Improve and Inspire: Interview with Jean Paul Laurent, Founder of Unspoken Smiles

I recently went one on one with Jean Paul Laurent, founder of Unspoken Smiles, a global non-profit organization teaching dental care to more than 7,000 children across four continents while offering dentistry career training for women in the world's most disadvantaged regions.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Jean Paul: Thank you for having me Adam! It was not an easy journey. I moved to the U.S. from Haiti in 2004 with a suitcase and a dream to excel. After I received a Dental Hygiene degree from New York University College of Dentistry and a Bachelor’s in Health Service Administration from NYC College of Technology, it took me several years to establish myself as a successful dentist. But it wasn’t until 2010, when the tragic earthquake in Haiti transformed my life irreversibly. When I traveled to my homeland, I saw young children smiling at me as they played amid the rubble and devastation. Many of them were suffering from severe tooth decay. Looking at these children, I decided to create Unspoken Smiles to help them with everything I have to preserve their smiles – and those of other disadvantaged children around the world. It’s been my mission ever since.

Adam: What are the best leadership lessons you have learned from leading a non-profit organization? 

Jean Paul: I had my own twisty, curvy, winding path to success with my nonprofit, Unspoken Smiles. And now, my goal is to break down the barriers that stand before me and others. By getting creative and using innovative approaches, I believe we will be able to do just that. Because funding is much lower for minority-owned nonprofit organizations, my nonprofit automatically has the odds stacked against it. Sometimes the path to success means making up your own directions and hoping you’ll arrive at the right destination.

One of the best leadership lessons I have learned from leading my nonprofit is to always identify and act on PURPOSE. It can often be overwhelming, and even discouraging, for minority leaders stepping passionately into a field of work where it seems they must constantly work twice as hard as their nonminority counterparts to get their organization off the ground and thriving. It is important, especially starting out, to keep that passion for your cause at the forefront of your motivation. Building a conscientious, well-rounded, diverse board with the desire to see the organization grow is a great way to bring in an abundance of resources and contacts. You can’t go wrong having a diligent group of people working together on plans for programming that propel your organization’s mission, as well as creating funding plans for those programs. 

Adam: What are your best tips for fellow leaders of non-profit organizations? 

Jean Paul: While minorities and people of color may still have to take a different route than that of the majority, it doesn’t mean we can’t make our way by forging our own paths. 

My best tip for fellow leaders of non-profit organizations is to be an innovator. In order to bridge the gap in funding and opportunity, we must continually evolve, innovate, and create new ways to rise above the odds that have been stacked against us. There is no greater time than the present to invest in minority leaders who, despite the reduced resources and funds they have to work with, are still able to follow their dreams and make a long-lasting impact on the world.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Jean Paul: Everyone has different leadership styles, and each can be used to your advantage to become and remain successful, even during these seemingly unpredictable times.

I consider myself to be effective and efficient by simply being a Servant Leader.

These leaders typically place value in the growth of the entire team of people and tend to let their own dreams and ambitions fall to the wayside. Some ways that servant leaders can use their strengths to thrive during the pandemic include:

• Just Listen: Servant leaders have a true knack for listening to others. Their ability to give others their full focus provides a strong foundation for a more genuine relationship, and thus produces trust. Trust gives way to influence. When you listen to someone, it makes them feel valued. When your beneficiaries feel that they are valued versus being “just another person in need,” they are more likely to come back time and time again. Listen to your employees and beneficiaries; let them know you value their concerns.

• Have Empathy: Everyone knows that it takes a full team to carry out the day-to-day operations of an office. With nonprofits, our name may be on the building, but things wouldn’t run quite as smoothly without the stakeholders, volunteers, board members, donors, and staff. Servant leaders know the value that lies in getting acquainted with their teams. Get to know your team; find out their fears. Reassure them that you will do everything you can to ensure the security of their jobs and to provide a safe working environment.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Jean Paul:  I used Accenture's five elements of responsible leadership to guide my leadership practices during this uncertain time. Using these five elements as inspiration, here's what I've learned when it comes to nonprofit leaders embracing responsible leadership for their organization and stakeholders.

