadia also has an executive MBA from the University of Saint Thomas in Minneapolis.
Dr. Bijwadia currently holds a faculty position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Minnesota, where he served as Director of the Sleep Program.
Lesia Crawford is the co-founder GoTo Sleep Center for CPAP Alternatives, a multi-office practice treating sleep patients across the Phoenix Valley. Along with her co-founder Dr. Stacey Layman, they previously founded GoGo Billing, one of the country’s first companies dedicated to billing for oral appliance therapy.
Stacey Layman, DDS, DABDSM is the co-founder of GoTo Sleep Center for CPAP Alternatives, a multi-location practice exclusively dedicated to treating sleep disordered breathing patients throughout the Phoenix Valley. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Dr. Layman is recognized as a board-certified diplomate by both the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA).
Kent Smith, DDS, DABDSM owns and operates the world’s busiest dental sleep medicine practice. When it comes to medical billing models, he’s been there and done that. He has experience and insight into what works and what doesn’t. He’ll share this information with attendees.
Len Liptak is the Chief Executive Officer ProSomnus Sleep Technologies. From 2011 to 2016, Len served as President of MicroDental Laboratories, a network of dental labs that fabricate high-quality dental restorations and appliances, until its successful sale to Modern Dental Group. Prior to that, he served in marketing at Stryker Neurovascular and a variety of roles at 3M, including Global Business Manager.
Randy Curran is the founder of Pristine Medical Billing. He has helped over a thousand dental practices on the financial side of dental sleep medicine by teaching them the proper workflows, medical necessity, documentation requirements, and ethical billing coding practices. During the past 15 years, Randy has dedicated his life to helping those with obstructive sleep apnea by obtaining medical insurance coverage for over 44,000 patients for the treatment of sleep apnea.
It’s a family affair- Not only has Randy dedicated his last 15 years to helping patients breathe and live better, but his wife, Pamela, has spent 22 years as a Respiratory Therapist who works in the ER and ICU. Randy’s children, Kyle, Olivia, Liana, and Brady also work alongside him at Pristine to help serve people and communities across the nation.
During his off time, Randy enjoys 4-wheeling, golfing, spearfishing, and cooking for the family.
Ryan C. Javanbakht is the President and CEO of SleepTest.com. He co-founded the national home sleep testing service in 2016 after discovering his father’s life-threatening, cardiovascular condition was an avoidable one, had he only been given better access to and knowledge of sleep testing. He has since built a powerful team of motivated people whose desire it is to create a faster, more effective way of testing. He and his team wake up every morning with a purpose to provide care to the over thirty million American patients suffering with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.
Joseph Ojile is the founder, chief executive officer and medical director of Clayton Sleep Institute (CSI), a sleep medicine clinical and research organization that includes branded and non-branded sleep clinics, an insomnia center and a research center. Dr. Ojile is the president and principal investigator for the Clayton Sleep Research Center.
He serves as Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine for Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Sleep Foundation and former NSF Executive Chairperson. Dr. Ojile serves on the Council of Directors of the True Health Coalition GLiMMER Initiative and on the Editorial Board of Sleep Review magazine.
Ojile has managed clinical research studies that focus on sleep disorders, diabetes and pulmonary disease and regularly lectures at both national and international conferences on issues related to sleep disorders and pulmonary disease. He has been published in multiple scholarly journals on a variety of sleep medicine topics.
Ojile is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, a member of the American Thoracic Society and a member of the American Society of Internal Medicine. Ojile is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners, the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Pulmonary Diseases and the American Board of Sleep Medicine.