All Speakers

Jeff Alix is global head of business development, palatability and microbiome in the Pet Business Group under the Taste, Texture and Health Business Unit at dsm-firmenich. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from California State University; plus he attended comprehensive academic courses in food science offered through Nestle. During his 41-year career in the pet food industry, Alix has gained experience across various functional disciplines including pet food ingredients, flavor development and food science followed by sales, business development and marketing. Before joining DSM, he was a research scientist at Nestle and a technical support and product development manager at Bioproducts (acquired by AFB International). For an interim period at DSM, Alix was the pet industry global business head for the DSM-Evonik joint-venture company Veramaris.

Michael Allison is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Purple Heart recipient and CEO of the Adversity Academy Leadership Development Co. With over two decades of leadership experience, he has empowered high-level individuals and Fortune 500 organizations to break through limitations and embrace a mindset of growth and accountability. His journey through the aftermath of 9/11 and the Iraq War, where he led critical missions, shaped his unique approach to leadership under extreme pressure. Allison’s entrepreneurial journey has seen him successfully launch multiple businesses, earning recognition from outlets like INC 5000, Franchise Consultant, USA Today and ESPN. He was honored with the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana Wesleyan University. Additionally, his insights have been featured in media including VFW Magazine, NBC, multiple podcasts, TEDx stages and About Face Military Mental Health Tribute.

Shawn Baier’s responsibilities at TSI Group include new business development, research and development management, as well as identifying and acquiring new technologies for commercialization. He holds a master of science from Iowa State University and a master of business administration from the University of Iowa. Previously, he served as a research scientist with MTI Biotech, with specific responsibilities for overseeing outside research projects related to HMB and muscle performance and health; later, he also became director of sales and marketing, then chief operating officer. Baier also worked for the Iowa State University Center for Designing Foods as an assistant to the director responsible for managing all research projects at the center, including administration of a year-long, NIH/NIA-funded research study investigating the benefits of HMB for older adults.

Anne Ballou, Ph.D., technical director at SIWA, works to support healthy and happy animals by improving gastrointestinal health and function. She received her bachelor of science and master of science in animal science from the University of Kentucky and her Ph.D. in functional genomics from North Carolina State University, where she studied the relationships between gastrointestinal bacteria and host immune function. Ballou overlays molecular biology, data science and immunology in her research to understand and promote microbiomes that contribute to animal health and function.

Hana Bieliauskas leads Inspire’s southern office in Asheville, North Carolina, oversees the company’s digital practice and directs its marketing. With 15 years of public relations and digital marketing experience — primarily serving food, agriculture, nonprofit and pet care clients — she has worked on more than 100 digital campaigns that have won national and regional awards. Prior to joining Inspire, Bieliauskas oversaw communications at a national children’s advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. A graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in political science. Bieliauskas has served on the marketing committees for Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Central & SE Ohio and Girls on the Run of Central Ohio, and she served for two terms on the board of Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina.

After graduating and working in private practice as a veterinarian, Niels Blees, MSc., DVM, began his Ph.D. program and concurrent residency at the European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition at Utrecht University. With his project, he collaborates with Darling Ingredients to study the potential effects of collagen hydrolysates in dogs with osteoarthritis. In 2023, Blees won the ESVCN-Waltham Award for his work on the bioavailability of collagen hydrolysates in dogs, leading to presenting the work at the American Association of Veterinary Nutrition conference. He has taught post-graduate courses on nutrition for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, teaching students and taking them along in the amazing world of pet food and nutrition.

Dana Brooks is the president and CEO of PFI in Washington, D.C. She has worked in government relations for 24 years, representing a range of agricultural and food interests. Brooks has received the Women in Agribusiness Ambassador Award and been named a Woman of Influence by Pet Age and Top 50. She also serves as an officer of the board of directors for Pet Partners.

Allison Burdick is a sustainability analyst with the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), an industry non-profit supporting companies with their sustainability goals. In that role, she spearheads PSC's ingredients and formulation initiatives, as well as its partnership with HowGood, a sustainability database for products and ingredients.

Antonio Cabras, based in Italy, has 10 years of experience in the packaging industry, specializing in solutions for the pet food sector with a strong focus on sustainability. Additionally, he brings 20 years of expertise in marketing and communication, having founded a digital marketing and communication agency, and is passionate about technology.

