Dan Riskin, a renowned evolutionary biologist, award-winning TV presenter, and bestselling author, has spent over a decade making science accessible, engaging, and fun. Known for co-hosting Discovery Canada’s Daily Planet, hosting Animal Planet’s Monsters Inside Me, and serving as CTV’s Science and Technology Specialist, his passion and curiosity inspire audiences worldwide.

An expert on bat biomechanics with a PhD from Cornell, Riskin left academia to focus on science outreach, appearing regularly on television and radio, and leading wildlife tours to destinations like Borneo, the Amazon, and the Galapagos. He has hosted documentaries for National Geographic, CBC, W5, and more, and been interviewed by the likes of Anderson Cooper, Gayle King, and Craig Ferguson—who called him “my favourite scientist.”

Riskin is the author of Mother Nature is Trying to Kill You and the children’s book Fiona the Fruit Bat, and publishes the popular science newsletter The Bat Signal. With humour, charisma, and boundless enthusiasm, he sparks audiences’ curiosity and inspires them to explore, discover, and dream big.

Dr. Andy Roark is a practicing veterinarian in Greenville SC and the founder of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference. He has received the VMX Practice Management Speaker of the Year Award four times, the WVC Practice Management Educator of the Year Award, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Veterinarian of the Year Award from the South Carolina
Association of Veterinarians.

Maureen Anderson is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College and is ACVIM  board-certified in large animal internal medicine.  Her graduate and post-graduate work had a strong focus on infectious disease control and zoonotic diseases in particular. She is currently Lead Veterinarian - Animal Health and Welfare at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, where she continues to work in areas bridging animal and public health, including rabies and antimicrobial stewardship, and co-leads the companion animal Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN).

Angie Arora is the founder of Arora Wellness, where she helps animal care organizations and professionals improve professional wellbeing. As a Veterinary Social Worker and Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist, she provides trauma-informed therapeutic coaching, training, and courses to veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and wildlife and conservation organizations working in high-stress, trauma-exposed environments.

Angie is a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's Professional Wellness Committee and serves as faculty with blendVET, the first DEIB certification program for veterinary professionals. She previously sat on the inaugural Board of Directors for the International Association of Veterinary Social Work and was Governance Chair for the Canadian Collective for Equity in Veterinary Medicine. 

An international speaker, Angie has presented at leading conferences such as WSAVA, CVMA, OVMA, OAVT, ACVIM, Fetch dvm360, the International Veterinary Social Work Summit, MCVMA Rise, and The UK Vet Congress, where she advocates for trauma-informed approaches to professional wellbeing. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master of Social Work from York University and is certified in Emotional CPR (National Empowerment Centre), Compassion Fatigue (Traumatology Institute), and has completed ICF coaching training with the Mind Rebel Academy.

Megan Brashear, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC) graduated in 2000 with a BS in Veterinary Technology and obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Emergency/Critical Care in 2004. She has enjoyed working in emergency and critical care since 2000 and is the Senior Manager of Veterinary Nursing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette, Indiana. Here, Megan truly enjoys the opportunity to work with veterinary nursing supervisors as well as teach and train technicians and students in the hospital. She loves to travel and lecture sharing her knowledge with veterinary technicians and veterinary nurses around the world.

Dr. Holly Brown received her DVM from the University of Georgia and worked in private practice before returning to UGA for a residency and PhD in clinical pathology. Dr. Brown remained on as a faculty member where she served as a diagnostic clinical pathologist, instructor, and collaborative researcher – while continuing to practice small animal medicine on the weekends. Dr. Brown then joined VCA Metzger Animal Hospital’s general, referral, and emergency practice in State College, PA as an on-staff clinical pathologist, playing an important role at the interface of diagnostic testing and patient care. Dr. Brown then transitioned into her current role as Chief Veterinary Educator for Antech Diagnostics, where she fulfills her passion for educating veterinary teams about maximizing laboratory testing while continuing to consult on cases at the hospital.

His work focuses on various aspects of dog and cat medicine, including antiparasitic protection, vector-borne diseases, diabetes, and infectious diseases. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers, books, book chapters, and other publications during his career. At the same time, he continues to practice veterinary medicine, specializing in internal diseases of dogs and cats.

