Listen in as Dr. Cains dives in deep to mentorship, how it shaped her and what she is doing to pay it forward. We talk about her early career, who has made massive impact in her personal career, and how she leads at Thrive.

About Kelly Cairns, DVM, MS, DACVIM:

Dr. Kelly Cairns is the Vice President of Medical Excellence and Education at Thrive Pet Healthcare. With over 20 years of experience in veterinary medicine, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Dr. Cairns earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University and pursued further training through a small animal rotating internship at Cornell University. Following this, she completed a small animal internal medicine residency at The Ohio State University, where she attained Diplomate status as a board-certified Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist. Dr. Cairns also actively contributes to the field as an adjunct faculty member at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine and holds positions on the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association Board of Directors, the dvm360 editorial board, and the Wedgewood advisory board. With a focus on profession-related wellness, leadership coaching, veterinary education models, and internal medicine, Dr. Cairns is committed to fostering the growth, success and happiness of veterinary professionals worldwide.

Dr. Karen Shenoy serves as Chief Veterinary Officer for Hill’s US. She joined Hill’s Pet Nutrition in 2008 and has extensive industry experience, having progressed through roles of increasing responsibility leading commercial and professional teams at Hill’s.

Additionally, she has small animal practice experience & has worked in wildlife rehabilitation medicine and as part-time adjunct faculty with a veterinary technology program.

She serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Board of Chief Veterinary Medical Officers and the Veterinary Innovation Council.

Jeremiah Pouncy:

Why & Who Am I?

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is yet a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." ~ Langston Hughes

Hey, I hope that you and your loved ones are staying happy and healthy! I'm Jeremiah Pouncy, a Cornell University veterinary student and proud alum of North Carolina A&T State University. Langston Hughes' words have been a true north for me as I've navigated through this world of polarizing perspectives and conflicting values. My journey? It's been a tapestry of academic excellence, a deep-rooted passion for environmental health, and an unrelenting drive to innovate veterinary medicine. In the future, I envision building an international veterinary business that resonates with gold-standard care, establishing wellness programs connecting students & animals, and spearheading groundbreaking research! As a 2x author, former NFL intern, and an African American pioneer in my field, my mission extends beyond my own personal success. This odyssey is a bold statement in a field where my presence as a black male is a rarity, with only 1% of veterinarians in the U.S. being African American. The path I trailblaze is designed to shatter ceilings and pave ways for those who follow, embodying a journey that intertwines the threads of veterinary medicine, entrepreneurship, and a deep-seated desire to redefine the norms of our wo

Mission Statement: Join me on a journey that transcends the ordinary. This is not just about veterinary care; it's a mission to make lasting, global impacts on animal welfare and environmental conservation. Your support is the key to unlocking this transformative venture. Let's embark on our odyssey together!

Jeremiah Pouncy:

Why & Who Am I?

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is yet a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." ~ Langston Hughes

Hey, I hope that you and your loved ones are staying happy and healthy! I'm Jeremiah Pouncy, a Cornell University veterinary student and proud alum of North Carolina A&T State University. Langston Hughes' words have been a true north for me as I've navigated through this world of polarizing perspectives and conflicting values. My journey? It's been a tapestry of academic excellence, a deep-rooted passion for environmental health, and an unrelenting drive to innovate veterinary medicine. In the future, I envision building an international veterinary business that resonates with gold-standard care, establishing wellness programs connecting students & animals, and spearheading groundbreaking research! As a 2x author, former NFL intern, and an African American pioneer in my field, my mission extends beyond my own personal success. This odyssey is a bold statement in a field where my presence as a black male is a rarity, with only 1% of veterinarians in the U.S. being African American. The path I trailblaze is designed to shatter ceilings and pave ways for those who follow, embodying a journey that intertwines the threads of veterinary medicine, entrepreneurship, and a deep-seated desire to redefine the norms of our world.

Mission Statement: Join me on a journey that transcends the ordinary. This is not just about veterinary care; it's a mission to make lasting, global impacts on animal welfare and environmental conservation. Your support is the key to unlocking this transformative venture. Let's embark on our odyssey together!

Jeremiah Pouncy:

Why & Who Am I?

