Press Kit

Smile Train is an international charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Cleft is far more than a cosmetic issue. It also impairs eating, breathing and speaking, causes shame and social isolation, and prevents children from fully participating in their communities.

Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Smile Train’s “teach a man to fish” model empowers local doctors with the training and resources to provide 100%-free cleft-repair surgery in their own communities, creating long-term, sustainable systems for year-round care.

Since its founding in 1999, Smile Train has provided new smiles – and opportunities for full, productive lives – to more than one million children across the world.

To learn more, please visit smiletrain.org and click to watch the video below.

Smile Train’s Cause

Osawa Owiti, Smile Train’s One Millionth Patient

Programs& EducationSmile Train provides 100%-free, safe, high-quality cleft surgery and related treatment in 85+ countries worldwide. Repair surgery can take as little as 45 minutes and can cost as little as $250, and the impact is life-changing for patients, families and communities at large.

Smile Train donations can also support funding for food, transportation to the hospital and other necessities to ensure every cleft patient, anywhere in the world, can receive treatment. In addition, Smile Train funds and supports other services vital to comprehensive cleft care, such as dental care and speech therapy.

Smile Train partners with thousands of hospitals around the world, empowering local doctors and staff with cleft care resources, knowledge, skills and technologies to perform surgery in their own communities and create sustainable care systems.

According to a study in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, which evaluated the activity of 12 Smile Train partner hospitals across four continents, Smile Train’s model is directly responsible for increasing both the volume and quality of cleft care at its global treatment sites. As a result of the partnership, the percentage of hospitals with comprehensive, multidisciplinary cleft teams jumped from 25 percent to 75 percent, and the supply of cleft surgical trainees increased by more than 13 percent annually on average.

More information on Smile Train’s global programs is available here.

Technology& InnovationVirtual Surgery SimulatorSmile Train’s Virtual Surgery Simulator, developed in collaboration with technology partner BioDigital, is a free, interactive, web-based, surgical training tool that helps train surgeons in developing countries – anywhere in the world – on cleft lip and palate repair. The tool offers surgeons a 3D, hands-on look at cleft surgical techniques that a textbook or 2D video alone cannot achieve.

Today, the Simulator is leaving a powerful mark on global health by paving the way for more efficient and effective global surgical training practices. It has since become a blueprint for other specialties, including oncology and cardiothoracic surgery.

The Simulator has been recognized and showcased at leading industry events, including The Hive at TEDMED, the World Innovation Summit for Health and SXSW Interactive.

For more information on the Virtual Surgery Simulator and Smile Train training technologies, see here.

Smile Train ExpressSmile Train Express is the largest electronic cleft patient database in the world. It securely hosts records for every patient treated with Smile Train since its founding, including before and after photos. The database offers a comprehensive lens into Smile Train surgical records and is a key piece of its commitment to global surgical excellence.

For more information on Smile Train Express, see here.

Speech Therapy Mobile AppSmile Train’s new Speech Therapy Mobile App was created to help patients improve their speech and language skills following cleft surgery. Through the interactive platform, children are guided to use their realigned palate and throat muscles for the first time. The app is expected to greatly expedite patients’ grasp of speech and language, supporting Smile Train’s commitment to holistic cleft care and setting patients on the path to a healthy, productive future.

For more information on the Speech Therapy Mobile app, see here.

KeyBiosCharles B. WangFounder and ChairmanCharles is the Founder and Chairman of Smile Train. He is a co-founder of Computer Associates International, Inc. (now CA Technologies, Inc.) and has served as its Chairman Emeritus since November 2002. Charles has served as the Owner and Governor of New York Islanders Hockey Club, LP since July 2000 and is also a Chairman of the Board at Internet television company, NeuLion. Further, Charles has authored two books – Techno Vision (1994) and Techno Vision II (1997) – aimed at helping business executives master technology.

Susannah SchaeferCEO and Executive Vice Chair Susannah serves as CEO at Smile Train, where she oversees the charity’s mission and day-to-day operations. She joined the management team of Smile Train in February 2013 after almost twenty years in operational roles and has been a member of the Smile Train Board of Directors since 2003.