Dr. Alex Chan is a board-certified veterinary neurologist and neurosurgeon at the Ontario Veterinary College. He joined the Department of Clinical Studies as an Assistant Professor in 2023. His clinical and research interests include neurocritical care, neurological emergencies, and epilepsy. He is also passionate about education and is committed to reducing the phenomenon of “neurophobia” within the veterinary community.

Kevin Commins was born and raised in Kelowna, BC, and brings nearly two decades of experience in financial services to help moderate this panel. After 17 years in banking, where he specialized in healthcare practice financing for professionals, including veterinarians, Kevin joined VetCPA as an Account Manager, where he helps veterinarians achieve financial success and long-term practice growth.  He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UBC Okanagan and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

Dr. Crandell graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1990 and completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at UPEI. She worked at a general small animal practice in Thunder Bay for 3 years, then full time work as an emergency veterinarian and practice manager in southern Ontario. She returned to OVC in 2001 to do a 3-year residency in emergency medicine and critical care, obtaining board certification in 2004. Subsequently she worked as a critical care specialist full time in Toronto , and is now is the veterinary medical director at Toronto Animal Health Partners. Her professional special interests outside of critical care are the advancement of recognition and treatment of patient stress and fear in the veterinary clinical environment and promoting an evidence-based approach to veterinary medicine. When not immersed in a veterinary hospital, she loves to be outdoors away from asphalt, concrete and cars, practices and promotes gardening with native plants to help heal our urban environment, and champions safer cycling in Toronto.

Dr. Chris Doherty is Assistant Director for Strategic Business Research and Outreach at the AVMA. Dr. Doherty obtained his veterinary degree at the Ontario Veterinary College, his MBA at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business, and is a Chartered Business Valuator. In his role with the AVMA, he analyzes data pertaining to new and early career veterinarians, as well as the overall population of veterinarians, and works in
tandem with the rest of the Veterinary Economics Division team to aid in the translation of research findings into tools, resources, and actionable items that veterinarians can utilize and implement in their practices and their careers.

Dr. Grant attended the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and graduated with honours in 2014. After graduation, she became an associate veterinarian in a private, mixed animal practice. In 2017, she returned to OVC and completed a nutrition residency through the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN) and earned a Doctor of Veterinary Science (DVSc) degree in September 2020. Dr. Grant then joined OVC as
Assistant Professor and held the Nestle Purina Professorship in Companion Animal Nutrition. She was service chief for the OVC-HSC Clinical Nutrition Service and taught nutrition to students in all four phases of the DVM program. She currently works in private practice in Cambridge Ontario providing nutrition consults to pet owners and provides in clinic as well as telemedicine nutrition consultations to pet owners across Ontario and to veterinarians nationwide.

Peter Helmer is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph and a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Avian Practice. After 25 years in private practice he recently joined the faculty at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN. He is a frequent speaker at veterinary CE conferences and has authored numerous publications including journal articles and textbook chapters. Dr
Helmer is also a consultant for Avian/Exotic pet medicine at Antech Diagnostics.

Dr. Lissie Henderson graduated with honours from the University of Bristol in 2011. She went on to complete a rotating Internship at the University of Bristol and subsequently worked as a clinical research assistant at the University of Liverpool. During this time she undertook data collection and the analysis for projects and
published in several veterinary scientific journals.

Dr. Henderson then undertook a surgical internship and residency program in small animal surgery at the University of Edinburgh and became a board-certified Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2020.

She is passionate about her continued learning and the teaching of veterinary students, interns and residents. Dr. Henderson enjoys all aspects of small animal soft tissue surgery and has a particular interest in endocrine surgery and interventional procedures.

Teressa has helped build high performing teams in the pharmaceutical industry, corporate consolidation and veterinary owned distribution in senior leadership roles. Her background blends practical experience gained from working in practice early in her career with strong business acumen and progressive leadership attributes. A skilled facilitator and trainer with and an authentic and transparent approach, Teressa has a special interest in communication in veterinary medicine.  She is deeply committed to supporting an aligned vision of success for practice owners, veterinary teams, and industry partners.

