Eileen Day
Founder | CEO of DVIN
As the Founder | CEO of DVIN Eileen has a deep passion for making a difference. She combines her extensive experience in sales and marketing with her unwavering commitment to driving change and fostering collaboration in the dental industry.
Before embarking on her journey in the dental industry, Eileen made a profound impact in the animal rescue world. As the Director of Adoptions for an animal rescue organization in Texas, she personally fostered over 200 dogs, puppies, and cats, facilitated the adoptions of thousands of animals, and built a beautiful new website for the rescue. Her dedication and tireless efforts earned her the reputation of a compassionate leader and a driving force for positive change.
Drawing upon her expertise in sales, digital marketing, and her experience in the animal rescue field, Eileen brings a unique perspective to the dental industry. She understands the power of collaboration and the importance of tailored strategies. Throughout her career, Eileen has built productive sales teams by creating processes and harnessing the superpowers of each team member. She knows that success lies in understanding the nuances of the industry and utilizing the unique strengths of individuals to shape and guide her teams.
With DVIN, Eileen's vision is to create a platform that empowers Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) and vendor partners, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and growth. She believes that by bridging the gap between DSOs and vendors, and providing a space for open dialogue and meaningful partnerships, the dental industry can achieve new levels of growth and drive positive change.
Andrea Fox
Founder & CEO of Clue Dental Marketing
Andrea Fox is the founder and CEO of Clue Dental Marketing, the developer of Toothority Patient Experience Solutions.
Andrea has a passion for building patient-focused, highly aesthetic, scalable marketing solutions that are easy to implement and use. She believes that design, process flow, and information architecture have a major impact on patient experience and hence on profits, reputation, and loyalty.
Prior to establishing Clue and Toothority, Andrea assumed various marketing roles with dental practices, pharmaceutical companies, and advertising agencies. She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare marketing with a focus on patient education, acquisition, and retention.
Her company is built on the core values of continuous improvement and transparency. She is an advocate for collaboration over competition and for empowerment through education.
Brian A. Colao
Member & Director of the Dental Service Organizations Industry Group of Dykema
Brian Colao is the Director of Dykema’s Dental Service Organizations Industry Group. Brian has been in the dental space for over 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.
In recent years Brian has successfully resolved on behalf of his clients several significant civil and criminal Medicaid fraud investigations and state dental board actions alleging the corporate practice of dentistry, fee splitting and related violations, and he is the “go to” person in the industry for all manner of regulatory issues. Brian has handled some of the most significant transactions in the DSO industry. In recent years Brian has handled hundreds of significant dental transactions on behalf of buyers, sellers, minority investors, and lenders. Brian has developed many of the industry-leading protocols and procedures for conducting due diligence prior to purchasing or extending credit to Dental Service Organizations.
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.
Brian sits on the Board of Directors of Women in DSOs, a nonprofit professional association created to empower women in the DSO space and grow future women leaders of the industry.
Awards & Recognition
- Named as a 2019 DSO Influencer by Group Dentistry Now
- Named as a Texas Rising Star by Law & Politics, 2004-2006
- Manchester Healthcare’s Who’s Who Among Healthcare Professionals, 2004
Karla-Marie Santiago Melendez, MBA
Karla-Marie Santiago Melendez, MBA, is an accomplished leader in dental industry operations and procurement.
Currently, Karla serves as a DSO Procurement and Operations specialist, actively collaborating with consulting agencies, including Cavaretta Consulting Group.
Karla-Marie also contributes her expertise as a Board Member of the DSO Vendor Insight Network (DVIN), where she helps shape innovative vendor relationship strategies and fosters collaboration.
In her recent engagements with Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), Karla-Marie has excelled in optimizing supply chains, negotiating with vendors, and refining procurement strategies, effectively enhancing operational efficiencies and market positioning. Her strategic acumen has been instrumental in reshaping workflows, upholding regulatory standards, and boosting productivity within the dental industry.
She formerly served as the Director of Finance and Operations at UNC Adams School of Dentistry, where she made significant enhancements in procurement, equipment management, and compliance protocols, substantially elevating the institution’s operational standards. Additionally, as the Executive Director of a dental-focused nonprofit, Karla-Marie championed strategic initiatives that strengthened community relations and organizational leadership.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Karla-Marie relocated to North Carolina in 2015 to be closer to family. She earned her MBA from the University of Puerto Rico.
Samantha “Sam” Strain
Partner & Chief Development Officer of HealthStream Ventures
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. She is an operating partner, entrepreneur, investor and advisor to some of the most innovative organizations and companies shape-shifting Oral Health today for the better. She is considered by some to be a visionary in the field, co-founding a community for women dentists early in her career 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 also created the first software in the industry enabling practices to track capex costs and maintenance. She now lives out that dream serving on the advisory board for UptimeHealth. Today, Sam is a Partner & Chief Development Officer of HealthStream Ventures, an M&A transaction advisory firm serving the healthcare mid-market with buy- side transaction advisory, DSO/MSO formation & scale, capital advisory and go-to-market strategy.
A twenty year veteran in the dental and medical industry, she has a deep understanding of the industry and a powerful network. Having owned and operated a dental service organization, she has successfully completed over 200 M+A transactions, and innovated in various sectors within the industry. She is a passionate supporter of women entrepreneurs. She is an influential figure in the Dental Service Organization community recently emceeing the second annual Women in DSO event to thousands of attendees, receiving recognition from the Denobi Awards, winning the 2022 Amplify DSO Innovation Award and being named a finalist in the 2023 DSO Influencer of the Year Awards. Sam and her husband are the founders and hosts of the Annual ADSO Hearts of Dentistry Dinner. 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.
Cassie Tallon
CEO of The Fractional Match, LLC and Fractional COO
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 LLC, thefractionalmatch.com, based in Dallas, TX a venture aimed at providing support to the DSO space by placing fractional professionals and equipping c-suite level teams with the vendor resources they need to scale and grow. Pairing vendor partnerships with DSO processes. 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.
