Company: OrthoNu
Nomination Submitted by: MKC Strategies
Company Description: OrthoNu is professional-grade, self-care products redefining the orthodontic standard of care as the industry undergoes massive growth in patients. The OrthoNu line of self-care orthodontic products focus on emergency care, oral hygiene, oral aesthetics, and oral health, reducing the massive impact of emergency visits and elevating the patient experience.
Nomination Category: Entrepreneur Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Entrepreneur - Consumer Products - Durables
 Nomination Title: Dr. Sima Yakoby Epstein
- Which will you submit for this nomination, an essay of up to 650 words about the achievements of the nominated entrepreneur since January 1 2021, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes about the same? CHOOSE ONE:
An essay of up to 650 words
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video:
- If you are providing an essay of up to 650 words, place it in this space:
Total 645 words used.
I believe opportunity is born out identifying an unmet need and passion to then meet that need – asking myself, “What can I do to help the most people and positively impact their lives?” My interest in orthodontics and passion for patient well-being was born at an early age. As a young girl, my face, teeth, and jaw were broken in a car accident. I went through years of treatment during which I became fascinated with and appreciative of the vital role that an Orthodontist plays in creating a person’s smile, a physical change that also provides mental and emotional confidence. I was so fascinated; I became one! It was during COVID that I felt most motivated to do something impactful for my patients and parents who were feeling vulnerable and stressed about inevitable and common orthodontic emergencies that would arise during their treatment journey. I said to myself then, they need a tool kit. I went to my basement, started drawing this tool and OrthoNu Tweakz was born. The past few years, I have also learned the power of forging, building, and nurturing relationships. When relationships are nurtured, they are more valuable and powerful. I attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, for example, where I earned my DMD degree. I’ve always continued my relationship with Penn and today, OrthoNu has partnered with researchers at Penn’s Dental and Medical schools as well as the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD) at the University of Pennsylvania in creating and validating two revolutionary preventative medicine vehicles for patients and doctors. Together, we are pioneering a complete suite of sophisticated self-care tools. Already, OrthoNu has 14 patents pending on state-of-the-art tools that it is developing to keep patients comfortable and improve both their oral and overall health. I was flabbergasted at first when I entered the entrepreneurship world. As an orthodontist, my inherent compassion and friendly demeanor was always met with appreciation by parents and children. As a woman entrepreneur, these qualities were perceived as something completely different and not in a positive way. I found that I needed to work extra hard to overcome the negative perceptions of these innate qualities if I wanted to be heard. No more incessant emojis after each sentence in my email communications as I’ve done countless times with patients and parents, and I found myself refraining from expressing interest in one’s life story before the start of every meeting. These were valuable lessons learned early on in my entrepreneurial journey about being a female in business and what I needed to do to achieve the regard and respect that I, and all women, deserve. Self-reflection is important. In my experience, I became a super woman in the most vulnerable moments. I chose to dig deep and believe in myself and know that my purpose is great and my motivation, true. You don’t know what you don’t know, so it is a constant education in the world of business. Albert Einstein said it best, “You have to learn the rules of the game, and then you have to play it better than anyone else.” It sounds cliché but the opportunities for women entrepreneurs are endless! We have that enduring and unspoken pledge to each other and to our daughters after us and a commitment to continue to lift each other up. Taking that first step out of your comfort zone is key. Yes, it was my career as an Orthodontist that led me to identify an unmet need but turning that into a new business as an entrepreneur was unfamiliar territory. Now here I am, the Founder and CEO of OrthoNu that just launched into market with my first products, Tweakz for Braces and Tweakz for Aligners, and I have many more products for emergency care, oral hygiene, oral aesthetics, and oral health on the way.
- In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) of the chief accomplishments of this nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of 2021.
Total 68 words used.
1. Incorporated OrthoNu 2. Perfected Tweakz tool through testing and peer review 3. Established manufacturing and production during post-COVID supply chain time 4. Partnered with researchers at Penn’s Dental and Medical schools as well as the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD) at the University of Pennsylvania 5. 14 patents pending 6. Launched product with rave reviews 7. First bulk orders were within one day of launch
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