Dr. Dawoud became a board-certified pediatric dentist to provide care for kids including those with autism, Down syndrome and cleft lip or palate. He has training in laser, sedation and hospital dentistry.

“My first week in dental school, I received an excited phone call from my parents telling me they found my eighth-grade yearbook. They told me that in the yearbook each student was asked ‘What is your dream job?’ and I wrote ‘dentist.’ I knew I wanted to go into health care to serve people who need it most.”

Opening a startup practice. “I had to venture out of my dental comfort zone. I had to think like a CEO, HR director and manager, and be the dentist.”

“Isolite.”

Do what gives you a sense of purpose. “Don’t follow what everyone else is saying you have to do. Find the philosophy that gets you out of bed every morning and live it every day. Money will not give you that
sense of purpose.”

“I can make some seriously good jerk chicken and papaya sauce—even my wife agrees.”