A significant share of the innovation being funded and developed today is not reaching the animals, clinics, and farms it was designed for. This session brings together voices from across the value chain for an honest conversation about what is breaking in the handoff between innovation and adoption, and what it would take to fix it.
- The affordability reality: how should founders and funders think about pricing and access from day one?
- The missing veterinary voice in early-stage decision-making
- From approval to adoption: where are the biggest bottlenecks?
- Industry-academia collaboration: what would a better model look like?
Moderator
Michael Mison
Associate Dean, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Panelists
Willie Reed
Dean Emeritus
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
Kimberly Dodd
Dean
Michigan State University
Michael Faurot
Director of Global Clinical Nutrition and Claims
Hill's Pet Nutrition
Earlier detection and the expanding therapeutic toolkit present great opportunities to improve health outcomes, but this complexity also increases the need for greater collaboration between practice leaders and industry partners.
Innovation does not succeed at approval; it succeeds when it works in the clinic, supports the team and creates sustainable economics for the practice.
Panelists will discuss how practice and partner collaboration, can help…
Manage and meet pet owner expectations and build trust
More effectively integrate innovation into workflows and operations
Identify the challenges for founders and industry partners in supporting adoption
Moderator
Candise Goodwin
Founder
Outlier Advisors
Candise Goodwin is a recognized leader in the pet industry, with over 15 years of experience helping companies navigate market complexity, scale solutions, and deliver measurable impact. Her background spans pivotal roles at industry leaders including Merck Animal Health, Vets First Choice, VIP Petcare/PETIQ, and Petco, where she led major digital transformations and launched numerous high-profile, industry-changing growth initiatives.
Candise has dedicated her career to understanding the challenges and opportunities within the pet industry. She has worked closely with retailers, veterinary groups, pet technology companies, product and service providers, and pharmacies - developing a holistic, customer-centric viewpoint of the industry's unique ecosystem along the way.
Today, Candise extends her expertise to clients seeking to navigate the complexities of the market. Her firm, Outlier Advisors, provides strategic consulting services that reflect her distinctive blend of innovative thinking, deep industry knowledge, and ability to spot emerging trends. Outlier Advisors partners with industry leaders, investors, and startups to develop actionable strategies that meet the demands of an evolving pet landscape.
Candise is also a sought-after speaker, advisor, author, and mentor, known for sharing rare and multifaceted insights and practical strategies with fellow Outliers.
Panelists
Matthew Salois
President
Veterinary Management Groups (VMG)
Dr Christie Long
Chief Medical Officer
Modern Animal
Courtney Carter
VP Product & Technology – Companion Animal
MWI Animal Health
Affordability can sometimes hide a broader conversation about identifying what’s important to the pet owner. What does the data tell us about pet owner preferences for the delivery of care?
- Communicating value and price
- Financing, insurance, wellness plans and flattening out the lifetime cost of ownership
- Capturing and using sentiment analysis
- Chronic disease management and the complexity of long term care
- Communication prior to in-clinic visits
Andrew Rosenberg
Director of Medical Operations
Animal Dermatology Group
Whitney Miller
Chief Medical Officer
AmeriVet Veterinary Partners
Gina Fortunato
Executive Director
CATalyst Council
Gina Fortunato is a seasoned sales executive and leader with over 12 years of experience in the animal health industry. She is currently spearheading Veterinary Services and New Business Development at Independence Pet Group, focusing on increasing insured pets across North America. Gina is passionate about coaching and developing others to achieve their full potential, as well as fostering networking and cross-collaboration within the industry.
Gina holds a Master of Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace College and has enriched her leadership acumen through programs at the Wharton School of Business.
Professional Affiliations and Contributions: Gina plays an active role in shaping the pet industry. She currently serves as the Chair of CATalyst Council and has held leadership positions such as Past President of VetPartners and immediate Past President of Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary. Her ongoing commitment to these organizations reflects her dedication to improving animal welfare and healthcare access.
Personal Passion and Advocacy: With a personal menagerie including 2 horses, three indoor cats, and 2 insured barn cats, Gina has firsthand experience of the benefits of pet insurance. She is deeply committed to helping pet owners access essential care for their beloved animals.
Outside Interests: In her leisure time, Gina thrives on competition both locally and internationally in the sport of dragon boating, showcasing her dedication to teamwork and achievement beyond the professional realm.
Great science doesn't guarantee investment. Funding decisions happen based on factors that rarely make it onto slides: market validation, team composition, regulatory strategy, and business models that actually work. This panel explores what investors are really evaluating when they assess animal health opportunities.
- What separates fundable companies from well-pitched ones
- Market validation: what investors need to see before they believe the opportunity is real
- Regulatory strategy as an investment signal: how pathway choices affect risk and return
- Team composition and what investors are actually backing
- Business model scrutiny: the unit economics and revenue assumptions that get stress-tested hardest
Moderator
Panelists
Natalie Marks
Chief Executive Officer
VANE
Dr. Natalie Marks is a small animal veterinarian with over twenty years of clinical experience. She owned the largest animal hospital in Chicago. More recently, she has been the founder and president of MarksDVMConsulting, an educational and strategy consulting firm working with companies of all stages nationally and internationally. She is also on the Executive Committee of VANE, the premier veterinary angel network investor group. VANE currently has 28 portfolio companies and provides direction, connection, and funding to start-ups in the animal health space.
Nick Bova
Founder
Arrow Ventures
Anna Skaya
Managing Partner
AniVC
Eric Steager
Managing Director
Elanco Ventures