Meet the Speakers

Gary Gaston

Chief Executive Officer, Civic Design Center

Session: Fur-Real Estate - The Evolution of Animal-Centric Cities, Homes and Environments

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Gary Gaston is the CEO of the Nashville Civic Design Center, and serves as Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture + Design. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from UTK, and a M.Ed. in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt.

Gaston helped lead numerous planning and design efforts for the Civic Design Center during his nearly 20-year tenure, including its visionary The Plan of Nashville: Avenues to a Great City, published in 2005. Gaston served as executive producer of the National Endowment for the Arts funded documentary film Design Your Neighborhood, and co-authored two books, Moving Tennessee Forward: Models for Connecting Communities (2012), and Shaping the Healthy Community: The Nashville Plan, published by Vanderbilt University Press in 2016.

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Lisa LaFontaine

President and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance

Session: Take Cover! Right-sizing Shelter Policies, Processes & Funding

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Lisa LaFontaine is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA), this region’s premier animal welfare organization. In 2019 Lisa oversaw the merger of the Humane Rescue Alliance with St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center of New Jersey to create the first regional, community-based, multi-state animal welfare organization in the nation. In 2016, Lisa oversaw the merger of the Washington Humane Society (WHS) and the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL)—who came together to form a single more powerful voice for animals. The result was the formation of the Humane Rescue Alliance, the first unified organization in a major urban area to provide all the animal welfare programs and services to the community.

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Eric Pai

CBO at AI For Pet

Session: Hi from 2035! - Personalized Petcare Technology That Will Blow Your Tiny Human Mind

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As Chief Business Officer at AI FOR PET, Eric's mission is to drive growth through strategic partnerships and innovative market expansion strategies. His recent transition from Director of Business Development has deepened his expertise in customer relationship management and competitive analysis, directly supporting their vision to revolutionize pet care with AI-driven solutions.

His team's efforts in the US and global markets have forged key B2B partnerships, enhancing AI FOR PET's position in the pet tech industry. With a strong command of the Korean language, Eric also facilitates cross-cultural negotiations, ensuring that their reach extends to diverse markets. His focus is on delivering value, fostering sustainable growth, and enhancing the well-being of pets and their owners.

Heidi Sirota

Pet Industry Strategic Growth Advisor

Session: It's All About the Money, Honey

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Heidi Sirota is a three-time Fortune 100 senior executive with expertise in growing and turning around businesses and creating shareholder value.

Today, as a Pet Industry Strategic Growth Advisor, Heidi helps pet businesses deliver care and wellbeing solutions that also maximize growth, revenue and profit opportunities and valuation. She earned her industry expertise from serving as President and Chief Pet Officer of Nationwide’s pet insurance business.

Nationwide was the largest provider of pet insurance in the world, and under Heidi’s leadership, it doubled the number of pets it protects to 1.2 million and approached $1 billion in premium revenue. Heidi joined Nationwide in 2018 as vice president of marketing for the Retirement Solutions business and led an expansion of its capabilities and markets, through March 2024.


More speakers to be announced soon!

*As of January 23, 2025. Times, dates and topics are subject to change.