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is yet a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." ~ Langston Hughes

Hey, I hope that you and your loved ones are staying happy and healthy! I'm Jeremiah Pouncy, a Cornell University veterinary student and proud alum of North Carolina A&T State University. Langston Hughes' words have been a true north for me as I've navigated through this world of polarizing perspectives and conflicting values. My journey? It's been a tapestry of academic excellence, a deep-rooted passion for environmental health, and an unrelenting drive to innovate veterinary medicine. In the future, I envision building an international veterinary business that resonates with gold-standard care, establishing wellness programs connecting students & animals, and spearheading groundbreaking research! As a 2x author, former NFL intern, and an African American pioneer in my field, my mission extends beyond my own personal success. This odyssey is a bold statement in a field where my presence as a black male is a rarity, with only 1% of veterinarians in the U.S. being African American. The path I trailblaze is designed to shatter ceilings and pave ways for those who follow, embodying a journey that intertwines the threads of veterinary medicine, entrepreneurship, and a deep-seated desire to redefine the norms of our world.

Mission Statement: Join me on a journey that transcends the ordinary. This is not just about veterinary care; it's a mission to make lasting, global impacts on animal welfare and environmental conservation. Your support is the key to unlocking this transformative venture. Let's embark on our odyssey together!

Christina Lopes is the CEO and co-founder of the One Health Company, whose flagship

product, FidoCure, uses AI and genomic sequencing to provide personalized treatments for pet

dogs with cancer and accelerates the development of lifesaving cancer drugs for humans.

Under Christina’s leadership FidoCure has expanded into over 1,350 veterinary clinics around

the world and treated more than 5,000 pet dogs with cancer. In partnership with Stanford

University’s AI Health leadership, Christina has built the world’s largest and most

comprehensive canine cancer dataset, which consists of over 2 billion data points collected from

patients in real world environments. Christina has co-authored peer reviewed research in

leading scientific journals including Nature Precision Oncology that validate FidoCure’s

personalized cancer treatment efficacy by up to 3X survival times, identify novel indications for

existing cancer drugs, and accelerate the development of new cancer drugs via new insights

into genomics. Christina’s work has been featured in the Washington Post, WIRED, STAT, The

Times, and many other media outlets around the world. Previously, Christina was Managing

Director at Cerberus Capital ($50B AUM) and helped create new financial asset classes in

emerging markets. Christina is a graduate of Columbia University, was recognized at the World

Economic Forum at Davos as a Young Global Leader, and an Inc. Magazine top 100 emale

founder. She is a Y-Combinator founder and is backed by leading investment firms such as

Andreessen Horowitz and Lerer Hippeau. She served as Advisory Board Director to

International Planned Parenthood for the Western Hemisphere, which provides 30M health

services annually and has previously participated in the United Nations Commission for the

Status of Women.

Amy is the owner of Veterinary Team Training where she consults with hospitals and has an

online continuing education site for veterinary professionals to grow their skills and knowledge.

After working in general practice for many years, Amy found her passion in emergency medicine

and went on to obtain her Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Emergency and Critical Care.

She has held several board positions in the Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care

Technicians & Nurses including president. She went on to obtain her master’s degree in

management and leadership and has published the award-winning and best-selling books “Oops,

I Became a Manager” and “Oops, My Team is Toxic” both focused on creating happy veterinary

teams. She launched her online CE platform Vet Team Training in 2023 and likes to brag it’s the

largest online CE platform where only vet techs and vet nurses are the educators.

Listen in as Amy and I discuss everything from generational differences, pay and defining roles in vet clinics.

Part 3 is here! Listen in to Heather and I talk about where she is now and where she is headed. We dig into why we should set goals and write them down, why celebrating the small things matter, and some of her greatest lessons learned. This is an episode you don't want to miss.

In part 2 we dive into the celling effect, the need for defining roles between vet assistants and credentialed vet techs as well as the need for a clearer career path in our profession. Plus, her thoughts on dreaming big!!!

Join us as we hear more from our friend Heather Prendergast!

I can. I can. I can. That is the motto for part one of our THREE part series. Join me as Heather and I dive into her journey in vet med that led to her being THE FIRST VETERINARY TECHNICIAN that has been elected PRESIDENT of the Viticus Group (formally WVC).

Listen in as we talk about the many different ways that our early careers in this profession can end up shaping our futures. Heather is walking the walk and doing amazing things.

#vettechlife

Season 3 is starting off with a BANG!

Laura Olsen is a purpose-driven Executive Coach that helps leaders unlock their highest potential. She comes to the table with over 20 years of business and executive leadership experience in animal and human health, including positions in three Fortune 500 companies, Zoetis, Pfizer, and Novartis. She is known for being a passionate and authentic leader committed to delivering exceptional business results in an empathetic and inclusive way.

In this fantastic episode Laura talks about why being agile and resilient is so important in our profession. She also dives into her thoughts on leading with compassion and empathy. This is an episode you don't want to miss.

If you haven't yet, go give The Veterinary Optimist a like and a follow!