About the Face To Face Foundation

The Face to Face Foundation was created to help families and individuals bear the on-going financial cost of cleft lip and/or palate and other craniofacial anomalies.   Most private and government insurance does not adequately cover the on-going specialized care required to treat these patients properly. Many craniofacial birth differences can cause issues with speech, feeding, dental and boney development.  Patients may experience emotional and social issues related to their facial differences. In addition to helping patients access medical care our grants can help a family access important mental health support if needed as well.

The Face to Face Foundation aims to keep funds raised in our  local community close to home by sponsoring families in our greater Charlotte area that are in need. Watch our video for more information!

What Is The Future For These Children?

If  patients with craniofacial birth differences have full access to multi-disciplinary team care, they should have every expectation of living happy, normal lives. When access to  specialized care is limited by financial constraints, it can have negative lifelong effects. Our goal is to help families afford the highest level of care possible so that those smiles shine no matter how young or old the patient.

Face to Face Foundation Non-Profit Board of Directors

The administration and distribution of the funds are overseen by the Face to Face Foundation Board of Directors, who will accept and review applications for funding on a quarterly basis. All Foundation Board Members are local professionals who volunteer their time.

Whitney Kapitan

— Chair
Whitney Kapitan is a seasoned professional with 22 years of experience in dental sales and practice consulting, collaborating with both local and international companies. As she transitioned from a successful corporate career, Whitney co-founded Clinicians Implant Academy with her husband. Her commitment to community service is evident in her volunteer work with the Queen City Pregnancy Resource Center, where she focuses on supporting Charlotte-based women. Her passion for making a difference was further ignited through mission trips to Guatemala, where she contributed to cleft care efforts and remains dedicated to addressing ongoing cleft needs. She considers it a privilege to be part of the Face to Face Foundation serving as Chair.
 
Her personal interest in food and wine tends to lead to treating others around the dinner table. She and her husband enjoy entertaining and spending time together in their home shared with three teenagers and a new baby girl. 

Dr. Rick Kapitan

— Founder

Dr. Kapitan is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon specializing in cleft and craniofacial surgery, bone grafting / regeneration, and complex implant-based jaw reconstruction for children and adults with congenital conditions and other facial defects. He is a partner in Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery, Chairman of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Novant Medical Center, and a member of multiple cleft, craniofacial, and maxillofacial surgical associations, including the American College of Surgeons, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Kapitan is currently volunteer adjunct faculty in OMS at the Louisiana State University and has held similar roles with the University of Florida, and with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In addition to educating surgical residents and fellows, Dr. Kapitan continues to lecture nationally and internationally, is the founder of an implant-surgery based educational consulting company and is the co-founder of a national annual cleft/craniofacial symposium.

A strong believer in the importance of humanitarian and philanthropic endeavors, Dr. Kapitan is the founder of the Face To Face Foundation, a Carolinas-based non-profit that awards medical grants for cleft-affected patients and families. As career-long international surgical volunteer, Dr. Kapitan has been on dozens of humanitarian trips to provide free cleft and craniofacial surgeries for patients throughout Central America, South America, and Africa. He is on the Board of Directors of the Free To Smile Foundation, and serves as a volunteer for the CURE Hospital network, and for the World Medical Mission; a division of Samaritan’s Purse.

Dr. Kapitan is married with four children and lives in Charlotte, NC. He and his family are member of Carmel Baptist Church, and in spare time, he enjoys multiple outdoor pursuits, and entertaining family and friends.

Dara Larson

— Secretary

Dara is a family law attorney working in Charlotte North Carolina handling divorces, child custody, and adoption cases.  Dara owns her own firm, Duncan Larson Law, PLLC.  She has been practicing law for over ten years and is licensed in both North Carolina and California.  Dara was drawn to the foundation after becoming aware of the large gap between insurance coverage and the actual cost of treatment.  While many of these cases are categorized as “elective” by insurance companies, within our own families and for our own children not taking action would never be an option.

In her free time, Dara enjoys spending time with her husband Dan and dog Mikaela.  She enjoys cooking, traveling, and watching sports, especially Formula One Racing.  Dara is a pseudo native Charlottean and attended East Meck high school. After spending time around the country and around the world, Dara and her husband moved to Charlotte to settle down and start her law practice.