Louise Calderwood is the American Feed Industry Association’s director of regulatory affairs, providing leadership on regulatory and state issues related to pet food and general regulatory issues. She works closely with committee leadership of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Formerly Calderwood was the government relations director for the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance and Vermont’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Calderwood holds degrees in dairy science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and animal science from the University of Vermont. She is a frequent presenter at state association meetings and public forums related to the animal food industry.

Ed de Souza is a professional in food extrusion technology with a 30-year career at Wenger Manufacturing LLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and a business administration degree from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Brasil. Known for his deep technical expertise and leadership, de Souza has become a trusted consultant in extrusion process for pet food. Throughout his tenure at Wenger, he has served in various roles, including his leadership in establishing Wenger do Brasil in Valinhos — a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Currently serving as process director, Wenger Process Solutions, de Souza's hands-on approach and commitment to efficiency have consistently helped customers optimize operations and achieve outstanding results. Beyond his professional achievements, he is deeply committed to education, service and innovation, establishing him as a key resource for customers and academic institutions, and further advancing the field of extrusion technology.

Roger Gerlach is currently the director of global pet food sales for APC. He has more than 30 years of experience in the pet nutrition category, having held various commercial roles focusing on team leadership, key account management, new business development and category management. Gerlach began his career with the Iams Co. and later Procter & Gamble. He has also worked for Cargill, where he managed private label pet food sales and led branded pet food sales.

Hannah Godfrey is a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College companion animal nutrition research team. She completed her master of science with Adronie Verbrugghe, Ph.D., in 2021, conducting research on lipotropic supplementation in kittens for obesity prevention. Following her master’s degree, Godfrey continued to study the unique nutritional needs of cats as part of her doctoral program and is now focusing on macronutrients in feline health and metabolism. She has multiple authored scientific publications and presented at several conference presentations.

Kathy Gross, Ph.D., DACAN, recently retired after a 32-year career at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., where she held the role of worldwide director of R&D, overseeing the nutritional design, clinical studies and global claims for Hill’s companion animal products. Gross now serves as an adjunct professor at Kansas State University, contributing her expertise to the pet food science and animal health programs on both the Manhattan and Olathe campuses. She also consults on topics such as companion animal nutrition, pet food and ingredient product design, innovation and animal health. Gross earned her Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Kansas State University, a master of science in animal nutrition from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in animal bioscience from Penn State University. She is board certified in animal nutrition and has authored more than 100 publications, abstracts and book chapters, plus earned 20 patents.

With over 20 years of experience in extrusion technology, Jenni Harrington has a wide range of experience in practical application and formulation development for a broad range of products from pasta and cereal to pet food and alternative proteins. She has led dozens of trials and experiments to prove technology and define processes to incorporate a wide range of raw materials in feed and food. Harrington has also spoken at a broad range of technical conferences for feed and food applications for extrusion technology.

Todd Harrison is a partner at the Venable law firm and co-chair of Venable’s FDA Group, guiding clients through the myriad government regulations associated with food and drug labeling and marketing. Working extensively in the areas of food and dietary supplement safety, labeling and advertising claims, Harrison helps clients in the consumer products, drug and medical device, and dietary products industries comply with government regulations. He regularly achieves favorable results in defending clients against Federal Trade Commission advertising complaints, enforcement actions and prosecutions, and overcoming competitor challenges in courts and other forums.

For the past 13 years, Shelly Hein has been an integral part of the senior management team at Petcurean Pet Nutrition, a Canadian company dedicated to providing premium pet food solutions. As vice president of operations, she leads a diverse department that touches many aspects of the business — from demand planning and inventory control to nutrition, quality assurance, innovation and customer care — ensuring that every function reflects Petcurean’s commitment to quality and excellence. Her journey to the pet industry wasn’t a straight path. Armed with a degree in microbiology and an extensive background in automotive manufacturing operations, Hein honed her problem-solving skills and developed a knack for staying calm when things go off the rails. While those abilities remain invaluable, she finds the pet industry far more fulfilling — after all, happiness is a warm puppy.

Marty Heller, Ph.D., has worked as a senior consultant at Blonk Sustainability, a division of Mérieux NutriSciences, since 2021, where he has led LCA projects on crop cultivation, animal production, feed additives, novel protein production and consumer packaged foods. Prior to joining Blonk, he spent 15 years as a research specialist with the Center for Sustainable Systems at University of Michigan, also conducting LCA research primarily on agriculture and food systems, including investigations into the environmental impact of U.S. diets. Heller holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Michigan State University.

