Harness the opportunity of a rapidly evolving pet market. From choosing the right channels—distribution vs. retail—to real-world marketing wins and customer education strategies, this session delivers sharp insights and actionable focus points for presenting new offerings to today’s pet parents.
What does it really take to go from idea to acquisition in the pet industry? In this founder case study, we unpack the journey from first product to earned trust, investor backing, and strategic exit.
Honest lessons on traction, pivots, partnerships—and how to scale when the path isn't straight.
William Broun is the President and CEO of Field & Stream Pack Provisions Pet Food. Prior to this role he spent nearly two decades at Nestlé Purina PetCare. As a VP, he led over $1 billion in acquisitions and co-founded 9-Square Ventures and the Pet Care Innovation Prize. His leadership at Purina spanned roles in strategy, digital, new direct-to-consumer businesses, and establishing its data science practice. Prior to Purina, he held finance and analyst roles at U.S. Bank, A.G. Edwards, and Procter & Gamble. He holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Saint Louis University.
Financial tools like pet insurance and financing are becoming more integrated into the moments of care, driving deeper trust and sustained engagement for both clients and vets. This panel explores how insurance, wellness plans, embedded benefits, and flexible financing are broadening access to care for all including those traditionally underserved. We’ll examine the expanding role of these tools in a care ecosystem that includes retail, tech, and finance, and ask who are we reaching with these innovations—and who’s still being left behind?
Christie Horvath is CEO and Founder of Wagmo, a modern pet healthcare company redefining pet benefits in the workplace. Christie holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from Northwestern University. She began her career in the Financial Institutions Group at BlackRock before launching Wagmo in 2017.
Recently, Christie was named to the Inc. Female Founders 500 list, and in 2024, Wagmo was recognized with the Benefits Trailblazer Award for Best Lifestyle Solution.
With over 15 years of expertise in pet care and consumer brands, Etienne has combined private equity and operational leadership across global markets. He was involved in investments in leading companies such as Edgard & Cooper and Vita Coco, before co-founding Wolf Spring, a U.S. pet supplement business. He is now leading Vet-AI, where technology and veterinary expertise converge to deliver innovative solutions for pet owners and industry stakeholders.
Nick Loring is the SVP GM of Pet Insurance & Investments at Synchrony. In his role, Nick partners with leading brands to create insurance and wellness experiences that are integrated with CareCredit, the trusted brand and leading financing solution for pet parents and clinics. Prior to his current role, Nick held a variety of leadership positions in product management, client relationship management, corporate strategy, and M&A consulting.
Nick holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BSBA degree from UNC Chapel Hill.
The pet-human bond isn’t news - it’s the foundation. What matters now is how we design around it.
Join us as we unpack the ripple effects: how generational shifts, urban living, and rising expectations are redefining care delivery, access, and brand loyalty.
From care team communication to emotionally intelligent design this is your blueprint for building systems that truly serve the modern pet parent.
Dr. Rustin M. Moore was born and raised in West Virginia, the heart of Appalachia. He earned his BS from West Virginia University in 1986 and his DVM and PhD from the Ohio State University in 1989 and 1994, respectively. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1994.
He spent 12 years on faculty at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine where his clinical interests included equine lameness, surgery, and colic and the associated complications. His research led to him being a principal or co-investigator on approximately 120 funded grants. In addition, he has authored or co-authored more than 15 academic book chapters, and his work has been published as 125 peer- or editor-reviewed manuscripts and 175 scientific abstracts.
Dr. Moore was recruited back to Ohio State in November 2006 as the Chair of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, a position he served until 2014. He also simultaneously served as the Executive Director of the Veterinary Medical Center and Associate Dean for Clinical and Outreach Programs from 2009 to 2014, and then served as the Associate Executive Dean from 2014-2015 before being named the 11th Dean beginning September 2015.
