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Press Release July 14, 2022

Operation Smile and Align Technology Announce Title Sponsorship of Operation Smile’s International Student Leadership Conference

Press Release July 14, 2022

Operation Smile and Align Technology Announce Title Sponsorship of Operation Smile’s International Student Leadership Conference

Align’s continued investment in Operation Smile and the International Student Leadership Conference reflects the companies’ shared commitment of improving the lives of young people through education and leadership opportunities.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. AND TEMPE, ARIZ. (PRWEB) JULY 14, 2022

Operation Smile today announced that Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) 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 in Miami, Florida, from July 18-24, 2022.

This will be the first in-person ISLC since 2019 due to the COVID-19 global 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 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,” said 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 at this year’s ISLC 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 said. “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.”
 

About Align Technology, Inc.

Align Technology designs and manufactures the Invisalign® system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, iTero® intraoral scanners and services, and exocad® CAD/CAM software. These technology building blocks enable enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies for over 217 thousand doctor customers and is key to accessing Align’s 500 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Align has helped doctors treat over 12.8 million patients with the Invisalign system and is driving the evolution in digital dentistry through the Align Digital Platform, our integrated suite of unique, proprietary technologies and services delivered as a seamless, end-to-end solution for patients and consumers, orthodontists and GP dentists, and lab/partners. Visit http://www.aligntech.com for more information.

For additional information about the Invisalign system or to find an Invisalign doctor in your area, please visit http://www.invisalign.com. For additional information about the iTero digital scanning system, please visit http://www.itero.com. For additional information about exocad dental CAD/CAM offerings and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit http://www.exocad.com.

About Operation Smile

Operation Smile is a global nonprofit specializing in expert cleft surgery and care. Over the last 40 years, we have provided medical expertise, research, and care through our dedicated staff and medical and student volunteers around the world, working alongside local governments, nonprofits, and health systems, and supported by our generous donors. Learn more at https://www.operationsmile.org/ or by following @operationsmile on social media.

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