An Eclectic Group For Comprehensive Service

Our
Team

 

It's time to grow.
It's time to connect.
It's time to collaborate.

 
 
 
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Bill Dennis, President & CEO

He currently serves as CEO of Plant-Based Sciences and Clinical and Herbal Innovations, companies at the cutting edge of alternative medicine, health, and wellness. Bill also serves as president of Practice Success, addressing the gaps between the fragmented disciplines in American Healthcare. Gradually interdisciplinary dinner groups appeared in and around greater NYC and Washington, D.C.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, he enjoyed all the city offer in sports, culture, and entrepreneurship. He completed a degree in psychology and humanities at Carnegie Mellon University, then worked as a biofeedback therapist, meditation teacher, and services coordinator at The Combined Therapy Program of The Himalayan Institute in Chicago, then returned to complete a Master's in Counselling Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

He acquired extensive training as a psychotherapist and stress management consultant while coaching executives and other professionals in Manhattan, NYC. He co-founded The Center for Holistic Medicine in 1978 with Rudolph Ballentine, MD. There, patients and students learned stress management, the importance of a plant-based diet, and meditation. After starting a family there, he began modernizing dental and medical offices with practice management software. He extended this practice into coaching physicians on improving their business models by focusing on integrative methods for success, such as 'client-centered communication.

He leads teams by offering workshops in stress management and practice building and facilitating our groups. He is passionate about supporting clinicians, leading our retreat program and workshops at our retreat center, Villa Serena. He also thrives on leading our team and in creating success for health and wellness providers.

Now, Practice Success is an effort to introduce integrative and collaborative coaching and consulting to innovative clinicians. He believed that the time had come to 'reinvent' the health industry by creating networks of like-minded, forward-thinking, diverse individuals - starting in greater D.C. and NYC with a dozen interdisciplinary collaborative dinner groups, now Zoom groups. Programs include Clinical Communications and Leadership, examining classics and cutting edge.

As they began to work together, these interdisciplinary, collaborative groups started to expand members' perspectives. This offshoot project eventually evolved into a thriving program, now known as Metro Collaborative. It has attracted health professionals looking for new techniques to expand their businesses and connect with other innovators. Psychiatrists, dentists, medical specialists as well as alternative practitioners collaborated.

Observing the notable progress members made within these forums, it quickly became apparent that these clinical and business groups were cutting edge for problem-solving, professional solidarity, and community. Indeed, these groups provide ways for business owners, physicians, dentists, and practitioners of all disciplines to learn, connect and collaborate to create cross-referral opportunities.

Over the last few decades, he has evolved his contribution to the healthcare community, always maintaining his leadership, technology, and team building. In the intervening years, as Vice President of the Seltzer Institute, President of Coaching Solutions, founded 2000, a collaborative practice management firm that implemented transformation with a broad team-based approach to complex business issues.

In the 1980s, he lectured on dental technology at The Academy of General Dentistry, Tufts University, NYU Dental Schools, and numerous study clubs in greater New York, greater D.C., and Philadelphia. He learned how to lead, collaborate, and connect in groups from participating at The Shalom Mountain Retreats and serving as President of The Stewardship counsel for The Center for Conscious Living and the Leadership Systems at Landmark Education.

Bill and his wife love leading retreats, wellness programs, and workshops at their center, villaserena.com, splitting their time between Maryland and The Dominican Republic, enjoying yoga, swimming, tennis, and spending quality time with his four sons.

For information on workshops, leadership programs, & executive coaching, contact bill@metrocollaborative.com

 
 
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Dr. Jack Levine, Director of Expansion and Transition.

Jack Levine is a Connecticut dentist whose life goals are to understand and serve his clients. He has been involved in the gathering and leading groups for holistic health and medicine for the last 30 years. He was associated with The Connection for Health, AMICUS, and Lotus. Each group represented likeminded holistic health practices joining together for learning, support, and referral generation.

His educational background starts at Lafayette College and then on to Temple University School of Dentistry, four years with the US Army and a student at the L D. Pankey Institute.

His leadership and volunteer work began with Himalayan Health Care, Director; Great Shape Inc. in Jamaica; Dental Volunteers for Israel. As a former faculty member at UCONN School of Dental Medicine he has led student trips to Peru, Jamaica, Haiti.

Dr Levine has been honored by his colleagues with Fellowships in the following prestigious academies: American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists, Academy of Dentists International, Academy of General Dentistry, and the Pierre Fuchard Academy.

After a private restorative dentistry practice of more than 40 years, he now joins the Metro Collaborative Team to assist other healthcare professional though this time of expansion and transition.

 
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Dr. Carmel Wiseman, D.C., Director of Communications

With over a decade of experience taking care of a wide variety of patients, Dr. Carmel Wiseman is ready to bring her knowledge, her dedication and skills to you.

