A Leading Nonprofit Organization Promoting Public Health Dentistry™

Dr. Nicole McGrath-Barnes is the Founder and CEO of KinderSmileFoundation, which she established in 2007 following a personal story of apatient in her own community of Montclair NJ, and reaffirmed after theheartbreaking death of Deamonte Driver, a 12 year-old boy from PrinceGeorge s County, MD, who died from a tooth infection that traveled tohis brain. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, KinderSmile Foundation smission is to provide underserved children and families with access tocomprehensive dental care and educate underserved children and theirfamilies about the importance of dental hygiene, envisioning a futurewhere every child has access to a dentist and dental diseases areeradicated.

Dr. Nicole vowed to not only make a difference in ensuring that all children have access to oral health care, but that a change in policy will be made for future generations. She is a tireless advocate of raising awareness of oral health inequities for racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically disadvantaged children, and is a leading NJ voice for reducing these disparities.

Dr. Nicole earned her dental degree from the University of Maryland and completed her residency program at UMDNJ in Newark, NJ. She successfully completed the Leadership Program in 2010 offered by the American Dental Association, Institute for Diversity in Leadership, in partnership with Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. In 2017, Dr. Nicole was recognized for her exceptional leadership and service, and was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists – the oldest national honorary organization for dentists, an elite honor achieved by only 3.5% of US dentists. In 2022, she was named Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion in the state of New Jersey by the American Dental Association. In 2024 Dr. Nicole was selected by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation to receive the Dr. Beverly A. Largent Access to Care Innovator Award. Among a long list of distinctions, in 2024 Dr. Nicole became an award winning producer of KinderSmile Foundation’s film, Toothache: The Painful Truth About Oral Health Care Inequity, which was named the Best Home Grown Documentary Feature at the Garden State Film Festival, Best Medical Documentary Feature at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, and Best Feature Length Documentary at the DC After Dark Film Festival.


With her continued drive and infectious passion Dr. Nicole continues to be an oral health champion and leader, going to great lengths for each and every child, perinatal mother, student, or staff member.

Dr. Michal Herman is the Chief Operating Officer of KinderSmile Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization promoting public health dentistry in New Jersey. She has dedicated her career to bridging the gap in access to oral health care for vulnerable populations, advocacy efforts for policy change through KinderSmile Foundation initiatives, and mentorship of pre-dental students and early career dentists.

Dr. Herman’s commitment to public health dentistry helps ensure that the mission of KinderSmile Foundation – to provide underserved children, perinatal mothers, and families with access to comprehensive dental care and educate underserved children and their families about the importance of dental hygiene – is realized daily by the team. And her continued efforts help KinderSmile Foundation get closer to a vision of a future where every child has access to a dentist and dental diseases are eradicated.

Dr. Herman earned her dental degree from New York University College of Dentistry, and completed her postgraduate General Practice Residency at Coler Goldwater Memorial Hospital, concentrating on long-term care of medically compromised patients.

Dr. Herman serves as the Vice Chair of the New Jersey Dental Foundation Board, and on several advisory councils. In 2024 Dr. Herman was recognized for her exceptional leadership and service, and was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, the oldest national honorary organization for dentists, an honor achieved by only 3.5% of US dentists. In the same year she became an award winning co-producer of KinderSmile Foundation’s film, Toothache: The Painful Truth About Oral Health Care Inequity, which was awarded Best Home Grown Documentary Feature at the Garden State Film Festival, Best Medical Documentary Feature at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, and Best Feature Length Documentary at the DC After Dark Film Festival.

With continued dedication and passion for serving the community, providing comprehensive quality dental services to thousands of children, procuring millions of dollars in grants over the years, supporting the KinderSmile Foundation team and village, writing and implementing policies and protocols, advocating for policy change on a state level, and mentoring young professionals, Dr. Herman has never lost sight of why she selected public health dentistry as her profession, regularly emphasizing to students the honor, privilege, and importance of joining the field.