Sara Meyer

— Treasurer
Sara’s journey with Face to Face began with a simple accounting question, which soon blossomed into a deep-seated passion for the cause. Initially unfamiliar with the challenges faced by the cleft affected community, Sara quickly became committed after learning about the medical, financial, and emotional hurdles these families endure.  Inspired by the dedication and expertise of the Face to Face team, she was honored to join the board in Spring 2024. 
 
With over 13 years of experience at Deloitte in International Tax, Sara has provided strategic advice to multinational corporations on transactions, restructurings, regulatory changes and ongoing compliance. She brings accounting, tax and financial experience to Face to Face and is eager to support the organization’s mission through her professional skills. 
 
Born and raised in Illinois, Sara graduated from Miami University in 2011. She relocated from Chicago to Charlotte in 2016, and has embraced this welcoming city as her own.  Sara hosts weekly dinners for her neighbors, enjoys gardening and cherishes time with her lovable mutt. Her commitment to community and family drives her dedication to Face to Face’s important work. 

Tyler Phillips

— Community Outreach
As an Administrator at D Brian Williams, DDS, PA, Tyler C Phillips brings a wealth of expertise in managing dental offices and ensuring seamless operations. With a passion for helping others, Tyler has dedicated his career to improving patient care and administrative efficiency within the healthcare sector.
 
Beyond his professional pursuits, Tyler finds joy in sports and exploring new destinations through travel. His adventurous spirit is complemented by a deep commitment to community service, having served on multiple boards and provided consultancy to offices across the country.
 
Tyler’s personal life is equally fulfilling, sharing his home with three beloved dogs—Sophie, Buddy, and Gunner—and a cherished cat named George. He finds strength and support in his marriage to Brian, cherishing their life together.

Mikki Weaver

— Donor Engagement
Mikki Weaver is a healthcare professional with a passion for patient advocacy. With 9+ years of experience in oral surgery and cleft lip, cleft palate and craniofacial care coordination, she has developed a deep expertise in many of the facets of cleft and craniofacial care. 
 
Born and raised in North Carolina, Mikki cultivated an early interest in helping others through her commitment to volunteerism with a non-profit Summer camp that provided respite for children with a variety of diagnoses ranging from Spina Bifida and Hemophilia to Cystic Fibrosis and Cancer.  This passion for understanding the experiences of others eventually led to her pursuit of a degree in Anthropology at NC State University, where she graduated with honors in 2003.
 
Professionally, Mikki has contributed to the growth and development of Charlotte’s only ACPA approved multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial team. Demonstrating a strong ability in compassionate patient education, she feels blessed and privileged to have had the opportunity to partner with patients and families in all stages of their cleft journey. She is known for her unwavering dedication to her patients and for her tenacious approach to patient advocacy.
 
Beyond her professional achievements, Mikki loves to travel as much as possible. She enjoys exploring new places both domestically and internationally and is greatly rewarded by participating on medical mission trips several times a year. In her free time, Mikki enjoys visiting her kids at college, attending concerts and ACC football games, GO PACK!!  She loves cooking and enjoys sharing time with friends and loved ones, especially around a table. 
Through her work with the Face 2 Face Foundation, Mikki takes pride in contributing to this very special community. 

Stephanie Hassen

— Executive Director
Stephanie Hassen and her husband were introduced to the cleft community when they welcomed their second daughter, Quinnley, in 2020.  The first-hand experience she has had with her daughter’s development ignited a passion to help.  
 
Stephanie grew up on the East Coast, traveling with her Marine Corps family.  She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education.  After teaching for eight years, Stephanie took some time to be home with her three children.  With a little more free time on her hands and looking to get involved, Stephanie took an interest in the F2F Foundation in 2023.  Since then, she has been appointed as the Executive Director and thrives on the challenge of helping the foundation reach its potential.  Having a cleft affected daughter brought a level of empathy and advocacy for cleft affected families which can only come about from having walked in those shoes.  
 
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with family, trying new recipes, and reading.  She is passionate about investing in relationships, finding the positive in this crazy life, and not taking moments for granted.  Sharing experiences with her husband, Bryan, and their three children is her greatest joy.  Stephanie looks forward to many years of success helping cleft-affected families in the Charlotte area.