Dr. Wiseman is Nationally Board Certified, and holds a license to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Her speciality is caring for families and received post-doctoral training in Pediatrics and Perinatal care (Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 2008). In order to serve the varied needs of varied patients, she practices a variety of techniques. Several times a year she engages in continuing education seminars to provide the most effective and relevant care to her practice members.

She is one of the few Advanced Proficiency Rated Doctors in the area in Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique. Other techniques include CranioSacral, NeuroEmotional Technique, Webster's, and Kiniesology. She is an extraordinary communicator and leader. We are thrilled to have her on our team.

 
 
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LAKSHMAN NIRMALWAD, Client Services

Lakshman graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Mumbai University in 2007. While there, he realized his innate attraction to accounting, economics - and really numbers in general.

There was a certain ease to calculating - it spoke to him. Macro and micro economics were interesting and fun; figuring out numerical problems and their relation and application to the real world were fascinating and practical - a passion he considered important and worth cultivating.

Today, he applies his love for calculations and numbers to Metro Collaborative - working "behind the scenes" to help it thrive on a number of "backend" levels.

 
 
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ANN THOMPSON, Client Support

Ann M. Thompson, MA, CMRM, NCMT (Ret) is a Certified Medical Reiki Master, Reiki teacher, and professional writer-editor specializing in the health sciences. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Reiki Research – an international organization that collects, evaluates and summarizes peer-reviewed scientific research on Reiki.

Ann has practiced Reiki since the mid-1990s and was a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist for ten years (now retired). Today, she teaches and practices Reiki from her own studio in the Washington, DC area and is an on-staff Reiki Master for the Bethesda Salt Cave. Ann also is a Certified End-of-Life Doula, ordained Interfaith Pastor, and published poet/essayist (www.wellspringofwords.net).

 
 
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NATASHA DESPOTOVIC, DIRECTOR OF RETREAT

Natasha has a strong career of her own outside of Metro Collaborative, being involved in various international political projects. She is the executive director for the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development and runs the Global Film Festival, which focuses on important cinema that highlights political and social issues ongoing around the world.

For Metro Collaborative, Natasha runs our Retreat program. She runs these workshops at her hotel, Villa Serena, in the Dominican Republic. While there, she uses her expansive training in Yoga and meditation to personally coach you on how to better integrate a manageable lifestyle outside of your business, so that you can better thrive in each area of your life. Her commitment to teaching these practices, along with homeopathy, delights those in need of learning practical healing arts.

 
 
 
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SANDY DEMOPOULOS, LCSW-R, ENGAGEMENT ADVISOR

Sandy Demopoulos, psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker has 30 years of experience in treating diverse patients with a variety of mental health issues including chemical dependency at multiple levels of care.

Her current private practice in White Plains, Mt. Kisco NY and online, provides psychotherapy, addictions counseling, EAP services, DWI and DOT/SAP assessments and treatment. Sandy is unique in seeing patients who are actively having issues with alcohol or drugs. As patients stabilize, they are empowered to find their voice in a collaborative, nurturing, therapeutic relationship.

“Never ask ‘Can I do this?’ Ask instead: ‘How can I do this?’” – Dan Zadra

 
 
 

Suzanne Kellner-Zinck, CERTIFIED TRAINER OF HYPNOSIS AND NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING

You can call me a transformational holistic healer if you want - but hypnosis and NLP are what my life has been all about for the past 20 years! It saved my health and my life!

My philosophy of care is that one needs not to take any drugs or nutraceuticals after the problem has been cleared with hypnosis. Why? Because the client no longer has the symptoms that brought them in for the healing work in the first place. They no longer think about the problem they once had, moving on living a contented and fulfilled life.

Academics:

  • Masters in Medical Sociology from Ashford University

  • Masters in Peace & Conflict management from the University of Haifa

"You HAVE the POWER in YOU."

 
 
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Greg Dennis, Customer Engagement

After earning his Communications degree from Temple University, Greg committed himself as a Sales and Marketing Professional. With close to 20 years of successful business development and sales management behind him, he began supporting Practice Success and Metro Collaborative two years ago.

He believes in a  personalized and consultative approach with an emphasis on human connection and building long-term relationships.

He further developed an interest in nutrition and fitness. He became certified at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition, which complements a lifelong engagement in sports (competitive basketball especially) and daily athletics and training.

At Metro Collaborative and Practice Success, Greg focuses on client relations, account management, business development, sales strategies, coaching, and consulting. He enjoys innovative IT firms as well as integrative medical and psychologically based practices.

 
 

Lauramaría Arbaje

Lauramaría graduated with a degree in Tourism Management, possessing exceptional service-oriented qualities, empathy, creativity, and proactivity, alongside strong intercultural and multilingual competencies. She has hands-on experience in administrative and executive roles within the promotion and development of emerging niche markets, including  wellness tourism,  sports tourism, romance tourism, and high-end travel.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling and recognizes each day as an opportunity for learning and self-improvement.