Marissa Paley earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University New Brunswick in 2010 with a concentration in biomechanics and rehabilitation. In 2011, she earned her Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Marissa subsequently joined the team at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratories in Edison, New Jersey where she completed her residencies and now actively practices as a certified and licensed prosthetist/orthotist and serves as the Director. Marissa has been published in IEEE's (Eye Triple E) Northeast Bioengineering Conference and her research on prefabricated carbon composite ankle foot orthoses has been presented as an educational tool on both state and national platforms. Marissa has spent her career focusing on all phases of orthotic care for patients with neurological conditions and on providing both upper and lower prosthetic care.

Bill is a Certified Prosthetist for Long Island O&P and he is their Insurance Appeals specialist. Bill is passionate about fighting for patients’ rights to be fitted with the highest quality prosthesis/orthosis devices.
· received his Prosthetics certificate from Newington in 1997
· completed his prosthetics residency at Alabama P&O in Montgomery, AL, in 1998
· joined Long Island O&P in 2022
· married with three children, who are usually awesome (but sometimes terrible)
· frontman of “Harmonica Bill & Marked Deck” which is basically the best blues band that ever existed
· Bill’s personal philosophy is: “I believe that an amputee’s right to be fitted with a modern, technologically advanced prosthesis is not a privilege; it is a fundamental human right. When you consider that even the best, most advanced prosthesis still doesn’t compare to an intact, healthy human leg, it is appalling that insurers call these modern prostheses “not basic” and put cost-savings ahead of amputee safety.”
· It is the moral responsibility of Orthotists and Prosthetists to champion their patients’ causes and fight for their patients’ ability to be fitted with the devices they require, not some outdated artificial leg that is essentially the same as a prosthesis from 1982.

Susanne has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare profession, providing, training, consulting, management, and implementation services, for a wide range of patient care organizations, throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. She has been with OPIE Software since 2015 and uses her experiences, education, management, and problem-solving skills, to assist every person she works with. Recently, Susanne joined OPIE’s Events and Education team, and enjoys working with and celebrating the successes of our partners in the O&P Profession.

Justin Zhou, MS is Co-Founder and President of BLUEWAVE Technologies, the creator of the BLUEWAVE Disinfection System - which disinfects items with both hard and soft surfaces - without any water or detergents. Justin has more than 10 years of experience in the technology industry and author of 17 patents. He earned his BS and MS in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Florida.

I lead the Commercialization Strategy arm of Simbex, a medical device and consumer health product design and development firm in Lebanon, NH. My role entails providing guidance and strategic consulting to biomedtech innovators who are in the process of bringing their product to market. I specialize in assessing the product viability from the perspective of care pathway, clinical workflow, and reimbursement considerations. I also provide expertise in literature review and market assessment to understand the opportunity landscape in the context of the larger medical ecosystem. My work at Simbex has included involvement in the NIH-funded DRIVEN Accelerator Hub and the NIH-funded Center for Translation of Rehabilitation Engineering Advances and Technology (TREAT), for which I led several medical device educational programs including the TREAT Commercialization Advancement Cohort – an online group learning opportunity for medical device entrepreneurs.

My background includes a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Buffalo with a research emphasis on the impact of orthoses on the biomechanics of gait, posture, and balance. I hold certifications as a Pedorthist, Orthotic Fitter (BOC) and Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM). I serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the Board of Certification/Accreditation International. My past career includes clinical experience in a variety of settings including sports medicine, orthopedics, and orthotics and prosthetics. I currently work at Simbex as Director of Commercialization Strategy and at Dartmouth College as Accelerator Coordinator.

Thea is a board certified clinical specialist in pediatric physical therapy. She received her doctorate in physical therapy in 2018 from Rutgers School of Health Professions, where she was awarded for outstanding clinical performance. She studied Exercise Science at the University of Delaware where she dual minored in Disability Studies and Health, Physical Activity, and Disability. Thea has 5 years experience in school-based and outpatient pediatric physical therapy settings. Thea's treatment style is family centered, evidence based, and highly collaborative. She is dedicated to create positive engaging sessions that both empower the family and celebrate the child's abilities. Her passions include treatment of medically complex infants and toddlers, complex rehabilitation technology, early detection of cerebral palsy, and well-rounded comprehensive rehabilitation for pediatric patients with neurologic conditions.

