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LightForce Appoints Erica Rogers CEO to Scale the Generative Braces Category

Business

LightForce Appoints Erica Rogers CEO to Scale the Generative Braces Category
Business

Business

LightForce Appoints Erica Rogers CEO to Scale the Generative Braces Category

2026-07-16 18:01 Last Updated At:18:10

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 16, 2026--

LightForce Orthodontics has appointed Erica Rogers as chief executive officer as the company enters its next phase of commercial growth. Rogers will lead the expansion of the LightForce Generative Braces system across an estimated $10 billion global orthodontics market.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260716281670/en/

From Technology Validation to Commercial Scale

Rogers’ appointment comes as LightForce reaches a significant commercial milestone, with more than 200,000 patients treated using its fully customized 3D-printed bracket system—a testament to the growing adoption of personalized digital orthodontics.

The LightForce Generative Braces system combines doctor-directed digital treatment planning, patient-specific ceramic and metal appliances, direct 3D printing, and guided placement. Rather than fitting patients to a standardized bracket prescription, LightForce generates an individual prescription for every tooth according to the doctor’s intended outcome, bringing fixed orthodontic treatment into an all-digital workflow alongside aligner therapy.

“LightForce has reached an extraordinary moment in its journey,” said Rogers. “The company has proved it can operate at commercial scale and earned the trust of orthodontists who are redefining how treatment is delivered. Our focus now is to scale that impact and advance orthodontics toward a new standard of care.”

Rogers brings more than 30 years of medical technology leadership and experience building and commercializing new categories of care. As chief executive officer of Silk Road Medical, she led the company through commercial expansion, its 2019 initial public offering, and its subsequent acquisition by Boston Scientific. Rogers has served on the LightForce board of directors for the past two years and has worked closely with the company’s leadership team, employees, customers, and investors. Her appointment is a natural extension of that involvement and gives LightForce a leader who already understands its technology, market and commercial opportunity.

Partnering to Advance a New Standard of Care

Rogers succeeds LightForce founder Alfred Griffin, DMD, PhD, MMSc, who founded the company on the premise that if every patient is unique, every bracket should be, too, and pioneered the Generative Braces category in 2019. Griffin will remain chairman of the board and, in his new role as chief product officer, continue to lead the company’s innovation roadmap, product portfolio and category advocacy. He will also work to strengthen LightForce’s presence in orthodontic practices and teaching institutions while partnering closely with Rogers on the company’s strategy and growth.

“LightForce’s success has created an opportunity to expand under a leader with Erica’s experience scaling medical technologies, building organizations and establishing new categories of patient care,” Griffin said. “Having worked closely with her for two years, I know Erica is the right leader to accelerate the availability and adoption of generative braces and multiply what our talented team has already built.”

“I’ve known Erica for many years and first partnered with her during the growth of Silk Road Medical,” said Kevin Reilly, managing director and head of medtech at Ally Bridge Group, and a member of the LightForce board of directors. “I saw her ability to build exceptional teams, execute with discipline, and convert breakthrough technology into category leadership. Her leadership positions LightForce to scale generative braces adoption and compound value for patients, customers, employees, and investors.”

Under Rogers’ leadership, LightForce will focus on expanding the adoption of generative braces, increasing manufacturing scale, and advancing its ceramic and metal product portfolio.

About LightForce Orthodontics

LightForce pioneered generative braces in 2019 with a radical idea: if every tooth is unique, every bracket should be, too. This shortens treatment times and improves outcomes. Today, the company’s digital platform generates a patient-specific set of ceramic or metal appliances from each orthodontist’s treatment plan, the first major breakthrough in fixed orthodontics in over 50 years. Fixed brackets make up about 75% of orthodonture starts in North America, making it the dominant market category in orthodontics. The advancement of generative orthodontics into fixed metal and ceramic appliances enables practices to realize the gains of a fully digital practice, regardless of appliance type, unlocking a global opportunity of over $10 billion. The company was named to Forbes’ America’s Best Startup Employers list and operates the world’s largest facility for directly 3D-printed functional medical devices by volume in the United States. The orthodontist designs the smile. LightForce brings it into existence. Every bracket is born from light and made for one. For more information, visit lf.co.

Medtech veteran Erica Rogers joins LightForce to scale Generative Braces after 200,000 patients treated.

Medtech veteran Erica Rogers joins LightForce to scale Generative Braces after 200,000 patients treated.

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James may be ready to shed some light on his future plans.

The NBA's career scoring king — and free agent — is scheduled to speak publicly Thursday afternoon, meaning it's possible that James will be revealing where he plans to play this coming season or at least give some updates on where he is in the decision-making process.

James will be recording an episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast alongside guest co-host Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers in New York on the opening day of Fanatics Fest, a four-day event featuring dozens of athletes, celebrities and sports legends. Single-day general admission tickets are sold out, organizers said.

That appearance has been planned for months; it was announced publicly in May.

James is the NBA’s oldest active player at 41 and the only player in league history to have a career spanning 23 seasons; this coming season will be his 24th. Speculation has been rampant for more than two months about his future, officially starting in May when the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs.

At that time, James said he didn’t know what he would be doing.

And the only developments that he’s revealed since came on June 30, when he said he would play this coming season and that he was leaving the Lakers after an eight-season run highlighted by the 2020 NBA title.

For more than two weeks, the NBA has been waiting to hear what comes next.

James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

The podcast is the first of two known speaking engagements for James in New York on Thursday.

He's also planning to appear at the Game Plan Summit, an invitation-only event presented by CNBC and Boardroom. James is slated to have a conversation with Boardroom co-founder Rich Kleiman — Kevin Durant's longtime business partner — about “how he’s built an empire beyond basketball, what’s ahead for him in business, and why the next generation of athletes is poised to wield more influence than ever before.”

James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons — where he won his first two titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, leaving in 2018 to start an eight-season run with the Lakers.

Cleveland and Miami are believed to be on James' radar again as he weighs this decision, as are several other teams including Philadelphia, Minnesota and Golden State.

Reynolds reported from Miami.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James throws chalk in the air before an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James throws chalk in the air before an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

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