Dr. Susan Schlussel-Braun, DDS, built a demanding professional life long before the Braun family became widely associated with music, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. An orthodontist based in Connecticut, she completed dental school in 1981, the same year her eldest son, Scott “Scooter” Braun, was born.
Her life has unfolded largely away from entertainment headlines. Together with her husband, Dr. Ervin Braun, Susan raised a family in Greenwich, Connecticut, while maintaining a career in dentistry. Their household eventually grew beyond their three biological children when the couple became legal guardians to two young basketball players from Mozambique, creating one of the most distinctive chapters in the Braun family story.
Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dr. Susan Schlussel-Braun, DDS |
| Known As | Susan Braun |
| Maiden Name | Schlussel |
| Age | 70 as of 2026 |
| Profession | Dentist and orthodontist |
| Dental School | Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine |
| Graduation Year | 1981 |
| Education | Stony Brook University; Columbia University |
| Clinical Affiliation | Old Greenwich, Connecticut; NYU Department of Orthodontics |
| Spouse | Dr. Ervin Braun |
| Biological Children | Scott “Scooter” Braun, Adam Braun, and Liza Braun |
| Extended Family | Sam Manhanga and Cornelio Guibunda through legal guardianship |
| Longtime Family Base | Greenwich and Cos Cob, Connecticut |
Early Life and Family Roots
Susan was born Susan Schlussel and experienced serious loss at an early age. Scooter has spoken about his mother losing her father when she was only 11 years old and growing up with limited financial security. That childhood placed education, stability, and self-reliance at the center of the life she later built for herself.
Those experiences also help explain an important feature of the Braun household: the willingness to make room for other people when they needed support. Rather than treating the family’s comfortable life in Connecticut as something guaranteed, Susan and Ervin raised their children with an awareness that circumstances could change quickly and that opportunity carried responsibilities.
Education and a Career in Orthodontics
Susan entered dentistry at a time when completing professional school required years of intensive academic and clinical preparation. She graduated from the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine in 1981, becoming part of a small and closely connected graduating class.
Her educational history also includes Columbia University, while her professional career became connected with the NYU Department of Orthodontics in New York City. In Connecticut, she established herself as an orthodontic professional serving the Greenwich area, with a practice address associated with 17 Meadow Place in Old Greenwich.
Susan maintained a lasting connection with her dental-school classmates. In September 2021, members of the Class of 1981 reunited for their 40th anniversary and created a scholarship fund designed to help future Doctor of Dental Surgery students. Susan was among the alumni participating in the reunion, more than four decades after completing her own dental education.
Marriage to Dr. Ervin Braun
Susan’s husband, Dr. Ervin Braun, also pursued dentistry, eventually specializing in prosthetic dental restoration. The couple met at the University of Pennsylvania and later settled in the Greenwich area, where professional life, family responsibilities, and Ervin’s involvement in basketball became closely intertwined.
Ervin’s family history added another layer to the values of their home. His parents survived the Holocaust and later left Hungary for the United States. Susan’s own experience of losing her father young meant both parents came into adulthood with family histories shaped by disruption and uncertainty. Their children consequently grew up hearing about resilience not as an abstract idea, but as part of their own family’s past.
Raising Scott, Adam and Liza Braun in Greenwich
Susan and Ervin had three biological children: Scott, Adam, and Liza Braun. They raised them in Greenwich, one of Connecticut’s most affluent communities, yet the family environment placed strong emphasis on effort, school, athletics, and personal responsibility.
Basketball became particularly important through Ervin, who founded the Connecticut Flame AAU basketball program. Scott and Adam played competitive sports, while Liza developed into an accomplished multi-sport athlete. The family’s sports world brought their children into contact with teammates from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds rather than limiting their experiences to Greenwich.
Liza Braun developed an impressive athletic résumé of her own. At Greenwich High School, she earned state and county honors and helped the lacrosse team win the 2005 Connecticut state championship. She later played Division I women’s lacrosse as a defender at Duke University, where she also followed a pre-medicine path while studying history.
How Sam Manhanga and Cornelio Guibunda Became Part of the Family
The Braun family changed permanently after Sam Manhanga and Cornelio Guibunda, two teenage basketball players from Mozambique, encountered serious difficulties after arriving in the United States. They had been brought to America through a recruiter who promised them educational opportunities connected to basketball, but the arrangement fell apart.
