DSO Multi-Specialty

The Smilist

Great Neck, NY Est. 2014 thesmilist.com

Practices: 115+
States: 7
Ownership: Private Equity

About The Smilist

The Smilist was founded in 2014 to create a dental organization with a strong consumer brand that offers exceptional patient experiences. Since its founding, The Smilist has rapidly grown to be one of the leading dental support organizations in the Northeast, supporting over 100 locations with over 1,700 employees in seven states. The organization operates across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Massachusetts, offering a full spectrum of care including general, cosmetic, orthodontic, periodontic, endodontic, and oral surgery services.

Leadership

Axel Lapica CEO

Axel Lapica was appointed CEO of The Smilist in May 2025, bringing over two decades of leadership experience in healthcare, with a proven track record of driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and building high-performing teams. Prior to The Smilist, he served as Senior Vice President at DaVita Kidney Care, overseeing dialysis operations across the Midwest, managing a portfolio exceeding $1 billion that included over 400 clinics and 6,000 teammates. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Symbeo, a primary care practice, and held roles at McKinsey & Company, Armstrong World Industries, and Arthur Andersen. He holds an MBA in Strategy & Marketing from The Wharton School and dual degrees in Accounting from Florida International University.

Patrick Perodin COO

Patrick Perodin has served as COO of The Smilist since May 2024. Before joining, he was President and COO at Marquee Dental Partners, and prior to that was a Regional Partner at Pacific Dental Services for nearly seven years. His career also includes consulting roles at Quantum Leap Success In Dentistry and Levin Group, with expertise spanning practice management, operations, talent acquisition, and budget management.

Jason Flinn VP of Human Resources

Jason Flinn is VP of Human Resources at The Smilist, leading HR operations across its growing network. With over two decades of experience, he has held key HR leadership roles at Teq, Prestige Employee Administrators, Paylocity, and ADP. He holds a Bachelor's in Marketing from York College of Pennsylvania and is both PHR and SHRM-CP certified.