Speakers

Grace Danao

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson is the consumer insights and trends thought leader in the Pet Specialty industry, regularly consulting retailers, veterinarians, distributors, and manufacturers on the dynamics of the pet industry and how to best develop and position their products, brands, programs, and services to connect with consumers. Mr. Johnson brings over twenty years of experience in marketing, strategic planning, and consumer and market research from across the Food, Drug, Mass, Wholesale, and Pet channels.

Mr. Johnson frequently lectures on pet trends and has been featured at events on behalf of organizations such as PIDA, PILS/PIJAC, SuperZoo, Pet Food Workshop, APPA, Pet Industry Executive Summit, as well as many retailer, veterinary, and pet distributor conferences. In addition, his opinions and observations are frequently solicited by trade publications, and he has authored articles and/or been quoted in magazines such as Pet Business, Pet Age, Pet Product News, Veterinary Advantage, and Pet Food Industry, among many others.

Rich Kellerman

Rich is the Founder and CEO of Bond Pet Foods, a Boulder, Colorado-based start-up that’s working with precision fermentation to make meat proteins like chicken, turkey and fish without the animal for the pet food industry. Before diving into the world of pets and food tech Rich was a VP and Director at some of the world’s most respected advertising agencies including Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, FCB, and Fallon McElligott, where he led brand strategy for Burger King, P&G, Kellogg’s, and Coca-Cola, among others. 

Rich has a B.A. in Marketing from Boston College, with additional study at Stanford University’s Center for Social Innovation.

Lara Moody

Lara Moody is the Institute for Feed Education and Research’s executive director. She provides visionary leadership to the public charity’s activities including program development, strategic partnerships and collaborative resourcing. Working closely with IFEEDER’s Board of Trustees and committee members, she develops and supports resources and efforts to advance the public charity’s research and education mission. Collaborating with the American Feed Industry Association to pursue and communicate the institute’s work, she creates opportunities to engage donors and further the dialogue on important issues impacting the feed industry. Prior to joining IFEEDER in April 2021, Moody served as the vice president of stewardship and sustainability at The Fertilizer Institute. She also worked in research and extension programs at Iowa State University and the University of Tennessee. Moody holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering and master’s degree in biosystems engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Erin Perry

Dr. Perry is an award-winning scientist and author with more than a decade of research experience investigating working canine health and performance. She has been a canine search specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for more than 20 years. She is a tenured professor and an invited speaker on working canine health and performance at both national and international conferences. Dr. Perry has served on the DoD Military Working Canine Research Forum Steering Committee, the US Joint Forces NORTHCOMM Canine Decontamination Working Group, the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation Review panel and as a consultant for various law enforcement and emergency response agencies. Dr. Perry’s canine research program focuses on challenges faced by working dogs in operational conditions.

Dr. Perry spent several years with Purina Animal Nutrition before moving to academia. She has presented her research on equine palatability and gut microbiota at both national and international conferences. Dr. Perry has published multiple studies related to equine feeding preferences and gut microbiota stability. Dr. Perry’s current equine research program focuses on flavor preferences in horses and impacts to their feeding behaviors.

Julia Guazelli Pezzali

Dr. Julia Guazzelli Pezzali earned her Bachelor’s in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, her MS from Kansas State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Guelph. During her M.S., Dr. Pezzali investigated the utilization of various carbohydrate sources on nutrient digestibility and sulfur amino acid metabolism in dogs. Additionally, she characterized the production of extruded sorghum crisps for inclusion in granola bars for dogs. In her Ph.D., Dr. Pezzali conducted multiple trials to validate the indicator amino acid oxidation technique in domestic cats. Subsequently, she utilized this technique to empirically determine the minimum Phe and Met requirement in adult cats. After completing her PhD, Dr. Pezzali embarked on her academic career as an Assistant Professor at Iowa State University, contributing to teaching in companion animal nutrition and pet food processing. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor and serves as the Director of the Pet Food Program at Kansas State University, where she contributes to teaching and research related to pet food processing technologies, and companion animal nutrition and metabolism. The overall goal of her research program is to employ both basic and applied approaches to explore new ingredients, processing techniques, and dietary strategies to assist the industry in developing sustainable products that target and promote the overall health and well-being of companion animals.