Dr. Rai is a specialist in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He focuses on the health and well-being of the whole person, utilizing the body’s natural tendency towards health and repair to achieve higher levels of function and independence. He believes in the importance of strength and physical conditioning to maintain optimal health and to treat and prevent injury. He emphasizes that nutrition plays a vital role in the pursuit of a healthy body. Dr. Rai treats patients as partners in health, and he practices a teaching model of medicine to help patients achieve their desired health and lifestyle goals. His areas of expertise include sports medicine and non-surgical management of orthopedic injuries, limb loss rehabilitation, pain management, post-stroke rehabilitation, spasticity management, and wound care.

Arthur is passionate about digital design and using creative techniques to improve fit, function, and aesthetics in orthotics and prosthetics. Arthur has worked as a CAD designer, as an applications engineer in 3d printing and scanning, and as an O&P technician. Under the alias O+P Digital Designer, he has worked as an independent designer and educator. He has created his own program of certified training materials so that technicians and clinicians can access powerful CAD techniques for efficient prototyping and small batch production.

Elisa Collingridge received her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. After working as an Orthotic and Prosthetic Assistant, she went on to receive her master’s degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics from Northwestern University in 2017. Elisa has always had a passion for contributing to O&P education and has given guest lectures for renowned hospital systems. With over five years of clinical practice, she now joins College Park Industries as a Clinical Education Specialist.

Katie is the Director of Education and Research at Surestep and an ABC Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist. In addition to building her pediatric O&P practice starting in 2013, she has taught and spoken regionally and nationally about pediatric orthotics since 2017, emphasizing evidence-based decision-making.

Bari Diamond received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University, and her Bachelor and Master of Science dual-degree in Occupational Therapy from Touro College. Bari lives in NYC, and previously worked as an Occupational Therapist on an inpatient unit at NYU’s Rusk Rehabilitation for nearly 7 years, where she developed a passion for working with the limb loss/difference community. She became actively involved in several amputee support programs, and knew that she wanted to focus more on that population. On Halloween of 2023, her favorite holiday, she was was offered an opportunity to work for Point Designs, a company that produces and manufactures heavy-duty, positionable prosthetic devices that enhance and enable greater occupational accessibility and functional independence for individuals with partial hand loss or difference. Bari is a passionate and driven individual who enjoys travel, music, food, exercise, and all the adventures life has to offer.

Greg Steward, CPO, holds a Master's degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills. With over a decade of experience in the field, Greg began his journey as a clinician and has since evolved into a Key Account Clinical Education Manager with Thuasne NA , where he leverages his expertise to drive innovation and excellence in patient care.

Joshua Mullins is the Vice President of Business Development for iFIT Prosthetics. He has focused his attention on the O and P field for the past 13 years specializing in business and strategic sales management. He has successfully brought new and innovative products to the market while helping practices maximize their revenue opportunities. Josh speaks at international, national, regional and state O and P meeting as well as individual practices and health systems. He believes that every amputee should be provided the freedoms to control their healthcare choices. Joshua enjoys spending time with his family and you can typically find him volunteering at his church or traveling with his family. He has been married to his amazing supportive wife Julie for 25 years and they have 4 wonderful kids together and son in law.

Bob has been active in the orthotics, therapeutic exercise, and biomechanics fields since 1978, and has been conducting education programs since 1982. His special interest is in functional closed chain biomechanics and muscle function. He has taught numerous courses across North America, South America, Australia and Europe on gait assessment, rehabilitation, and orthotics. His lectures span international, national, state, and local O&P, DPT and DPM meetings. He holds six patents involving orthotics and applied biomechanics for spine and lower extremity applications. He has served as an Invited Guest Lecturer in the Doctors of Physical Therapy program at Medical College of Ohio, the Masters of Science in O&P program at Georgia Tech University, the Associates program in O&P at Oklahoma State University, the Bachelors of Science in O&P program at College Montmorency in Montreal, Quebec, the DPT program at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, the MSPO program at Northwestern University, Chicago, the MPO program at California State University, Dominguez Hills, CA, and at the Bachelors of Science in O&P program at Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Science Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Many of these speaking engagements have become a regular part of the curriculum at these universities. He has also been a Course Director for several Pedorthic Footwear Association sponsored educational events.