Jean Paul Laurent (born December 30, 1982), is a Haitian-American social entrepreneur, inventor, and humanitarian. He is the Founder and President of Unspoken Smiles, a global non-profit organization dedicated to improving oral health in underserved communities.[1] Since its founding in 2014, Laurent has gained international recognition for his innovative approaches to sustainable dentistry, including the creation of the eco-friendly toothbrush with replaceable heads.[2] His work bridges social impact with business, inspiring the purpose-driven entrepreneurship.[3][4]
Jean Paul Laurent | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 December 1982 Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Nationality | Haitian, American |
| Alma mater | Rockland Community College NYU College of Dentistry Columbia | SIPA |
| Occupation(s) | Social entrepreneurship Humanitarian |
| Years active | 2015 |
| Organization | Unspoken Smiles |
| Known for | Innovative toothbrush invention |
| Website | Jean Paul Laurent |
Born and raised in Haiti, in 2004, Jean Paul relocated to the United States with his family. In 2010, he started volunteering activities in Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[5] Since then, his activities have led to partnerships with United Nations, Clinton Foundation, American Express among others, and have earned him recognitions, including a recipient of the President Obama Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteer service in 2016 and one of top 100 under 40 Most Influential People of African Descent in 2019.[6][7]
Biography
editJean Paul was born on 30 December 1982 to his father Jean Felix Laurent, raised and completed high school education in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 2004, he relocated to the United States with his mother, father and five siblings. In 2008, Jean Paul enrolled at New York University College of Dentistry where he attended and graduated with bachelor's degree in dental hygiene in 2011. Since 2017, Jean Paul holds master's degree in public administration from Columbia University.[6]
Activities
editJean Paul's activities focus on public speaking, social entrepreneurship, and humanitarianism. As a speaker, Jean Paul featured on the international events that bring people together to share experiences. Since 2020, Jean Paul has been a patron member at Concordia Summit.[8] Between 2020 and 2022, he was a lead organizer of TED's TEDxWaterStreet.[9][10] As an entrepreneur, Jean Paul has founded SpurHeal App, a mobile app that focuses on dental philanthropy by locating and mapping out free health care services in urban and peri-urban areas around the world.[11] Jean Paul invented Toothbrush with replacement toothbrush heads stored in handle, in 2022, he was granted a patent for his invention by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as the first Haitian to do so.[2][12]
Unspoken Smiles
editJean Paul is the founder of Unspoken Smiles Foundation, a non-profit organization with mission of promoting long-term oral health and economic security in the world's most disadvantaged regions.[13] Unspoken Smiles founded in 2014 in the United States, it operates internationally.[14] In 2022, organization was in 9 countries across four continents including India, Haiti, Romania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iraqi Kurdistan, USA, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica.[15]
Jean Paul in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake while assisting children at a camp in Petionville, he noticed abnormal levels of dental deterioration then he was inspired to initiate Unspoken Smiles. Through Unspoken Smiles, Jean Paul has been engaging children throughout the world, teaching them how to maintain proper oral health. Jean Paul launched a pilot program in 2013 in Jacmel, Haiti.[6][16] Eventually volunteers from other countries began reaching out to implement the same model in their communities. Through Unspoken Smiles, Jean Paul has earned recognition from organizations like the United Nations, Resolution Project, Clinton Foundation, Ashoka, American Express, and TED.[17][7]
Other considerations
editIn 2020, Jean Paul's smile was used during Lay’s Smiles for Miles of Aisles campaign, since then it appears on the cover of Lay’s chips bags.[18][19] Jean Paul served for 2 years on Forbes Councils Member since 2019, and since 2015, he served various non-executive roles at the Clinton Foundation.[20][21]
Recognitions
edit2016: A recipient of the President Obama Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteer service.[6]
2018: One of 2018 NYN top 40 Under 40 by NYN Media.[22]
2019: One of top 100 under 40 Most Influential People of African Descent by MIPAD.[7]
References
edit- ^ Mrswanda (10 December 2015). "Non-Profit Highlight: Jean Paul Laurent "Unspoken Smile" - L'union Suite". Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Un Haïtien a obtenu un brevet pour une brosse à dents aux États-Unis | Loop Haiti". Loop News. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "unspoken smiles". Studio Analogous. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Rosenberg, Tina (11 September 2015). "For Students With a Mission, a Little Capital Goes a Long Way". Opinionator. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Unspoken Smiles: How I'm achieving my dream while helping others". Dentistry IQ. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Bojarski, Sam (29 July 2020). "Jean Paul Laurent and the inspiration behind the smile". The Haitian Times. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "Unspoken Smiles Foundation's CEO Jean Paul Laurent named in MIPAD top 100 | International". Devdiscourse. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Jean Paul Laurent". Concordia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "TEDxWaterStreet Rings the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell". 3 May 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ TEDxWaterStreet. "TEDXWATERSTREET ANNOUNCES SPEAKER LINE-UP FOR REIMAGINE 2022". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "dentlinQ: Dental Care Made Easy For Minorities". MIT SOLVE. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ 20220240658, Laurent, Jean Paul, "Toothbrush with Replacement Toothbrush Heads Stored in Handle", issued 2022-08-04
- ^ "More than 750 New Student Commitments to Action Announced at 10th Annual CGI University Meeting". 15 October 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Change the World With Us - Unspoken Smiles". Collabs.io Mag. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Saving Smiles Around the World". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Where Are You In The Search For Higher Purpose?". HuffPost. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "15 Nonprofit Founders Who Will Impact The World in 2019". Causeartist. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Interview with Immigrant and Philanthropist, Jean Paul Laurent". Truffld. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Gifting Smiles Lay's Chips by Jean Paul Laurent". 9 November 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Laurent, Jean Paul. "Council Post: How Nonprofit Leaders Can Embrace The Elements Of Responsible Leadership". Forbes. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "The Clinton Global Initiative University Is Building a Global Community of Social Entrepreneurs". Causeartist. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Here are the winners of the 2018 NYN 40 Under 40". NYN. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2024.