LightForce names Erica Rogers as CEO as expansion plans scale

LightForce Orthodontics has appointed Erica Rogers as chief executive officer, the Boston-based company has confirmed, as it moves from validating its 3D printed bracket technology toward commercial scale. Rogers succeeds founder Alfred Griffin, who will remain chairman of the board and take on the newly created role of chief product officer.

LightForce’s Generative Braces system pairs digital treatment planning with patient-specific ceramic and metal brackets produced through 3D printing, generating an individual prescription for each tooth rather than fitting patients to standardized stock brackets. 

The company reported that it has treated more than 200,000 patients using the system and put the global orthodontics market it targets at $10 billion. Fixed brackets account for about 75% of orthodontic starts in North America, according to Lightforce.

A veteran of medtech scale-ups

Rogers brings more than 30 years of medical technology leadership, according to LightForce. She previously served as chief executive officer of Silk Road Medical, leading that company through its 2019 initial public offering and its subsequent acquisition by Boston Scientific. She has served on LightForce’s board of directors for two years, working closely with its leadership team, employees, customers and investors.

“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.”

Griffin moves into a product-focused role

Griffin founded LightForce in 2019 and led it through its growth and series funding rounds, and will continue to lead the company’s product portfolio and category advocacy in his new role. He will also work to strengthen LightForce’s presence in orthodontic practices and teaching institutions.

“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.”

Kevin Reilly, managing director and head of medtech at Ally Bridge Group and a member of LightForce’s board of directors, previously worked with Rogers. “I’ve known Erica for many years and first partnered with her during the growth of Silk Road Medical,” Reilly said.

“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.”