AuDacity 2025 — Speaker Bios

Debbie Abel, Au.D. spent 13 years in private practice in Alliance, OH after moving an existing practice from the Alliance Eye and Ear Clinic, where she was employed for 14 years, taking the ENT with her. She also supported two ENTs in Poway CA for 8 years.

She is the manager of Coding and Contracting Services for Audigy, has authored several chapters in Plural Publication texts and is the editor of The Essential Guide to Coding in Audiology: Coding, Billing and Practice Management, published in December 2017. She is a Past President of ADA and is currently the Chair for the Audiology Academy of the National Academies of Practice.

Dr. Maansi V. Aghera is a clinical audiologist at Atrius Health, specializing in diagnostic audiology, amplification solutions, and patient-centered hearing healthcare. With a Doctorate of Audiology from Northwestern University, she is committed to improving hearing accessibility and patient education through interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practices.

Dr. Katie is an audiologist turned content marketing specialist dedicated to helping private practice audiologists grow their businesses through strategic social media and digital marketing. As the founder of Ascending Audiologists, she provides done-for-you content solutions that position audiologists as trusted experts in their communities.

Michelle Carroll is the CEO and Founder of 1 Stop Marketing Solutions, a full-service digital marketing agency based in South Florida. With over two decades of experience in online marketing, Michelle has established herself as a leader in healthcare and audiology marketing, adeptly integrating the latest digital marketing trends to drive client success. A certified Google Partner, Michelle's agency provides expert web development, SEO, content marketing, and paid search services. She specializes in leveraging AI-driven digital strategies to enhance patient engagement and business growth and is the forefront of integrating AI into marketing, using predictive analytics and automation to optimize outreach. Her work has significantly improved digital visibility for her audiology clients, where AI-driven tools enhance patient care and marketing efficiency. Michelle shares insights on AI’s impact on healthcare marketing and is passionate about helping businesses thrive in the digital age.

Kim Cavitt, AuD, is the owner of Audiology Resources, which provides comprehensive operational, compliance, and reimbursement consulting services and products to hearing healthcare clinics, providers, organizations, buying groups, and manufacturers. Throughout her career, Cavitt has been actively involved in these issues and has written numerous articles, provided training, and given presentations at both the state and national levels on these topics.

Prior to her consulting business, she served as a clinical audiologist at The Ohio State University and Northwestern University and also spent two years as the director of professional relations at HearPO, now Amplifon Hearing Services. Cavitt is a past president of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA)

Bridget Sobek Dobyan is the Executive Director of the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), where she leads the organization’s strategic initiatives and advocacy efforts. Prior to this role, she served as HIA’s Director of Public Policy. Ms. Dobyan has a diverse background in nonprofit leadership, federal and state government affairs, and legislative policy. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Dave Trott of Michigan, advised the Michigan Senate on policy matters, and managed government affairs for a Washington, D.C.-based energy efficiency advocacy organization. She holds a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and a B.A. in political science from Saginaw Valley State University. She is a member of both the State Bar of Michigan and the D.C. Bar.

Susannah Fox is a renowned health strategist, former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and author of Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care. Fox’s work documents the transformative power of patient-led innovation in healthcare. Drawing on two decades of research and interviews, she highlights how patients, survivors, and caregivers have pioneered solutions and built communities-often outside the mainstream system-to address unmet health needs. Her “rebel health” framework identifies four archetypes-seekers, networkers, solvers, and champions-who collectively drive change and improve care for all.

Laurel Gregory holds a Master’s degree in audiology and has been working the field of audiology for over 30 years. Her past work experience include private practice audiologist, research audiologist, Manager of Clinical Research for ReSound and Starkey, Director of Product Management for Starkey, and Chief Engagement Officer of Skafold, LLC. Currently Laurel is the Director of Education and Research for Entheos Audiology Cooperative where she provides workshops, manages courses and conferences, and tracks and reports data for humanitarian initiatives. Laurel is a Certified DiSC facilitator, 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team and an Everything DiSC Authorized Partner, a Certified Facilitator and Trainer for the Passion Test and certified in the Creatrix. Laurel has presented on the topic of career and team engagement and various research topics at multiple AAA and ADA conferences, several state conferences, and Universities.

