Meet the Women of COLLABricon
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Fueled by a shared passion for teamwork, our founders will help you dismantle departmental silos and bring your team together to work toward a shared purpose.
Lois Banta
 Lois is the CEO, president, and founder of Healthcare Enterprises, Inc., a company that specializes in all aspects of dental practice retreats and lectures. She has over 45 years of dental experience and consults and speaks nationally and internationally. Lois is also the CEO of the Speaking Consulting Network, co-founder of COLLABricon Total Team Synergy, and a member of the Academy for Private Dental Practice and the American Association of Dental Office Management.
Lois’s introduction to the dental industry was as a rover dental assistant. She trained on the job but soon discovered it was a terrible idea because she faints at the sight of blood. She then transitioned to the admin team and found her home. Lois worked in four different dental practices over 25 years, where she designed effective systems and used her highly developed communication skills. She soon realized she could teach what she knew to other offices and founded Banta Consulting in 2000.Â
Lois loves teaching dental practices how to design systems and protocols and communicate effectively. She specializes in teaching practices on how to change their relationships with in-network contracts, transition out, and reclaim their power.
Lois brings a vast knowledge of practice management and a great sense of humor to COLLABricon. She is well known for her positivity and is fiercely loyal. Lois says she loves her co-founders like sisters, and their work together is incredibly rewarding seeing just how life-changing small changes can make to a dental practice.
When she’s not busy running COLLABricon, Lois enjoys music, walking, hanging out with her dogs, and traveling. She has been happily married to Rick for 28 years. She has three adult stepsons and eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 6 to 21. Lois loves watching action movies and true-crime documentaries. Lois also has a hidden talent and can recite the 50 states in a song—in order.
AWARDS:
- Named in the Top 25 Women in Dentistry
- Gordon Christensen Lecturer Recognition Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award with AADOM
- SCN Award for 25 years in dentistryÂ
“My co-founders and I were having discussions about the courses we are teaching and came to the realization that practice departments were operating as silos. So, we founded COLLABricon on the premise of bringing total teams together in a learning environment designed to help them work as a TOTAL team.”
Tija Hunter
Tija began working in the dental field in 1981. She says she didn’t find dentistry; it found her. She stumbled into it at the age of 19, and, according to Tija, it was the best thing to ever happen to her. Tija has completed a wide range of courses, including:
- Certified Dental Assistant, 2010
- Certified Dental Implant Assistant, 2012
- Master of the American Dental Assistants Association, 2015
- Certified Dental Specialist in OSHA, 2016
- Certified Dental Specialist in HIPAA, 2017
- Certified Dental Infection Prevention Certification, 2021
- Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant, 2022
Tija is a member of the American Dental Assistants Association, the Association for Dental Safety, where she is a former editorial board member, the Dental Assisting National Board, the Speaking Consulting Network, and the American Association of Dental Office Managers.
When Tija founded COLLABricon with her co-founders, and they held their first event in 2024, she didn’t expect the audience’s reactions. When the teams came together during the breakouts, Tija could actually see the transformation happening. She says that to stand there and watch as the teams opened up and had the “ah-ha” moments right in front of their eyes was a great feeling.
Together, they accomplished what they set out to do. Audience team members reached out and shared their experiences when they got back into the offices to implement the exact changes they discovered were needed as part of the COLLABricon breakout sessions. These teams are working together better because they learned how to.
Tija is known for being a fun presenter. She keeps her presentations real, so audiences stay engaged and learn useful takeaways that can help their dental practices.
When Tija is not busy working, she enjoys being at home and creating a welcoming space. She has two sons, two grandsons, and one granddaughter, with another granddaughter due in July.
AWARDS:
- Nifty Thrifty Most Popular Dental Compliance Specialist, 2024
- DENOBI Award, 2023
“I knew there was discord and misunderstandings between teammates, lack of communication and direction. By training the team together instead of separating them it creates a better understanding of each person's role and responsibility. It teaches them how to work together, lift each other up, and do what they need to do to accomplish their goals.”
Emme Sanders
Emme is a registered dental hygienist, bringing over 30 years of leadership experience and interpersonal skills to the dental community through her speaking, coaching, and writing. In 1986, she was cleaning instruments and operatories while still in high school. She graduated from college in 1993 and immediately began serving patients chairside.
Due to her chairside clinical and presentation skills, Emme has become an official trainer for Digital Radiography and Intraoral Imaging. She has achieved ACE certification, graduated from Transformational Trainers, and holds active memberships with the Speaking and Consulting Network, the Academy of Dental Practice Managers, and the AADOM Speaker/Consultant Alliance.
Emme has spent over 20 years coaching private dental practices to elevate teamwork, communication, and efficiency. She co-founded COLLABricon to break down silos in dentistry and create a space where the entire dental team can learn and grow together.
Her passion for building high-performing teams has made COLLABricon the go-to event for dental professionals seeking a fresh approach to leadership, synergy, and practice success. Emme launched a book in 2024: Welcome to Work: Inspiring Positive Change in the Workplace.
Emme believes positivity, knowledge, and teamwork are the keys to a successful practice. Emme’s passion lies in bringing together dental teams to realize their full potential. This requires developing healthy goals, both physically and mentally, and laying the proper blueprints in order to achieve them. She aims to create a learning space that inspires and invigorates.
According to Emme, COLLABricon has completely reshaped how she views professional education. She says seeing teams walk away with actionable strategies, stronger relationships, and a renewed passion for their work is the most rewarding part of her journey.
When Emme isn’t busy working, she loves to travel, read, and curate unforgettable experiences for her family and friends. She is totally obsessed with God, her husband, Steve, the USA, and loves Gucci. Floating and laughing are also on her list of favorite things to do.
AWARDS:
- Hygiene Educator of the Year Nominee, 2023
- Denobi Award Winner, 2025
"After years of attending conferences that separated dental teams—hygienists in one room, dentists in another, assistants elsewhere, and admins in a completely different space—it just didn’t make sense to me. I had seen firsthand that when I coached an entire team together, even if the focus was on hygiene, the results were better across the board. We needed a space where teams could learn together, collaborate, and implement change as a united front. That’s why we created COLLABricon—to reimagine teamwork in dentistry."
Dana Watson
Dana is an international speaker, author of Married to Dentistry, and a dedicated advocate for excellence in the dental field. After a decade of teaching high school science, she transitioned to dentistry to help her husband run his practice. With over 20 years of experience, Dana has developed a passion for empowering dental teams to achieve their best. Her speaking journey began in 2006 when she shared insights on Bettering Your Best with an international audience.
Dana says she did not “choose” to go into dentistry, but found it necessary to join her husband’s practice to help it improve. At first, she felt resentful, but she came to love it, and it ignited a great passion for working in the dental field.
Today, Dana inspires teams with her leadership, culture, and systems expertise.Â
She is a Fellow of the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM) and a member of the Academy of Dental Managers and Consultants, AADOM Speaker/Consultant Alliance, and the Speaking Consulting Network. Dana is also a certified Five Voices of Leadership trainer, focusing on building strong leaders and fostering excellence within dental practices worldwide.
Dana says COLLABricon has been such a refreshing approach to team dynamics. She has been blessed to see many teams working together, led by their doctors, to better themselves for their future and the patients they serve.
Dana is married and has two beautiful daughters. She says she doesn’t have time for hobbies, but she does love spending time with her family and friends when she can. She is also a big fan of live music in Nashville and traveling—she wants to go everywhere and see everything!
AWARDS:
- SCN’s Spotlight on Speaking Winner, 2019
- Denobi Winner, 2024