1. Stakeholder Inclusion

Nonprofit leaders should put themselves in stakeholders' shoes and give them a voice. Executives, customers and employees all have different values and idealism. Allowing everyone involved to speak up creates a substantial impact by cultivating open and clear communication. Not only will it spur individual creativity, but it will accelerate leadership qualities within the organization holding those accountable for active listening and improving the organization.

2. Emotion And Intuition

As a leader, I make a conscious effort to show compassion and humility, while inspiring emotional engagement. By simply listening to the affected community, the environment, as well as myself, I have been able to take a path forward. For so long, oral health has been ignored or forgotten in favor of other noncommunicable diseases. But by being truly human, I've made it my mission to remind people that the impact of poor oral health is a pressing one that affects communities of all colors and creeds around the world.

3. Mission And Purpose

My purpose and passion are about oral health issues and my community. I was inspired by the unwavering smiles of the small children playing amid Haiti's earthquake rubble and chaos. Looking at these children, my passion was clear: I wanted to preserve the quality and health of those smiles, but make sure I did whatever I could to inspire them as well.

This is what a leader does: improve and inspire.

Adam: What are your best tips for social entrepreneurs?

Jean Paul: I highly recommend all social entrepreneurs to look into continuous learning opportunities to further their leadership. Critical thinking challenges orthodox ideas and in order to further an organization, leaders need to think big and be creative. To hone critical thinking skills and attend fellowship programs, conferences and executive meetings. To seek out formal and informal development opportunities. In the midst of a pandemic, it is crucial that we look for new ways to learn and adjust to the changing world around us.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Jean Paul: My best advice on building, leading, and managing teams is always Leverage your resources. You should figure out a way to capitalize on the external resources you have been given to ensure a successful venture. As someone who has gone through many of these types of fellowship programs, you become part of a large ecosystem that grants you unlimited access to key industry professionals, free resources and funding to help you reach your goal. It’s essentially an inner circle where everyone knows everyone. Because of this, they will provide a safety net for you to be able to come back from setbacks and challenges in the beginning.

Because I didn’t yet have a paid staff, I totally relied on these pro bono services for specific projects, which ranged from partnering with a law firm for free legal documents to having a website built to marketing strategies and more. While it may seem the opposite way sometimes, money isn’t everything. In some cases, your passion, authenticity and leadership skills can take you further than money ever could. If you’re truly passionate about what you want to accomplish, you can have your dream and maybe even impact a few other people along the way — even if you’re broke. So, go. Find the resources that can help you make it happen. They’re out there.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Jean Paul: The single best piece of advice I have ever received was to be authentic. 

When life hands you lemons, you’re supposed to make lemonade, right? Growing up in Haiti was my lemon. Finding the courage to be authentic and build a successful venture was my lemonade. In fact, I learned about entrepreneurship when I moved to America at the age of 21 with just a suitcase and a dream. By taking and acting fully on that advice, I was able to learn and be honest with myself as well as with others, while taking responsibility for my mistakes. My values, ideals, and actions are now totally aligned. 

Adam: What should everyone do to pay it forward?

Jean Paul: It is in everyone’s DNA to do good. We just have to search and figure out what we care about the most and support it. My ultimate goals: more smiles, less suffering, and easy access to quality low-cost dental care for everyone, every day, and everywhere. “Tragedy changed me,” and now I am ready to change the world.”

This is my bold vision—a vision the world should share together. Whether you tell a friend, tell your family, donate, donate more, or donate again, your choice to take action is the action needed to make a difference.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Jean Paul: Giving the gift of a smile is invaluable, and it can improve lives. You can get involved today at unspokensmiles.org.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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