MarketPlace is a firm specializing in strategy, research, branding and marketing for pet and human nutrition companies. In more than 12 years there, Nicole Hill has led strategy and research for global business-to-business (B2B) companies and national consumer brands in the pet and human nutrition categories, including Farmland Traditions, BARK, TropiClean, Ultra Chewy , Kerry, Zinpro and SupplySide. She bridges the B2B supply chain and consumer market dynamics to inform product innovation, identify untapped market opportunity and develop and market new brands. In her role, Hill also leads MarketPlace's syndicated research arm: Nextin Research. Focused on pet and human nutrition categories, Nextin provides industry professionals turnkey access to insightful consumer data, trends and insights that help them anticipate what's next in their categories.

Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Ph.D., is interested in research related to agribusiness, marketing, pet food economics, teaching and learning, and assessing program efforts. His research focuses on analyzing current marketing strategies, customer behavior and product demand to inform product design and marketing decisions in the food and agriculture industry, and particularly the pet food sector. In addition to his work in agribusiness management, Hobbs also aims to enhance student, faculty and employee experiences through research to improve programming, recruitment and teaching. His current research areas include identifying relevant and interesting research problems, examining factors contributing to pet obesity, estimating pet food demand structure and utilizing online customer review data to evaluate the effectiveness of product attribute differentiation.

Karen Jones leads the learning and development at NextUp, a nonprofit organization that works to empower women in the workplace through leadership development, programming and inspiring events. Her team manages the design and delivery of the leadership development programs and assessment processes for partner organizations. Jones has more than 15 years of experience in organizational effectiveness, leadership development, talent management, inclusion strategy design and execution, change leadership and organizational process improvement. She has served as an executive in Fortune 500 companies including American Express, Sara Lee Corporation, U.S. Cellular and Ulta Beauty. Jones has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Grambling State University and a master of arts in organization leadership from Gonzaga University.

Brian Klein is a principal scientist within the Microbiome group in the Global Science & Research organization at dsm-firmenich, leading a team supporting all business units addressing the impact of biotics on human and companion animal health and wellness. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at Bates College, then his Ph.D. in molecular microbiology at Tufts University School and Medicine as an NRSA F31 fellow studying microbe-microbe interactions and the effects of mutagenesis on the human oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. Klein was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship via the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and carried out work at the Harvard Dental School/Forsyth Institute to better understand athlete microbiomes and athletic facilities’ microorganisms. Prior to joining dsm-firmenich, he led the microbiology and translational medicine groups at Vedanta Biosciences and founded his own company, BrickBuilt Therapeutics; he then sold it to DermBiont Inc., where he worked until joining dsm-firmenich in 2022.

Leah Lambrakis is the vice president of research and development, nutrition and scientific affairs for Simmons Pet Food and Simmons Animal Nutrition. She leads a team of 35 scientists that drives nutrition, pet food formulation, process engineering, ingredient technology and innovation. Lambrakis has a life-long passion for nutrition, health and wellness, new and innovative advances on how to feed our pets better and consumer insights for pets and pet parents. In her 24-plus-year career, she has developed deep knowledge in pet food science. In addition to supporting her team at Simmons, Lambrakis also enjoys immersing herself in the industry with her involvement with the Pet Food Institute’s Nutrition Subcommittee as vice-chair; she is also a board of trustee member with the Morris Animal Foundation and most recently has joined the Pet Food Association of Canada's board of directors. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in animal science and animal nutrition from the University of Guelph.

Shannon Landry is pet brand manager at Packaged Facts, a leading authority on the U.S. pet industry and a division of the Freedonia Group. She has been researching the pet market for more than a decade, covering a range of topics including pet food and treats, with a focus on the U.S. market. Landry is a regular contributor to PETS International magazine and VetWatch, served as a panelist at Petfood Forum 2024, has most recently presented at GlobalPETS Forum 2025, APPA's Pet Summit and the National Animal Supplement Council's conference.

Matt Longshaw, Ph.D., is research and application manager at Calysta, where he is responsible for the pet food and aquaculture feeds R&D program. Previously, he was the pharmaceutical development manager at an animal health company, with responsibility for developing medicines for use in aquaculture, and a senior research scientist for the U.K. government, heading up a team working on individual and population level effects of disease. Longshaw has a Ph.D. in veterinary pathology and is an elected member of the Royal Society for Biology. He has presented extensively at national and international conferences and to a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at several universities, and has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in disease and nutrition of terrestrial and aquatic animals.

