Dustin Burleson

Smiles Change Lives Dustin Burleson

THOMAS C. BROWN founded Smiles Change Lives with his mother, Virginia Brown in 1997. Smiles Change Lives is an international nonprofit formed under its original name, the Virginia Brown Community Orthodontic Partnership. Virginia grew up during the Great Depression, and her parents could only afford to pay for orthodontic treatment for one of their children. Virginia's sister was able to get braces while Virginia endured years of teasing and self-consciousness until she finally received treatment during high school. Tom and Virginia established Smiles Change Lives to help children avoid the physical and emotional difficulties that Virginia herself suffered as a child. Tom has served as Chairman and CEO of Smiles Change Lives since its inception. Tom has been practicing as a business attorney in Kansas City, Missouri for nearly four decades. During this time, he has counseled hundreds of entrepreneurs to organize and grow their businesses, as well as guided numerous non-profits. Additionally, he has owned and operated a number of businesses including restaurants, entertainment businesses and a promotional products company to name a few. Tom received his bachelors of arts from the University of Pennsylvania and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan. He has written many articles on the subject of business organization and development as well as participated in presenting numerous seminars on this subject.