Dr. Larry HollierChairman of Smile Train’s Medical Advisory Board Dr. Larry Hollier was appointed Chairman of Smile Train’s Medical Advisory Board in October 2014. He is the Chief of Plastic Surgery Service at Texas Children’s Hospital as well as a professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery and program director for the plastic surgery residency program at Baylor College of Medicine. A board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Hollier specializes in pediatric craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, facial fractures, cranial vault remodeling and midfacial and mandibular distraction.

Satish KalraChief Programs Officer Satish joined Smile Train in 2000 and is the Chief Programs Officer, overseeing all aspects of program development and implementation. Based in India, he also focuses his time and efforts to build awareness about cleft and Smile Train around the world. Prior to taking on the role of CPO, Satish spent 11 years as Smile Train’s Regional Director for South Asia. Under his leadership, Smile Train’s programs grew to more than 170 partner hospitals in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, performing over 450,000 free cleft surgeries for children in South Asia who would otherwise never have been able to afford them.

KeyBiosMackinnon EngenVice President, ProgramsMackinnon joined Smile Train in 2010 and serves as Vice President of Programs, helping to develop and strengthen Smile Train’s programs around the world to reach more children in need of cleft care. She works to ensure that as many children as possible have access to safe and high-quality care through a vast network of local partner hospitals and local surgeons.

Erin StieberVice President, Strategic PartnershipsErin joined Smile Train in 2013 and serves as the VP, Strategic Partnerships. She has more than six years of experience working with cleft lip and palate surgical programs around the world and oversees Smile Train’s strategic partnerships and education programs.

Press ContactFor all media requests, please contact Nihja Diggs, Director of PR, ndiggs@smiletrain.org

Smile TrainQuotables“By providing young people the opportunity to make of their lives what they will, your organization offers hope for a brighter future.”

– President Barack Obama

“By helping the children of the poorest people living in the world’s poorest places, Smile Train is showing the world what America is truly all about.”

– General Colin Powell, Former U.S. Secretary of State

“At a function to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Smile Train India, former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam talks about the success of Smile Train, the virtues of doctors and the need to reach a million Indian children still suffering from cleft and palate defects.”

– Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, 11th President of India

“Smile Train puts a grin on my face almost as large as my son Conrad’s, who was born with a bilateral cleft. Next stop: joy & happiness...all aboard!”

– Graham Elliot, Celebrity Chef

“Smile Train is an example of healthcare innovation that cleverly utilizes technology to reduce the burden of costs on suppliers and ease the channel of distribution for practitioners. The end result is better patient care, faster treatment, reduced costs and improved results.”

– Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of World Innovation Summit for Health

“Their goal is our goal: Improving the journey to beautiful and healthy smiles.” – Michael K. Lowe, President and CEO, OrthoAccel

“BioDigital’s collaboration with Smile Train stemmed from a need for high-quality cleft repair training more than a decade ago. The Virtual Surgery Simulator is paving the way in global surgical innovation.”

– Aaron Oliker, Co-founder and Director of 3d Technologies, BioDigital

Smile TrainQuotables“I found that children with unrepaired clefts many times have to cover up their smiles, but a free cleft surgery from Smile Train allows them to share it with the world.”

– Kristen Taekman, Real Housewives of New York City Cast Member, Model

“There are a lot of children out there who so desperately need help, but can’t receive timely care because their families cannot afford this surgery or are ill-educated about this condition. Working with Smile Train, if I can make a difference in their lives, it will certainly make me feel honored and blessed.”

– Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Actor, Smile Train Goodwill Ambassador

“We’ve seen the before-and-after photos of those kids and how can that not make you feel better? You see the magnitude of what this organization does.”

– Grant Balfour, Professional Baseball Player

Wang Li, Smile Train’s First Patient

Awards &RecognitionWinner, The National Training Simulation Association (NTSA), Outstanding Achievement in Modeling & SimulationFor Virtual Surgery Simulator, December 2013

Winner, Golden Panda Award, Best Documentary in Society for Asian ProductionFor CCTV’s Dzachuka’s Smile, November 2013

Winner, Interactive Media Awards, Best in Class Non-Profit Website For smiletrain.org, July 2013

Winner, The Academy Awards, Best Documentary Short Subject For HBO’s Smile Pinki: A real-world fairy tale, February 2009

Runner-Up, Wall Street Journal’s Technology Innovation Awards, Health-Care IT Category For surgical training technique videos, September, 2008