ABOUT US
FOUNDER AND CO-FOUNDERS
Prof. Frank Chindamo, CHP
Founder, CEO
Frank began his media career in comedy writing and production at SNL, and as an assistant on Ghostbusters. He's won 30+ awards for writing/producing comedy videos for HBO, Showtime, CBS, PBS, Comedy Central and more. He launched the world’s first mobile comedy channel, featured on the front pages of Forbes, the LA Times, and in the Wall Street Journal and the NY Times. Former Adjunct Professor in Web Video at USC, UCLA and Chapman University. Certified Humor Professional through the Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor.
Dr. Amitabha Mazumder, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Medical oncologist. 35 years @ The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation. MD from Johns Hopkins U., residency & internship at Baylor Med & MD Anderson. Fellowed in hematology/medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), contributed to more than 140 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has a number of grants, patents, abstracts, book chapters, and invited presentations. As a P.I., led more than 50 clinical trials. Fluent in Hindi and Bengali. 6 awards n(Newsweek), 5 prof. memberships.
Scott Jensen, Esq.
President, COO
Scott Jensen is a digital pioneer who has led technology-driven startups and global teams for over 30 years. He has held senior executive positions at Milestone Entertainment, Viacom, Nokia, and was pivotal in establishing the mobile content industry. He has forged market-changing partnerships with Activision, Marvel and sports leagues while launching numerous award-winning products. He has guided organizations ranging from Bertelsmann to ESPN and is an active member of the State Bar of California. He serves on Kesem’s national parent committee and gives time to charities helping those impacted by cancer
David Ezra Israelian
CTO, Business Advisor,
Co-Founder
David "Ezra" Israelian is an esteemed entrepreneur and philanthropist with a rich background in technology and innovation. As a visionary leader, he has steered numerous startups to success, focusing on disruptive technologies that bridge gaps in healthcare, education, and environmental sustainability. Israelian's commitment to ethical business practices and social responsibility is evident in his philanthropic endeavors, aiming to empower underprivileged communities through education and access to technology, mental health care, and job opportunities. His leadership is marked by a dedication to fostering nationwide communities of individuals living with severe mental illness, innovation, and long-term societal impact.
Arouti Agoupi
App builder, Business Advisor, Co-Founder
Arouti Agoupi has a distinguished career marked by founding and scaling various enterprises, notably achieving significant growth in a logistics company. Transitioning into the mental health sector, Agoupi passionately advocates for leveraging advanced technology to enhance patient care, prioritizing patient satisfaction and accessibility to treatment. His dedication to integrating innovative solutions in healthcare underscores a commitment to improving patient experiences and outcomes.
Dr. Joshua Cohen, Ph. D.
Dr. Cohen is a Media Psychologist with clinical training from Pacifica Graduate Institute and Walden University. He's worked with various populations in hospitals and community mental health settings. He is also an experienced film/video editor, having worked on "A" list projects in Hollywood with notable figures in the film industry. Dr. Cohen authored and co-edited the first-of-its-kind book, Video and Filmmaking as Psychotherapy: Research and Practice, which is in the National Library of Medicine and draws from sources in Psychology, Counseling, Anthropology, Social Work, and Art Therapy. In addition, Dr. Cohen was the editor of Film/Video-Based Therapy and Trauma.
Psychology Consultant
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ADVISORS
Patch Adams, MD
Dr. Patch Adams is an American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, and author. He was portrayed by Robin Williams in the 1998 film "Patch Adams." He founded the Gesundheit! Institute for local medical care.Patch Adams is best known for his work as a medical doctor and a clown, but he is also a social activist who has devoted over 40 years of his life to changing America’s healthcare system. He believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process. Each year he organizes volunteers from around the world to travel to various countries where they dress as clowns to bring humor to orphans, patients, ...and other people.
Cynthia Shelby Lane, MD
Cynthia Shelby-Lane, MD, also known as "the agelessdoctor", is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and Second City Comedy School in Chicago. She trained as a surgeon at the University of Texas in Houston. She is board-certified in anti-aging, alternative and complementary medicine
Jeffrey Gurian, DDS
Consultant in the recovery world for 25 years and one of the only doctors with a long-standing comedy career having worked with and interviewed names like Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler, Tracy Morgan, Billy Crystal, Ray Romano, Chris Rock, Nick Kroll, John Mulaney and more. Also the author of two self-help bestsellers “Healing Your Heart By Changing Your Mind: A Spiritual And Humorous Approach To Achieving Happiness”, and “Fight The Fear-Overcoming Obstacles That Stand In Your Way.”
Craig Shoemaker
Craig is an internationally-known stand up comedian, with guest appearances in all the major TV networks, and his own specials on HBO and Netflix. Craig founded Laughter Heals, and LH and LMD have partnered up to benefit the most beleaguered people in healthcare: Nurses. Laughter Heals was formed for the same reason as LaughMD: To answer the question, "If laughter is the best medicine, why don't we use it as medicine?"
