#308 On the Rocks — Shameek Popat
Description
Shameek Popat takes us on a remarkable journey from his early days as a Ugandan-born dentist to becoming a serial entrepreneur disrupting the oral care industry.
After 23 years of successful practice ownership, Shameek sold to Portman Dental and launched Tooth Angel, a luxury, eco-friendly oral care brand that's challenging the sustainability narrative in dentistry.
Now he's back with Disruptive Smiles, partnering with renowned educators to bring premium composite materials to UK dentists.
This conversation reveals a man who's never lost his childhood curiosity, whether he's crafting whisky blends, designing sustainable toothbrushes, or simply asking the big questions about contentment versus pleasure.
In This Episode
00:02:35 - Philosophy and losing senses
00:05:10 - Personal adaptability
00:07:40 - Contentment versus pleasure
00:09:10 - Beauty in imperfection
00:11:40 - Tooth Angel sustainability mission
00:16:50 - Research-backed product development
00:20:15 - Manual versus electric preference
00:24:30 - Dentist-made products
00:34:25 - Investment and funding strategy
00:50:35 - Uganda origins and Idi Amin
00:53:15 - Education journey to Manchester
00:57:50 - Dental school with Avi Banerjee
01:00:30 - Early practice ownership
01:04:30 - Kois transformation
01:15:20 - Team retention philosophy
01:20:10 - Whisky passion projects
01:24:00 - Practice sale emotions
01:26:40 - Disruptive Smiles launch
01:35:40 - Blackbox thinking
01:47:00 - Fantasy dinner party
About Shameek Popat
Shameek Popat is a Kois-trained dentist who spent 23 years building and running successful practices before selling to Portman Dental. He's the founder of Tooth Angel, a luxury eco-friendly oral care brand, and co-founder of Disruptive Smiles, which distributes premium composite materials alongside clinical education. Born in Uganda and educated across three continents, Shameek brings a unique global perspective to everything he creates.