Dr. Jamie Kopper is board certified in large animal internal medicine and emergency/critical care. She is currently on the equine internal medicine team at Iowa State University and the large animal chief medical officer for the hospital. Clinically, she enjoys treating emergency and critical care patients, particularly those with gastrointestinal disease.

Dr. Alison Little graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2014. Following graduation, she completed five years of advanced training via a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Toronto, a Specialty Neurology Internship at Southeast Veterinary Neurology in Miami, Florida and a Neurology/Neurosurgery Residency at Mississippi State University. She then returned home to Toronto and joined the Animal Health Partners team in 2020.

Dr. Susan Little received her Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia, Canada) and her DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph .She has been board certified in Feline Practice since 1997. She is part owner of two feline specialty practices in Ottawa, Canada. She has served on the board of the International Council for Veterinary Assessments, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (now the Feline Veterinary Medical Association), and the Winn Feline Foundation (now The Every Cat Foundation). She is a peer reviewer for veterinary journals as well as the author or coauthor of many journal articles. Dr. Little is the recipient of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Small Animal Practitioner Award (2010), the NAVC Small Animal Speaker of the Year Award (2013), and the International Society of Feline Medicine/Hill’s Pet Nutrition Award for outstanding contributions to feline medicine (2013). She is the editor and co-author of The Cat – Clinical Medicine and Management (2nd edition 2024) and August’s Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine, Volume 7.  

Amy Ma is the Co-Founder of VetCircle, a consulting company that helps independently owned veterinary hospitals across Canada thrive while staying independent. She works closely with practice owners and managers to simplify management, strengthen operations, and implement effective workflow systems so their hospitals can run smoothly, profitably, and sustainably.

Before founding VetCircle, Amy worked in various roles within veterinary clinics, including management, as well as in veterinary nutrition and later as Head of Business Development for a national veterinary corporation. These experiences gave her a deep understanding of what drives both success and burnout within veterinary practices, and inspired her to create a company that provides the kind of high-level support independent owners deserve.

Since launching VetCircle, Amy has led more than 200 in-hospital assessments and supported clinics across Canada in improving communication, resolving HR challenges, enhancing workflow efficiency, and strengthening culture. She’s passionate about simplifying and bringing structure to the chaos of daily practice life by helping teams build strong, sustainable systems that support performance, teamwork, and wellbeing.

Dr. Manacki completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph. She attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the beautiful island of St. Kitts and completed her clinical training at the University of Saskatchewan. After graduating, Dr. Manacki practiced companion animal medicine in both Arizona and Ontario. After four years in private practice, Dr. Manacki pursued a clinical nutrition residency at the
University of Missouri, finishing in 2022. Dr. Manacki currently runs a clinical nutrition service at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic (VEC) in Toronto. Dr. Manacki is a proud member of the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition.

Dr. Conny Mosley is a board-certified anesthesiologist and currently the Veterinary Consultant for Pain & Internal Medicine for Elanco Canada. She is certified in acupuncture, served on the WSAVA Global Pain Council and is the founding director of the Canadian Association of Veterinary Cannabinoid Medicine.

Conny has held faculty positions at North Carolina State University, Oregon State University and Ontario Veterinary College and has been an anesthesiologist in a private specialty practice, where she also ran an Integrative Veterinary Pain Clinic. She continues to consult on pain cases. She is a passionate advocate for ethical and practical veterinary care and pain management. Her contributions to the field include publications, lectures, and a deep commitment to both teaching and learning.

Dr. Craig Mosley graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph where he also completed a residency and Master's of Science program in veterinary anesthesia. Dr. Mosley has been actively involved in many facets of veterinary medicine since graduation including; mixed animal practice, emergency
medicine, critical care, teaching, management and of course, anesthesia in both private and academic practices throughout North America. Dr. Mosley's varied experiences have provided him with the foundation for his practical and "real-world" approach to anesthesia and pain management.

Dr. Lynne O'Sullivan received her DVM from AVC, UPEI; Cardiology residency training and DVSc degree from OVC, University of Guelph; and board certification in Cardiology from ACVIM in 2003. She was a faculty member at the University of Guelph for 15 years before returning to the east coast to join the faculty at AVC,
UPEI. Her research interests have been in dilated cardiomyopathy and imaging, and her passion is teaching both DVM students and residents. She's been the recipient of the Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Teacher of the Year Award, and the Boehringer Ingelheim Clinical Teaching Award. Outside of veterinary medicine, she can be found on the pool deck, side lines, or ski slopes cheering on her active sons, or spending time with her husband and her pets at home.

