Cara Santana-Leto
& Stephanie Suganami

Dr. Patrick Mahaney is a veterinarian having been in active clinical practice since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999.

After moving to California in 2006, Dr. Mahaney founded California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness, Inc., which has evolved into Los Angeles’ premiere, concierge-style, holistic, house-call practice. Dr. Mahaney is a certified veterinary acupuncturist (CVA) since completing the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society course in 2006 and a certified veterinary journalist (CVJ) since 2012 and contributes to a variety of media projects.

Dr. Mahaney’s sit on numerous boards to advise and uplift the pet industry.

Gina is a founder, advisor and proven general manager with expertise in strategy, marketing, and consumer experience. She currently advises women-founded and mission-driven businesses on scaling their businesses. She is a founding member / former CMO of Blueland, where she oversaw brand, digital and marketing.

Previously, she headed Strategy for Theory and Helmut Lang brands and served as Chief of Staff to Founder Andrew Rosen. Her background includes management consulting at BCG and private equity at VMG. Gina holds an Economics and Political Science degree from Stanford and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Tariro Makoni’s, is a graduate of John’s Hopkins Univeristy, who’s expertise lies at the intersection of strategy, culture, and the consumer. At Amazon Web Services, she sits in an advisory role for the executive team, focused on growth strategy.

Tariro is also an Angel Investor and Strategic Advisor for consumer brands and early stage startups in technology, culture, fashion, and beauty. She has been interviewed and featured by publications such as Vogue, Vogue Business, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, The Cut, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, TechCrunch, Into The Gloss, Business Insider, Elle, and more.

Steve Ball is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with a proven track record in the pet and consumer products industries. Steve is the former CEO and board member of Zesty Paws, a private equity backed company in the pet supplements space.

Under his leadership, Zesty Paws experienced extraordinary growth, surging to over $150 million in annual sales and tripling its profitability. Steve orchestrated the successful sale of Zesty Paws to the multinational consumer products company H&H Group for $610M.

Founder and CEO of PrettyLitter a leading pet wellness company whose mission is to safeguard the health of our feline companions. PrettyLitter is the world’s fastest growing feline pet company. PrettyLitter was named one of the nation's most disruptive pet brands by IAB, an Inc. Magazine Best Workplace, and Neilson’s Breakthrough Innovation Award winner.

PrettyLitter was acquired by Mars Petcare in a $1B deal. Daniel is a 2022 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Regional Winner, a Harvard University Fellow in the Center for Public Leadership as well as a Fellow in Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights.

Entrepreneur and innovator, is the Co-Founder of both PrideBites Pet Products and Gembah Inc. He is an expert in lead generation, sales strategy, and product development. He is the recipient of the Pet Industry 40 under 40 award.

Over his career, Blustein has owned and operated pet care businesses that have designed, manufactured and sold millions of consumer products from all over the world. Blustein graduated from the University of Kansas with his Masters in Tax and is trilingual in English, Chinese and Spanish.

Corey Chavez is the owner and founder of Corcha Balanced K9, a dog training company dedicated to helping dogs become well-adjusted family members and empowering owners through education in canine psychology. With a deep passion for strengthening the human-animal bond, Corey teaches pet parents how to better understand and communicate with their dogs.

In addition to his private training work, Corey partners closely with rescue organizations—including his ongoing collaboration with Wags and Walks—where he devotes his time to rehabilitating and training rescue dogs, preparing them for successful adoption and lifelong placement.
Whether working with first-time pet owners or seasoned dog lovers, Corey is committed to fostering meaningful companionship through compassionate guidance, practical education, and the belief that there is always more to learn.