Board of Governors

The Humble Smile Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors, which is responsible for ensuring that the Foundation manages its finances, operations, and grant-making programs to advance its mission and goals.

Currently there are 10 Humble Smile Board members in 6 countries.

Dr. Darren Weiss

President, Executive committee

After 22 years as a clinician in private dentistry in Australia and Israel, and a few more years as a corporate oral health promotion consultant, Darren now directs all his efforts towards maximal impact on global disease.

Dr. Noel Abdayem

Fundraising, Executive committee

With a unique combination of entrepreneurial spirit, dental degree and outreach experience, Noel manages the business relations that sustain the foundation.

Lois K. Cohen, PhD

Global health research, Advisory committee

Lois is a sociologist with an extensive career in research and health science administration. She serves as a consultant & Paul G. Rogers Ambassador for Global Health Research and provides consultation for the WHO and National Institutes of Health,the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, various universities and professional associations including the ADA, FDI and ADEA. Having authored more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals, Lois serves on several journal and organisational boards.

Leoni Groot

Secretary, Executive committee

With an academic background in Conflict Studies & Human Rights in the Netherlands, Leoni has worked in non-profit organisations in the Middle East, most recently as Operations & Development Officer for Humble Smile.

Prof. Fernando Hugo

Public Health Senior Research Advisor, Advisory Committee

Fernando is an Associate Professor in Dental Public Health at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with a background in Epidemiology and Global Health. His research has resulted in more than 150 articles published in peer reviewed journals. Fernando has been an advocate for the incorporation of Oral Health Care within Universal Health Care Systems.

Dr. Barbora Sufliarsky

Professional and academic relations, Advisory committee

After volunteering in Africa, which she describes as “a humbling experience”, Boa conducts preventive projects as president of the Slovak Association of Dental Students, while continuing her oral & maxillofacial surgery studies at Comenius University in Bratislava.

Prof. Birgitta Kohler

Prevention and cariology, Advisory committee

Birgitta is Professor emeriti in Cariology at the Institute of Cariology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, which means she has researched, educated and prevented tooth decay for most of her career -but not just from an ivory tower, as she currently directs a project in Burkina Faso in West Africa.

Dr. Christian Coachman

Partnership development, Advisory committee

In addition to private dental practice in Sao Paulo, Christian founded Digital Smile Design, and spends most of his time sharing his innovative concepts in smile design, aesthetic dentistry, and oral rehabilitation, with dentists all around the world.

Marcus Stenkil

Treasurer, Executive committee

With a background in Auditing and a Degree of Bachelor of Science with a major in Business Administration, Marcus oversees the management of the financial affairs of the foundation.

Jay A Miller DDS

Dental Volunteerism, Advisory Committee

Dr. Miller is a general dentist in Freehold New Jersey. His private practice makes extensive use of dental high technologies such as CEREC and a CBCT for guided implant surgeries. However, his real passion is traveling around the world to communities in need to set up and staff free dental clinics. He believes dentistry is the perfect profession for anyone who wants to find a way to give back and make the world a better place.

Asha Kamble

Director, Humble Smile Foundation India

Nipun Kaushik

Director, Humble Smile Foundation India

A National Law University alumnus, Nipun has leadership roles in various Indian grassroots NGOs. His passion is provoking students to translate ideas into action, particularly focusing on legal, strategic and functional aspects of environmental conservation.

Mohamad Shafiq Shah

Director, Humble Smile Foundation India

In addition to practicing and lecturing in Criminal, Family and Cyber Law in Mumbai, advocate M. S. Shah has been providing free legal consultation to the unreachable sector of society who want justice but cannot afford expensive legal solutions.

Board of Governors

Governors in Action