A passionate advocate for animal health, Dr. Moore has led community outreach and disaster response initiatives, including the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of nearly 500 horses after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He serves on multiple boards, including the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds, and the Ohio Wildlife Center, among others, and is currently the immediate past president of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.
He is a sought-after speaker on topics such as the importance of creating and fostering a community in the college, university, community, and the veterinary profession where all people feel welcome, comfortable and can thrive. He also is invited to speak about the importance of biodiversity to conservation and sustainability, competency-based veterinary education and spectrum of care, health and wellbeing of people in the veterinary profession, and the One Health approach to animal, human, and environmental health.
He has been frequently invited to share his passion, perspective, and expertise about the human-animal bond since his 2016 TEDx talk titled “The Power of a Pet.” To that end, Dr. Moore authored the recently released book, Unleashing the Bond: Harnessing the Power of Human-Animal Interactions, a broad and deep exploration of the often-mystifying connection between humans and animals, which is available on Amazon. He donates a portion of proceeds of book sales organizations that promote, protect, and preserve the human-animal bond. Be sure to leave a book review.
Nutrition remains top priority for pet parents. As attention has increased, so to have expectations. In a market crowded with premium promises and functional claims, leaders face rising pressure to scale trust, margin, and scientific credibility.
Explore what truly drives differentiation on packed shelves and leave with actionable strategies to future-proof portfolios, validate claims, and lead in this high-growth, high-stakes landscape.
Dan Schaefer is the co-founder and CEO of Native Pet, a pet nutrition company raising the standard for dog supplements. After earning his MBA from the University of Michigan, he began his career in strategy and finance at the Boston Consulting Group before moving into entrepreneurship. Driven by the belief that dogs deserve better than the industry status quo, Dan co-founded Native Pet to deliver highly effective, science-backed formulas developed in partnership with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Dan lives in St. Louis with his wife, two children, and their dog, Louie.
Coffee in one hand, discovery in the other.
With 52% of pet products bought online and 48% in-store, the future isn’t digital or physical—it’s both.
In this fireside chat, discover how leaders are redesigning the pet retail experience to meet evolving consumer expectations.
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.
In her role as Managing Director, Katy is focused on guiding brand strategy and uncovering consumer insights that lead to big ideas. Katy's career has been driven by developing a keen understanding of the human behavior that drives purchasing decisions. She has worked with world-class brands like Hallmark, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Helzberg Diamonds and Kohl’s. At her core, Katy is a problem solver and a storyteller. As a strong collaborator and thoughtful writer, Katy leads teams through the strategic process to simplify the complex and deliver succinct brand systems.
Andrea has been with NielsenIQ for over 12 years supporting retailers across a wide variety of channels and store formats, most recently focused on the Pet channel. Andrea has a strong background measuring and explaining the FMCG marketplace as consumers shift their spending in an Omnichannel environment, store formats continuously evolve, and product innovation moves rapidly.
Andrea is a sought-after presenter for industry events such as Global Pet Expo, SUPERZOO, Pet Industry Leadership Summit and more. As a presenter, she brings the numbers to life for pet retailers, manufacturers, and industry partners looking to understand topics such as:
Andrea is a Minnesota native. She graduated from the University of Minnesota – Duluth with a focus in Retail Marketing and Consumer Analytics. She currently lives in the Twin Cities with her family and their adorable black lab, Breezy.
In a world of smart feeders, personalized health plans, and AI-driven recommendations—who really owns the pet parent relationship?
This panel explores the shifting balance of trust, data, and influence between clinics, platforms, and brands—and what it takes to stay essential in an AI-shaped pet care ecosystem.
Kicking off, a strategic look at the next 20 years of pet business evolution. Not crystal-ball futurism, a data-backed vision of pet care as lifestyle.
As wellness, tech, and retail merge into emotional ecosystems, discover how future brands will shape how pet parents live, feel, and connect. Unlock key growth vectors—and why today’s choices matter.