1:00 PM - 2:15 PM | Session I: Luncheon Keynote & Panel on the Topic of Pet Care
The Pet Care Boom: Science, Brands & Buying Trends
This panel brings together scientific product formulators, brand owners, and retailers to explore the intersection of science, consumer demand, and commercial opportunity in pet care. Industry statistics will provide context for a discussion of market trends, purchasing behaviors, and opportunities for product innovation. Panelists will examine formulation considerations for skin and coat care, ingredient selection, safety, performance testing, and the challenges of translating scientific insights into compelling product offerings.
Featuring
Jess Rona
Shmoop
Speaker Bio
Jess Rona is the most influential dog groomer today, having built a cult-like following on social media with her signature musical slow-mo blowout videos and her impressive celebrity clientele. Jess spent her 20s and 30s grooming dogs during the day, and doing improv at night. Now her two worlds are colliding in a multi-dimensional grooming empire. She is known as an award winning groomer & instructor, a content creator, and comedian. Several brands have tapped Jess to promote and create original content including Apple, Valentino, Paul Mitchell, e.l.f., Bissell, Netflix, PayPal, Slate, Tweezerman, Ouai, Outdoor Voices, The Hoxton Hotels, Casper, and more. Expanding her empire, Jess steps into her next chapter as the founder of Shmoop: a beauty brand for dogs launching this spring.
Featuring
Sophie Bonham
Cosmos Corporation
Speaker Bio
Sophie Bonham is Director of Formulation at Cosmos Corporation, leading product development and regulatory for cleaning and pet personal care brands. She began her career in pet palatants, spent seven years formulating personal care for people, then realized she could connect the two and bring that science back to pets. A devoted member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC), Sophie has held every local chapter position and served as Area 2 Director. She is the incoming St. Louis Chapter Chair. Her favorite part of SCC is the networking and learning from the brightest minds in the industry. Sophie lives in St. Louis with her husband, Jarrod, and their sons, Isaac and Anderson.
Featuring
Lizzy Skelding
Beastie
Speaker Bio
Lizzy Skelding is the founder of Beastie, a new breed of pet skincare. Beginning her career on-bench at a contract manufacturer, Lizzy helps brands, raw material suppliers, and contract manufacturers strategize product development via her consultancy, Beaker. Lizzy previously served as founding chemist at Potion, where she established fundamental logic for cosmetic formulation AI and raw material data management. Before Potion, she was co-founder & head of chemistry at Fig.1, where she led product development, ingredient by ingredient. Previously, she helped CPG executives discern product vision, set strategy, and execute intentional product design via her consultancy. She began her career on-bench at a contract manufacturer. Lizzy trained as a physical chemist at Columbia University. In addition to skincare, she has formulated color cosmetics, home cleaning products, and fragrance oils.