Paul Jacobson, MD
Dr. J is an expert in the fields of Applied Psycho-Neuro-Immunology (PNI) & Behavioral Medicine. PNI is the scientific evidence-based cornerstone of the Laughter is the Best Medicine paradigm. Dr. J Is an early pioneer in the future of Tele-Health and the interface of innovative applications for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. J is the original Endorpho-Maniac utilizing custom-crafted Tele-Health Humor as medicine for difficult-to-treat populations.
Lt. Col. Robin Phoenix Johnson, US Army (Ret.)
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Robin “Phoenix” Johnson served over twenty years in the U.S. Army, with career highlights including five combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and commanding at both the company and battalion levels.
After hanging up her boots, Robin picked up a microphone and now tours internationally as a stand-up comedian with Armed Forces Entertainment. She brings a powerful blend of leadership experience and humor to stages and boardrooms around the globe.
Robin is a Hoover Institution Veteran Fellow at Stanford University and is a Certified Humor Professional accredited by the Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor. Robin is a recognized expert in leveraging humor as a strategic tool to sharpen problem-solving, boost cognitive performance, and cultivate positive organizational cultures. Her keynotes and workshops have empowered audiences at top organizations like Samsung, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, and Comcast to harness the transformative power of laughter.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sandra Coufal, MD
Board of Directors Chair
Dr. Coufal's interest consists of applying her fund of knowledge and skill set acquired over the past 30 years as a physician and serial entrepreneur to the development of productsand companies in the areas of medicine, chemistry, biotechnology, digital technology, and material sciences.
Prof. Frank Chindamo, CHP
Founder/CEO
Frank began his media career in writing and production at SNL. He's won 30+ awards for writing/producing comedy videos for HBO, Showtime, CBS, PBS, Comedy Central and more. He launched the world’s first mobile comedy channel, featured on the front pages of Forbes, the LA Times, and in the Wall Street Journal and the NY Times. Former Adjunct Professor in Web Video at USC, UCLA and Chapman University. Certified Humor Professional through the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor.
Rick Barnett
Board of Directors
Former CEO, Satellite Healthcare, Vizient (formerly VHA), and Mercy Medical Center. Chairman of the Board for the National Kidney Foundation – CA, NV & Pacific NW Region. MBA from California State University, Fullerton. He is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and a certified director by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Strategic Growth Expert, Corporate Board Member & Healthcare Entrepreneur
with 35+ Years of Leadership Growing & Turning Around Organizations while Consistently Elevating Employee, Physician & Patient Engagement
TEAM
Aristotle Zeng
Research Coordinator
Aristotle Zeng is currently a volunteer at Kaiser Permanente and a Biology pre-med senior at Pepperdine University. Over the past five years, Aristotle has helped co-found the student-led 503c nonprofit organization the International Youth Tobacco Control (IYTC). Through the organization's efforts, he has helped internationally spread smoking awareness to 120,000 youth and legislatively
impacted 14 million adolescents via legislative reform and educational activities. With a passion for always helping those in need, Aristotle is excited at the prospect of working at LaughMD to bring smiles to those who need it the most.
Neha Reddy
Content Director
Neha Reddy comes to LaughMD after working at ViacomCBS in content distribution and most recently, at Hulu in partner marketing. She’s a first-year MBA student at UCLA Anderson, specializing in Entertainment and Technology, and a southern California native. She joined the LaughMD team to help build out a winning product and content
strategy. Neha is excited to be part of a passionate group of individuals looking to
harness the power of laughter and make the world a healthier, happier place.
Amanda Kay Lipp
Creative Director
Amanda is a passionate social entrepreneur and award-winning filmmaker focused on mental health. She has served on numerous national boards including Google's Mental Health Advisory Panel, and the youngest board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). As a passionate storyteller, she has directed over 100 short films with leading organizations, and has given over 150 keynotes since age 18 in partnership with major speaking bureaus. Amanda graduated from UC Davis.
"Laughter has been critical to managing my own well-being, and also the grieving process with family. I believe laughter can offer a glimmer of joy even in the darkest of times"
David Groves
Strategy Consultant
David Groves, MBA, USC, has joined LaughMD as part of the Business Development team. David has more than 20 years of Management, Marketing and Business Development experience in the medical and technology fields. He was recently CEO of a company in the robotics space and worked for many years in Cardiac Rhythm Management. He has raised $Millions through Reg A and Reg D financing rounds. Currently, he is a partner in an Urgent Care Center and Surgery Center.
Prof. Ron Friedman
Comedy Consultant
Ron is the comedy writer and creator of such icons as "The Fonz" from Happy Days, "Mork" from Mork and Mindy (starring Robin Williams, and the Transformer and G.I. Joe Movies. He wrote for those shows plus: Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, My Favorite Martian and hundreds more. He was the top comedy writing Professor at USC and Chapman Universities and brings that knowledge to LaughMD as an Advisor, friend, and spirit animal.
Sales/Strategy
Michael is our Chief Sales Officer., with a B.S. in Psychobiology. Salesperson for 37 years bringing experience in customer care to the forefront. As someone living with Leukemia and regularly going through the infusion process, Citrin understands the patient's perspective. Seeking entertainment to help pass the time of the infusion process, he discovered LaughMD and joined the team to spread the word that Laughter truly is the best medicine.