Dr. Kyla Ortved is an Associate Professor of Large Animal Surgery at New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania in Kennett Square, PA. She received her DVM degree from the University of Guelph in 2006 and completed her large animal surgical residency training at Cornell University in 2010. Kyla became boarded with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2011. Following her residency, Kyla went on to obtain a PhD in
gene therapy for equine cartilage repair at Cornell. In February 2016, Kyla became boarded with the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. She joined the large animal surgery faculty at New Bolton Center in 2016 as an equine orthopedic surgeon and was named the Jacques Jenny Endowed Chair of Orthopedic Surgery in 2019. Her research program focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of equine
osteoarthritis and developing gene and cell-based therapies to improve cartilage repair and prevent osteoarthritis.

Dr. Karen L. Overall received her BA, MA and VMD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She did her residency training in veterinary behavioural medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary
Behaviourists (DACVB). Dr. Overall is a Professor of Behavioural Medicine at Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI where she created the clinical, didactic and research program which trains veterinary students, residents, and graduate students.

Dr. Overall lectures at meetings and veterinary schools world-wide and consults internationally with governments, NGOs and working dog and welfare organizations. She is the author of hundreds of scholarly publications, textbook chapters, commentaries, et cetera and the texts Clinical Behavioural Medicine for Small Animals (1997; Elsevier) and Manual of Clinical Behavioural Medicine for Dogs and Cats (2013; Elsevier) and of
the DVD, Humane Behavioural Care for Dogs: Problem Prevention and Treatment (2013; Elsevier). She is the editor-in-chief for Journal of Veterinary Behaviour: Clinical Applications and Research (Elsevier).

Dr. Overall has been named the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) Small Animal Speaker of the Year and was named one of the The Bark's 100 Best and Brightest - Bark Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the dog world over the past 25 years. Her research interests include psychopharmacological treatments of anxiety and new drug development, behavioural genetics of anxiety disorders, and effects of early trauma on the behavioural development and later behavioural pathology of kittens and puppies.

Michael Parent is the founder of two companies in the veterinary space: SmartVet, focused on telemedicine, and CoVet, an AI-powered copilot for veterinarians. He is passionate about driving innovation within the industry and delivering exceptional experiences that improve the lives of veterinary professionals and their clients.

Dr. Marianne Pashley earned her DVM from the University of Montreal. She began her career working at a small animal urgent care and referral facility, where she honed her clinical skills and dedication to animal health. Before joining Antech, she served as the national technical lead for companion animal vaccines at a leading veterinary pharmaceutical company. Now, as a Professional Services Veterinarian for Antech Diagnostics Canada, she enjoys reconnecting with her passion for diagnostic investigation. Outside of work, Dr. Pashley stays active with ultimate frisbee and running—and at home, she answers to one particularly sassy feline.

Dr. Pegg is a board-certified vet dentist and founder of Ascentra VDOS and Transcend Vet CE. She’s passionate about empowering veterinary teams through hands-on training and advancing pet care through excellence in dentistry and oral surgery.

Dr. Charlie Pye grew up outside of London, England and moved to Prince Edward Island, which she now calls home, at the age of eighteen. There she attended the University of Prince Edward Island where she completed a three-year bachelor of science undergraduate degree majoring in Biology. She went on to receive her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Atlantic Veterinary College, PEI. She then moved to Saskatoon to
complete a one-year rotating internship at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Following her internship, she travelled back across the country for a Dermatology Residency at the Ontario Veterinary College. While at OVC, she also completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Science degree specializing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial biofilms. After completing her residency she began working at Guelph Veterinary Specialty
Hospital in Guelph, Ontario. During her time in Guelph she continued to travel back to PEI to teach the veterinary students at the Atlantic Veterinary College a few times a year. As of May 2018 she joined the team at the Atlantic Veterinary College and established the first ever Dermatology service at AVC. She has lectured all over North America and has contributed to multiple journals and textbooks. She is also currently the treasurer for the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Dermatology and an advisor for the Canadian Pre Veterinary Medical Association. In her spare time she enjoys camping, crafting and spending time with her husband, daughter and son. She is also "owned" by two dogs (both of which have allergies!).