Ervin learned about their situation through basketball and invited them into the family’s Connecticut home. What initially looked like temporary assistance became something much more significant. Susan and Ervin eventually served as legal guardians to Sam and Cornelio, and both teenagers became part of everyday Braun family life alongside Scott, Adam, and Liza.
The two young men also became accomplished players in the United States. Sam later played college basketball at Brown University. Cornelio played at Georgetown University before continuing his college career at American University. Their story turned what could have been a failed opportunity abroad into an educational and athletic path that continued well beyond high school.
Five Children, Five Different Paths
By the time the family matured, the Braun household had produced an unusually varied collection of professional and personal paths. Scooter Braun entered entertainment and business after attending Emory University, eventually becoming one of the best-known executives and former talent managers of his generation.
Adam Braun moved toward entrepreneurship and education philanthropy. He founded Pencils of Promise, an organization focused on expanding access to education, after experiences that deepened his interest in disparities affecting children around the world. His upbringing in a household that had welcomed Sam and Cornelio gave him direct exposure to how dramatically a change in opportunity could alter a young person’s future.
Liza’s direction combined academics and collegiate athletics, while Sam and Cornelio used basketball as a route into American higher education. The siblings’ paths were very different, but education and competitive sports remained common threads connecting much of the family.
Philanthropy and Public Appearances
Susan has appeared publicly at events connected with the charitable work of her children, particularly Pencils of Promise. She and Ervin attended organization galas across multiple years, and on September 25, 2025, they joined Adam at the Pencils of Promise Gala in New York City. Susan and Ervin also appeared together onstage during the event.
The family’s public involvement has extended to other causes as well. In November 2024, Scooter was honored during the 30th anniversary In Concert Against Hate event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., recognizing his role in bringing the Nova Music Festival Exhibition to audiences in the United States. The event reflected the Braun family’s continuing engagement with causes connected to Jewish identity, remembrance, education, and community.
Susan’s appearances remain closely tied to family milestones and causes rather than a separate entertainment career. That pattern fits the professional life she established decades earlier: dentistry first, followed by family commitments and selective participation in events meaningful to those closest to her.
Susan Braun’s Social Media and Professional Presence
Susan’s most visible online presence is professional rather than entertainment-focused. Her LinkedIn profile identifies her with Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and connects her career with the NYU Department of Orthodontics, while Columbia University appears in her education history. The profile reflects the clinical career that has defined most of her working life rather than the celebrity-oriented social presence associated with her eldest son.
Interesting Facts About Susan Braun
- Susan’s Stony Brook dental class consisted of only 22 students, creating an unusually small and close-knit graduating group.
- Her Class of 1981 became the first class at the dental school to establish its own scholarship fund for future students.
- Official Duke athletics records identify Scott, Adam, Sam, and Cornelio as Liza Braun’s four brothers, reflecting how fully Sam and Cornelio became part of the family.
- Cornelio Guibunda had represented Mozambique in basketball before his American college career and later played for Georgetown and American University.
- Susan and Ervin were still appearing together in support of Adam’s education work in 2025, more than two decades after their children had reached adulthood.
Conclusion
Susan Braun’s life stands on more than her connection to Scooter Braun. She built a career in orthodontics, maintained ties with the dental community for decades, raised three children with Ervin, and helped transform the futures of two additional young men when Sam Manhanga and Cornelio Guibunda became part of their home.
The family’s later achievements took very different forms—music and business for Scooter, educational philanthropy for Adam, collegiate athletics and academics for Liza, and American higher education for Sam and Cornelio. Behind those separate stories sits a household shaped by education, resilience, competitive drive, family responsibility, and a willingness to make room for others.
FAQs
Who is Susan Braun?
Susan Braun is an American orthodontist and dentist best known publicly as the mother of entertainment executive Scott “Scooter” Braun and entrepreneur Adam Braun.
What is Susan Braun’s maiden name?
Her maiden name is Schlussel. Dental-school alumni materials also identify her professionally as Dr. Susan Schlussel-Braun.
Where did Susan Braun go to dental school?
Susan graduated from the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine in 1981 and later built her professional career around orthodontics.
Who is Susan Braun’s husband?
She is married to Dr. Ervin Braun, a dental professional whose life has also included decades of involvement in youth and competitive basketball.
How are Sam Manhanga and Cornelio Guibunda related to Susan Braun?
Susan and Ervin became legal guardians to Sam and Cornelio after the two Mozambican teenagers needed a stable home and educational path in the United States.