Steve Hughbanks graduated from Wayland Baptist University in Texas majoring in Business Management and Psychology. He is an innovative leader in human resources management with over 25 years of hands-on experience in all major functional areas of human resources. Steve has been with Audigy for over 11 years and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional. He is passionate about using his experience to strategically coach business owners to become strong leaders by impacting their communication, employee engagement, recruiting process, and influence.

Prasad Panchangam is an inventor, serial entrepreneur and technologist with 30 years of experience building products in both software and semiconductor markets. Prasad is currently founder CEO of Saigeware Technologies – a healthcare startup that uses data science and AI to provide personalized and actionable insights into health. Before devoting himself to Saigeware, Prasad worked for sixteen years in the San Francisco bay area in the US in a variety of roles at companies such as Applied Micro, Microsoft and HP. He has been granted several patents, written thousands of lines of code, closed sales with fortune 100 companies, raised VC money and had successful exits. Prasad’s passion is to bring healthcare providers and AI/ML technology together to provide the best outcomes in people’s physical and emotional wellness.

Thomas A. Powers, Ph.D., is currently the Founder/Managing Member of Powers Consulting LLC, providing management consulting to the hearing health industry. He began his career as a partner in an Audiology private practice, followed by over 35 years in the hearing aid industry. Prior to his current role, he was Vice-President, Government Services and Professional Relations for Sivantos Inc. (now WS Audiology), and served as the Compliance Officer for seven years. Dr. Powers currently holds an appointment as an Adjunct Instructor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Ohio University. Dr. Powers received his B.S. from the State University of New York at Geneseo, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Audiology-Hearing Science from Ohio University. He is a licensed audiologist in New Jersey. Dr Powers also holds the Certificate of Healthcare Compliance from Seton Hall Law School in New Jersey.

Dr. Larry Schmidbauer owns and operates Professional Hearing Care, a private practice with offices in Tiffin and Findlay, Ohio. His practice includes Diagnostic Audiology and Industrial Audiology.

Alicia D.D. Spoor, Au.D. is President and Audiologist of Designer Audiology, LLC in Highland, MD. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and earned her Doctor of Audiology degree from Gallaudet University. She completed her fourth-year externship at the Mayo Clinic Arizona and joined the hearing aid and cochlear implant teams before moving back to Maryland. She opened her own practice in 2014 with an unbundled/itemized pricing structure, one of the first in the nation to do so from day one, to benefit the patient and demonstrate the value of the audiologist. Dr. Spoor is a Past President of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) and Maryland Academy of Audiology (MAA); she is the current ADA Advocacy Chair and MAA Legislative Chair. Alicia is a past recipient of ADA’s Craig W. Johnson Advocacy Award and MSU’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences’ Outstanding Alumni.

Brian Taylor, AuD, is the senior director of audiology for WS Audiology. A veteran of the hearing care industry, Dr. Taylor also serves as the editor of Audiology Practices, a contributing editor at This Week in Hearing and an adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin. He is a highly sought lecturer with more than 30 years of clinical, business management and teaching experience. He has written more than 100 articles, created dozens of popular CE courses, and published six books. His latest textbook, co-authored with Bob Traynor, Strategic Practice Management, will be published in 2025.

Dr. Nora Visscher-Simon is a clinical audiologist at Presbyterian Ear Institute (PEI). She earned her Doctorate of Audiology from Northwestern University, where she researched the accessibility and impact of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing devices in hearing healthcare. Dr. Visscher-Simon’s passion for audiology advocacy and business innovation began as a student when she participated in the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) student business competition. Beyond audiology, Dr. Visscher-Simon has a diverse professional background, including consulting for early-stage startups, conducting market research, and helping to secure funding for healthcare initiatives. She enjoys using her experience to make hearing healthcare more accessible for patients. Her experience in business, advocacy, and audiology gives her a unique perspective on how marketing strategies, healthcare literacy, and AI-driven tools can bridge communication gaps in hearing healthcare.