Matt Lueger is executive vice president of sales and marketing at NorthWind Technical Services. With 20 years of experience in controls and automation and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas, he specializes in helping manufacturers in the food and beverage, plastic and pet food industries find automation solutions to enhance plant efficiency. He and NorthWind are committed to being on the leading edge of AI solutions for manufacturing operations, striving to develop usable, reliable solutions for manufacturers trying to leverage the fast-growing technology.

Rajan Lukose, Ph.D., is a thought leader and the chief data scientist at Cambridge Technology, a global technology services provider helping U.S.-based and international companies transform their operations by leveraging the cloud, data analytics, artificial Intelligence and machine learning. Cambridge PetTech, a division of Cambridge Technology, has been serving the pet food industry for over 20 years, helping solve complex animal health IT challenges across research, testing, manufacturing, sales and marketing disciplines. Lukose has led and participated in numerous industry events, including speaking engagements at conferences, universities, webinars, workshops and senior management presentations, where he has shared his expertise and knowledge on a variety of technology-related topics and their applicability across industries and disciplines.

Betty McPhee is a passionate advocate for pets and a trusted leader in the pet food industry. With a career spanning global sales and leadership roles at respected companies like Omega Protein, Cargill, Trouw Nutrition and Ameri-Pac, she brings a wealth of experience in regulatory compliance, technical sales, marketing and product innovation. McPhee’s deep understanding of the industry is matched by her active involvement in shaping its future — she has served on numerous committees with the American Feed Industry Association, Pet Food Institute and Association of American Feed Control Officials. McPhee studied marketing and management at Denver University, completed executive leadership training at the University of Chicago and pursued manufacturing studies at Texas A&M. Outside of work, she gives back through volunteer service and board leadership, including with the Nebraska Humane Society Friends Forever, Women in Petfood Leadership and her local HOA.

Ana Rita Monforte, Ph.D., is flavor and data sciences manager at AFB International and has been with the company for three years. She holds a doctorate in mechanisms for flavor formation and a deep understanding of data modeling. Monforte has presented at several scientific congresses regarding flavor formation in foods, with particular attention to linking palatability with chemical composition. At AFB, her focus has been on searching for new ingredients capable of increasing palatability as well as applying artificial intelligence modeling coupled with several analytical tools.

Lara Moody is the Institute for Feed Education and Research’s (IFEEDER) executive director. She provides leadership to the public charity’s activities including program development, strategic partnerships and collaborative resourcing, working closely with IFEEDER’s board of trustees and committee members. Moody also collaborates with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) to pursue and communicate the institute’s work, creating opportunities to engage donors and further the dialogue on important issues impacting the feed industry. Previously, she served as the vice president of stewardship and sustainability at the Fertilizer Institute and worked in research and extension programs at Iowa State University and the University of Tennessee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering and master’s degree in biosystems engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Laura Moran is CEO of LPM Innovate, a strategic advisor and fractional innovation leader in the pet food and consumer goods space. She created PetSpark Navigator to help companies speed up innovation and align teams around what really drives growth. Her work also includes M&A assessment and integration, guiding businesses through product, team and operations alignment during periods of transformation. Moran has led innovation at both big names and scrappy startups, from creating Temptations cat treats at Mars to launching 150+ new products and boosting margins at BARK. She now helps companies strengthen their product pipelines, scale operations and drive sustainable growth. Moran is also co-chair of Women in Petfood Leadership and is a mentor at Vanderbilt’s Wond’ry Innovation Center, where she helps future innovators find their path.

Angelique Myburgh, a registered professional in animal science, holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in agricultural animal science from the University of Stellenbosch, plus a certificate in canine and feline nutrition from the University of Southern Illinois. Her career includes research focused on plains zebra meat quality, leading to a 2023 publication and future work in the same domain. As the nutrition and development specialist at Montego Pet Nutrition, Africa’s leading pet food company, Myburgh specializes in pet food development across various formats, including dry, wet and semi-moist products, with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability and nutritional excellence.