Dr. Debbie Reynolds completed a Veterinary Degree at the University of Queensland in 1999 at which time she began working as a mixed animal veterinarian in rural Australia. After chasing horses and cattle around the countryside for 3 years, she decided to pursue a small animal surgery specialty. The pursuit of a surgery residency brought her to North America, initially Washington State for a rotating internship which was followed by a research fellowship studying stem cells before being accepted to a surgery residency at Ontario Veterinary College. Following completion of a residency in 2012, she began working in Toronto as specialist surgeon providing both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. She joinedToronto Animal Health Partners in 2019 and performs both orthopedic and soft tissue surgeon with a special interest in joint replacements (total hip replacement) and minimally invasive surgery.

Dr. Ashley Spencer is a board-certified specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine with a growing focus on infectious diseases of dogs and cats. She earned her DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College, completed a Master of Health Science in Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Toronto, and undertook specialty training at North Carolina State University. Her background includes clinical practice, public health, and
epidemiology, and she is currently launching research on vector-borne diseases in Ontario dogs. Dr. Spencer is passionate about advancing the understanding of infectious diseases in veterinary medicine and sharing practical, evidence-based approaches.

Greg is a self-professed tax nerd, and proud of it. As the owner of Vet CPA Professional Corporation, he has dedicated his career to helping veterinarians navigate the complex world of accounting and tax planning. With clients across Canada, Greg specializes in solving business and tax challenges for veterinarians, their practices, and their families.

Vet CPA Professional Corporation is a firm that focuses exclusively on the needs of the veterinary community, offering comprehensive services tailored to every stage of a veterinarian's career. From new graduates starting their journey to established practices seeking to optimize their finances, and even those planning for a successful exit, Greg and his team are there every step of the way.

Their services range from cloud-based bookkeeping to high-level tax planning, ensuring that veterinarians can focus on their passion for animal care while leaving the financial details in capable hands. Whether supporting locum vets, startups, or thriving practices, Greg’s extensive experience and deep understanding of the veterinary field have made him a trusted advisor.

Through personalized attention and innovative solutions, Greg and Vet CPA are proud to support the veterinary community, helping practitioners achieve both their professional and personal financial goals.

Shoshana graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus with honors and as the recipient of the Award for Proficiency in Canine and Feline Nutrition in 2007. She became the first Registered Veterinary Technician in Ontario to achieve her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Nutrition in 2015 and has been active with the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians since. In 2024, furthering her dedication to scientific advancements in veterinary medicine, Shoshana successfully achieved her Registered
Laboratory Animal Technician certification with the Canadian Association of Laboratory Animal Science. Joining the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Clinical Nutrition and Pet Nutrition Research teams in 2019, supporting the Clinical Nutrition Service, patient care, student learning and research. In 2018, Shoshana also joined Fanshawe College first to develop courses, then as a part-time faculty for their new animal health programs. In 2024, she changed roles at OVC to manage the new Hill's Pet Weight Care Program. Shoshana enjoys sharing and igniting a passion for veterinary nutrition in her peers, with a special interest in canine and feline obesity management and performance dog nutrition.

J. Scott Weese, DVM DVSc DipACVIM, is a veterinary internist and microbiologist, and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He is a Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph and a Zoonotic Disease/Public health Microbiologist at the University of Guelph’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. He is also Chief of Infection Control at the Ontario Veterinary College Teaching Hospital and holds a Canada Research Chair in zoonotic diseases. Dr. Weese has authored or co-authored over 200 papers in peer reviewed journals, edited two books and speaks extensively on infectious disease topics. His research interests include Clostridium difficile, microbiome assessment, surgical site infection, antimicrobial resistance, methicillin-resistant staphylococci, infection control, emerging diseases and zoonoses. (From lakeridgehealth.on.ca).

Areas of Interest: bacterial infections in animals and humans, methicillin-resistant staphylococcal infections, Clostridium difficile, antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, infection control. (From ovc.uoguelph.ca).