Ami L. Brannon is a co-founder of Neuvana and was the company's Chief Executive Officer in its startup phase. She currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer, focusing on marketing, sales, and the customer experience. She is devoted to optimizing wellness and mental health through neuroscience to fight the devastating health effects of stress-induced illness. Ms. Brannon is a Registered Nurse with over 20 years’ experience in hospital-based healthcare. She served in both clinical and leadership roles in ICU and invasive procedural areas. Ms. Brannon holds a BS in Nursing and a BS in Psychology from the University of Central Florida.
Chief Revenue Officer, Co-Founder
Jan Carlsson is the Managing Partner of LFC Development and the Manager of Lynn Family Enterprises. He has served two decades on the Board of Trustees at Lynn University and has extensive professional experience in mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and valuation of companies. Mr. Carlsson holds an MBA in International Business and Finance from the University of Miami.
Director
Daniel Cartledge, MD along with his brother, Richard Cartledge, MD, started Neuvana, LLC, in 2015. He practices medicine at the National Pain Institute in Delray Beach, Florida, and specializes in interventional pain medicine. He is an expert in neuro-electrical therapies to treat patients with chronic pain. He serves as Medical Director of a therapeutic infusion clinic and is on the advisory board of two nutraceutical companies. Dr. Cartledge is double-board certified in pain management and physical medicine & rehabilitation. Dr. Cartledge holds an undergraduate degree from Lehigh University and a medical degree from the University of Saint Eustatius School of Medicine.
Director and Co-Founder
Richard Cartledge, MD, FACS invented and patented the Neuvana vagus nerve stimulation device and started Neuvana, LLC, in 2015. He has over 20 years’ experience inventing, designing, and manufacturing cutting-edge medical devices with more than 100 issued and pending patents. Dr. Cartledge has been Chief of Cardiac Surgery of Boca Raton Regional Hospital since 2013. He is fellowship trained in cardiovascular surgery from New York Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and in thoracic surgical oncology from Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Cartledge holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and a medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Board Vice-Chairman and Co-Founder
Kermit A. Falk has been the Director of Engineering at Neuvana, LLC, since January 2015. Working closely with Dr. Richard Cartledge and Dr. Daniel Cartledge, Mr. Falk has led the research and development of the company. He has extensive knowledge and experience developing technology at both the research and development and commercially available levels. Mr. Falk has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a MS in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Director of Engineering
Vincent C. Manopoli has served Neuvana since 2017, first as a Consultant then COO and currently as its CEO. He has worked as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Managing Partner to numerous successful startups and turnaround businesses over the past 35 years, responsible for transactions valued in excess of $325 million. Mr. Manopoli has extensive experience in a variety of sectors including software, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare management. He holds a BS in Chemistry from UC Irvine, an MS in Chemistry from Cal State Fullerton, and an MBA from the Drucker School of Management and Yale University.
Chief Executive Officer
Warren S. Orlando joined Neuvana as Chairman of the Board in 2018. Formerly, he was the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of two successful commercial bank holding companies. He grew and sold both banks over a 23-year period-- raising over $100 million in private equity, leading an initial public offering for both companies, initiating secondary offerings, and raising over $250 million in public funds. Mr. Orlando was the lead on 23 acquisitions and related integrations. He holds a BS in Economics from St. Peters College and a master's degree from the Stonier School of Banking, Rutgers University. Mr. Orlando is currently vice chairman of the board of Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
Board Chairman
Joe Veccia has been a Neuvana investor since 2017 and joined the Board of Directors in February 2020. Mr. Veccia has extensive experience in the Funeral and Cemetery industry including owning, operating, and successfully divesting numerous operations throughout the United States, with total values in excess of $300 million. Over the past 25 years, Mr. Veccia also has served on the Board of Directors of two local banks, helping to take both public. An experienced early stage investor, Mr. Veccia has successfully invested in a significant number of ventures, many of which were acquired by larger corporations such as ADT. Mr. Veccia has held Board positions in numerous civic, cultural, and educational organizations. Mr. Veccia holds a Mortuary Sciences degree from Lynn University.
Director
We’re honored to have an accomplished group of distinguished professionals providing additional leadership in the design, development, and safety of our products.
Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, is a professor in medicine and public health at Emory University and the director of the Emory-Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program established to enhance innovation in healthcare delivery research, education, and service. He also serves as medical director of the Marcus Foundation. Dr. Sanfilippo has served as a director, dean, and CEO at major medical centers including Duke, Johns Hopkins, Ohio State, and Emory, and as president of seven professional societies including the American Society of Transplantation and American Society of Investigation Pathology. He has published over 250 papers, received over $30M in research support, holds three patents, and served as an advisor and consultant to over 100 universities, agencies and companies. Dr. Sanfilippo earned a BS and MS in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and and MD and PHD in Immunology as a Medical Scientist Training Program fellow at Duke University. He received his board certification in anatomic and clinical pathology and immunopathology and did his residency at Duke University.
Yankel Girshman, DO, FAPA, has been medical director of psychiatry at Boca Raton Regional Hospital since 2017. He is part of the Workplace Violence Prevention Task Force, Bioethics Committee, and other initiatives targeting organizational development, clinical protocols, quality, education, and community outreach at the hospital. Dr. Girshman has extensive experience with behavioral health and complex decision-making in the community and hospital setting. Dr. Girshman holds a BA from Stony Brook University and a medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his general psychiatry residency and consultation-liasion psychiatry fellowship at North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital, maintaining two board certifications with a tertiary sub-specialty in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the New York University of Medicine.
Damon Orlando, DC, has been the head of a chiropractic multi-practitioner office since 2000. His practice focuses on providing state-of-the-art chiropractic treatments, exercise-based therapy, and nutrition to provide an overall holistic approach to health and wellness. He has significant expertise in using non-invasive and non-narcotic devices in the treatment of pain. Dr. Orlando is a sought-after lecturer on fitness and health and has created and administered numerous corporate wellness programs. He holds a BS from West Coast University and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland University.
Polly Lee O'Rourke, PhD, is an Associate Research Scientist at the Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland, a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). Her areas of expertise are cognitive neuroscience, noninvasive peripheral nerve stimulation and second language acquisition. Since joining the University of Maryland in 2011, Dr. O'Rourke has gained extensive experience in conducting applied social science research in support of the U.S. Department of Defense. Dr. O'Rourke is currently the PI of an $8M project in DARPA's Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT) program in which she is examining the impact of transcutaneous vagus and trigeminal nerve stimulation on foreign language learning. Dr. O'Rourke's research is at the cutting edge of the development of noninvasive peripheral nerve stimulation approaches to cognitive enhancement. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Arizona.
Hugh F. Smisson III, MD, is board certified in neurological surgery and a fellow in the American College of Surgeons. He served as a surgical Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Dr. Smisson was an associate professor of neurosurgery at Mercer University and a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the Medical College of Georgia. He holds over 25 US and international patents for a variety of medical appliances used in spinal fusion technology, fluid infusion, body temperature warming, and sternal stabilization. Dr. Smisson has taught his pioneering techniques to medical professionals in the US, Europe, and South America. Dr. Smisson holds a BS in Business Administration from Emory University and a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia where he completed a neurosurgical residence. Dr. Smisson currently practices at the Georgia Neurosurgical Institute.