Simone Obetti is currently the CEO of Velvet USA Inc - Packaging & Equipment Solutions, based in Brooklyn, New York. In this role, he oversees all operations, driving growth and expanding the company’s footprint in the U.S. market since January 2024. Leading a dynamic team, Obetti focuses on delivering innovative packaging solutions and building strategic partnerships to meet the evolving needs of Velvet’s clients.

Alex Rankovic, Ph.D., is research associate at the University of Guelph, specializing in companion animal and equine nutrition. She earned her MSc. and Ph.D. in companion animal nutrition at the University of Guelph, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with Anna Kate Shoveller, Ph.D. Rankovic’s doctoral research focused on the role of dietary choline in fat metabolism in cats, advancing knowledge in nutrient utilization and metabolic health. A published researcher and award-winning presenter, Rankovic also shares her expertise as a host of the Pet Food Science Podcast and as a lecturer of undergraduate and graduate courses in animal nutrition.

Allison Reser is a sustainability leader dedicated to driving impactful change in the pet industry. As the director of sustainability & innovation at the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), she oversees programs that address climate action, sustainable packaging and responsible sourcing. With a master of science in sustainability management from Columbia University, Reser has diverse experience ranging from environmental education to circular economy advocacy. A skilled project manager and speaker, she collaborates with industry leaders to create scalable solutions.

Diana Rosero-Pena is a seasoned company research analyst specializing in packaged food and food retail across North America, bringing a wealth of knowledge from her role at Bloomberg Intelligence. With more than 15 years of experience in the financial markets, her expertise serves as a guiding light in the world of consumer staples. Rosero-Pena has a master of business administration in finance and global business from Rider University.

Aleksan Shanoyan, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University. He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, master of science from University of Illinois and bachelor of science from Armenian National Agrarian University. Shanoyan’s research is in agribusiness economics and management. His most recent research projects examine economics and marketing of pet food, contracting and vertical coordination strategies in beef and biofuel supply chains, resilience of agri-food systems, information and communication technology applications in agriculture and facilitation of agri-food supply chains in developing economies. Shanoyan teaches courses in food and agribusiness management, marketing and strategy at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Daniela Soto graduated with a bachelor of science in food engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. Currently working as a high-pressure processing (HPP) food applications specialist at Hiperbaric, she provides scientific and technological support to HPP users, including meat and pet food producers. Soto helps customers innovate HPP products at the Hiperbaric HPP Incubator Pilot Plant in Florida and participates in webinars, presentations and workshops. She has experience in food research and industry, and has been involved with the Institute of Food Technologists, winning two international competitions and volunteering for the non-thermal processing technologies group.

Jan S. Suchodolski, Ph.D., is a professor, Purina PetCare Endowed Chair for Microbiome Research, associate director and head of microbiome sciences at the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University. He received his DrVetMed from the University of Vienna, Austria, and his Ph.D. in veterinary microbiology from Texas A&M University. Suchodolski is board certified in immunology by the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists. His research focuses on developing biomarkers for gastrointestinal disease and therapeutic approaches for the modulation of the intestinal microbiota, and he has authored or co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed articles in veterinary gastroenterology and microbiome research. In 2024, he received the American Veterinary Medical Association career achievement in canine research award.

Gail Tavill joined OSI Group in 2022, bringing 30 years of experience in the packaged foods industry and a proven track record as an industry sustainability champion. Key accomplishments include completing a full climate inventory globally, setting climate targets and working toward them by initiating several partnerships and customer collaborations to promote and progress sustainability interventions in the animal agriculture sector in the U.S., U.K., Europe and Australia. Previously, Tavill served as vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability at Conagra Brands, and also in various packaging research and development roles at Kraft Foods. Throughout her career, she has been active with industry collaborations and organizations on topics of food waste, packaging, transparency and sustainability. She earned a bachelor of science in packaging from Michigan State University, where she has been inducted into the Packaging Alumni Association Hall of Fame, and a master of science in environmental management from the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Ernie Tedeschi is a macroeconomist with private sector, government and academic experience. He is currently the director of economics at the Budget Lab at Yale Law School and is also a visiting fellow at the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy at Georgetown University. Until March 2024, Tedeschi was the chief economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), where he briefed the president on incoming economic data. Prior to CEA, he was managing director and head of fiscal analysis at Evercore ISI, a macro advisory firm, and an economist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Tedeschi completed his undergraduate studies at Stanford University and graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley.

