Operation Smile and Align Technology Announce Title Sponsorship of Operation Smile’s International Student Leadership Conference
Operation Smile today announced that Align Technology, a leading global medical device company that designs, manufactures and sells the Invisalign system of clear aligners, iTero intraoral scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM software for digital orthodontics and restorative dentistry, is the 2022 advocacy title sponsor of the Operation Smile’s International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC), to be held at the University of Miami from July 18–24, 2022.
This will be the first in-person ISLC since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Held annually at different locations around the world, the week-long conference will host more than 200 high school students representing 20 countries. Participants learn from guest speakers who are experts in their respective fields — including medicine, entrepreneurship, marketing and more — and take part in workshops that not only hone critical skills, but also foster empathy and understanding. The ISLC also provides training on how to serve Operation Smile’s patients and exposes students to different cultures.
Align has worked alongside Operation Smile for nearly a decade, helping the nonprofit transform smiles and achieve surgical excellence in more than 30 low- and middle-income countries. Align supports both Operation Smile’s extensive surgical programs and Operation Smile’s student programs, which aim to empower children and young adults to create a more compassionate world through education, service and leadership.
“Our partnership with Align Technology continues to change lives around the world,” notes Kristie Porcaro, Operation Smile’s chief of strategy and partnerships. “This continued investment in our youth leaders through the ISLC is the latest example of their commitment to creating brighter futures and our shared values of compassion and impact.”
Kamal Bhandal, Align Technology’s vice president of global brand and consumer marketing, will serve as a keynote speaker and host a breakout session where she will explore the core principles of branding, marketing, and social media. Bhandal leads Align’s award-winning global brand team and is responsible for consumer demand creation for the multi-billion-dollar Invisalign brand.
“I am so excited to be the keynote speaker at this year’s Operation Smile ISLC and connect with their international ambassadors to learn more about their journey and hear what matters most to them as young leaders helping to provide better lives through Operation Smiles’ programs,” Bhandal says. “We are proud to support Operation Smile as they deliver on our shared purpose of providing access to care and improving the smiles of children around the world, and I am personally honored to have this opportunity to connect directly with students and future leaders at ISLC.”
To learn more about Operation Smile’s partnership with Align Technology, click here.