Austin Therrell is the executive director for the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Prior to taking on that role, he served on AAFCO's board of directors and as co-chair of the AAFCO Feed & Feed Ingredient Manufacturing Committee, a member of the AAFCO Pet Food Committee and a member of the Current Issues and Outreach Committee. Therrell previously served as the animal feed program manager for the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, where he oversaw animal food inspection priorities across the state, product registrations, labeling compliance and a statewide sampling program. He graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor of science degree in animal and veterinary science and a minor in business administration.

Claire Timlin, Ph.D., received her bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With an interest in cattle and reproduction, she pursued her doctorate at Virginia Tech University. Her dissertation focused on using technologies to improve reproductive efficiency in beef cattle. After graduating, Timlin worked in the livestock reproductive industry as an in vitro fertilization lab manager before deciding to return to a more research-focused career and joining Four Rivers Kennel. As director of research and development there, she manages studies for pet food industry clients and pursues independent research to improve our understanding of canine nutrition, health and exercise.

Janjoris van Diepen has more than 15 years of experience in sustainability consultancy. Since 2018, he has worked for Blonk, a division of Mérieux NutriSciences (MXNS), and has led the North America team since 2024. MXNS | Blonk was one of the initiators of the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI), continuing to provide methodology and data for it, including via projects with EFRPA and NARA. MXNS | Blonk is also currently leading the update of the European pet food industry LCA standard. Van Diepen has managed several environmental footprint projects in the agri-food value chain, LCA studies, footprint database development and footprint methodology. He graduated with a master of science in mechanical engineering from University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Wendy Vandersteen has a bachelor of science from Queen’s University, a master of science from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia (UBC). Since graduating from UBC, she has held positions in academia, government and industry, and enjoys facilitating research and collaboration across these boundaries. Currently manager of research and development at Taplow Ventures Ltd., she actively supports the aquaculture industry while developing a research and development program in pet nutrition for FirstMate. Vandersteen has more than 25 years of research experience, initially focusing on behavior and ecology of fish and evolving into a more in-depth analysis of physiology and the underlying genetic mechanisms controlling growth and behavior. Recently, she has focused on the application of genomics resources in combination with nutritional concepts to support health and performance of fish and pets, with a specific focus on the role of the gut microbiome.

Bill Ward is the founder and CEO of Northslope Technologies, an AI company that delivers purpose-built operational software for the world's most important institutions. Northslope is engineer-led and outcome-first, serving customers in healthcare, financial services, renewable energy, aviation, manufacturing, consumer goods and government, with headquarters in Denver, Colorado, U.S., and London, England, U.K. Previously, Ward led customer engagements and product teams at Palantir Technologies, delivering complex solutions for some of Palantir’s largest commercial and defense customers around the world. At Enigma Technologies, he created and led the forward-deployed product organization, building tailored machine learning products for Fortune 100 customers. Most recently, Ward served as COO of Biofire Technologies, a defense hardware company. He is also a startup advisor and angel investor.

When Melissa Weber earned her Ph.D. in meat science from Kansas State University, she didn’t picture herself becoming a driving force in the pet food industry — but life had bigger plans! After five years immersed in the fresh meat sector at Cargill, she found her passion in pet food, where she spent years at Mars Pet Care spearheading innovations, launching new products and crafting cost-effective recipes to nourish pets around the world. Today, Weber serves as the director of technical services at Wilbur-Ellis, leading R&D, lab services, technical sales and FSQR for the pet business. She thrives on developing scientific talent, building strong customer partnerships and conducting research that makes a real difference for the industry. Weber is all about the “so what?” — constantly challenging her teams to ensure research and product development solve real-world market challenges. She firmly believes that collaboration across the industry is essential to delivering superior quality products that don’t just meet but delight customer expectations.

Tara Zedayko is the chief scientific officer at Ollie, bringing over 20 years of expertise in life sciences, consumer product innovation and healthcare commercialization. A distinguished health tech executive, innovator and inventor, Zedayko holds more than nine patents spanning human and pet health technologies. Her research has been featured in more than eight peer-reviewed articles, earning hundreds of citations in both engineering and medical journals. Before joining Ollie, she founded and successfully exited DIG Labs, a health technology startup where her groundbreaking AI-driven image analysis helped tens of thousands of users annually. Zedayko is also a registered patent agent, further underscoring her deep technical and regulatory expertise. She earned her bachelor of science and engineering from Cornell University and master of business administration from New York University.