Leap Venture Studio & Academy

We’re back with our Leap portfolio Weekly Wins! 🎤 Adrian Archie, CEO of petNmind Franchising Group was featured on the Pet Boss podcast. Have a listen: https://lnkd.in/g3jY-5gy 🎙 Matt Krentz & Andy Bond, Co-Founders of BestyBnB were featured on the Cattitude podcast. Have a listen: https://lnkd.in/gtKNv4Nx 🌟 Melissa Mitchner, CEO of The Bark Shoppe recently hosted Rutgers Future Scholars to teach them about entrepreneurship. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gP-tFjtv Have a great weekend and look out for more news next week, including our 2025 studio program application announcement! 🚀 

Meet Social Paws App, a 2024 finalist competing at this year’s Leap Venture Studio & Academy x Black Pet Business Network live pitch competition happening at SUPERZOO. 📱 The founder Jeanette Eng and her team created what Social Paws App is today: an app that makes dog-sharing a reality for everyone. It exists to unite communities and like-minded individuals around a common interest and goal of providing affordable and loving pet-care for those who need it, as well as more time spent with dogs for those who don’t have one.  🐾 Social Paws facilitates dog-sharing process and allows to gain access to a community that wants to share dogs, within pet-owners’ very own neighborhood. 👉 Heading to SUPERZOO? Be sure to join us live at the emerging brand stage on Wednesday, August 14th at 11 am Pacific Time. Stay tuned to learn more about each of the SUPERZOO pitch competition finalists! 🏆 #SUPERZOO2024 #PetCare #Leap #DEI

Meet Skona Pet Food, a 2024 finalist competing at this year’s Leap Venture Studio & Academy x Black Pet Business Network live pitch competition happening at SUPERZOO. 🐕 Co-founders: Srihas Sampath and Tejashree Sawant aspire to share nutritious recipes with their fellow pet owners who seek nothing but the best for their furry companions. 🐾 Skona Pet Food aims to offer holistic pet nutrition through pet treats and toppers made with premium whole meats, fresh organic produce, and all natural Indian herbs. Their focus is on minimal processing and eco-friendly practices to produce simple, healthy, and natural pet food products using premium quality ingredients and innovative cooking methods. 👉 Heading to SUPERZOO? Be sure to join us live at the emerging brand stage on Wednesday, August 14th at 11 am Pacific Time. Stay tuned to learn more about each of the SUPERZOO pitch competition finalists! 🏆 #SUPERZOO2024 #PetCare #Leap #DEI

It’s Friday, so we are back with a portion of Leap portfolio Weekly Wins! 🤝 RootBridge’s investment in omnipetfood has been announced: https://lnkd.in/eqGSfSmr 🛒 Blue Pet Co. has again expanded and their products are now available for customers in India: https://lnkd.in/ea_8x3VT 🐶 Be invited! Rex has opened a new practice in Hamburg – Ottensen: https://lnkd.in/eVQuk6Pi Have a great weekend and look out for more news next week! 🚀 #WeeklyWins #Leap #Petcare

Meet PawGone Good, a 2024 finalist competing at this year’s Leap Venture Studio & Academy x Black Pet Business Network live pitch competition happening at SUPERZOO. 🚀 Founded by Jerrica Fletcher, PawGone Good is on a mission to create healthy, nutritious food for pets. Crafted with natural, organic ingredients, PawGone Good’s innovative chip pet treats are designed not only to delight pets but also to promote their overall health, targeting oral care. 🎯 PawGone Good is committed to addressing underrepresentation and empowering individuals from all backgrounds by teaching them how to build successful businesses. 🐾 Heading to SUPERZOO? Be sure to join us live at the emerging brand stage on Wednesday, August 14th at 11 am Pacific Time. Stay tuned to learn more about each of the SUPERZOO pitch competition finalists! 🏆 #SUPERZOO2024 #PetCare #Leap #DEI 

Meet Dog & Whistle, a 2024 finalist competing at this year’s Leap Venture Studio & Academy x Black Pet Business Network live pitch competition happening at SUPERZOO.    🚀 Competing for the grand prize of $10k, you’ll see Eric Adams, CEO and Founder of Dog & Whistle, who created a sustainable pet food brand dedicated to merging nutrition with environmental stewardship.    🌎 Eric is on a mission to drive positive change in the pet food industry. His commitment to prioritizing pets over profit has led Dog & Whistle to offer products that nourish pets and help reduce owners' environmental footprint.    🐾 Heading to SUPERZOO? Be sure to join us live at the emerging brand stage on Wednesday, August 14th at 11 am Pacific Time.    Stay tuned to learn more about each of the SUPERZOO pitch competition finalists! 🏆 #SUPERZOO2024 #PetCare #Leap #DEI 

Have a look at our Leap portfolio weekly wins! 🔍 🚀 MI:RNA Diagnostics announced that they have secured $4 million in funding, to further their mission of revolutionising animal health treatment through improved diagnostics: https://lnkd.in/e2PudhzC 🎙 Lorien Clemens, co-founder & CEO of PetHub, Inc. was invited by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) to their PAL Podcast. Tune in to listen: https://lnkd.in/dBgVyhN9 🎤 omnipetfood co-founder, Dr. Guy Sandelowsky MBA, joined Paul Shapiro for the interview on Business For Good Podcast – check it out: https://lnkd.in/dBJc2EJn 🎙 Also WIMBA team has featured in a podcast – the “Pawdcast”, to be precise😊 – check out Episode 18: https://lnkd.in/dRaQ2Mvi 🏆 VetVerifi 🐾 has been included in the First 100 Consulting’s inaugural Rising Technology Directory: https://lnkd.in/d3tbv7qW Happy Friday and happy weekend – looking forward to seeing you next week! #WeeklyWins #Leap #Petcare

Check out this week’s Leap portfolio wins! 🎙 Jamie Smith, CEO of Innovative Pet Lab, joined the innovation conversation on “Think Big” with hosts Dan Melnick and Qasim Masud: https://lnkd.in/dph2mpYy 🎙 Andy Bond and Matt Krentz, share the important work BestyBnB is doing in the latest episode of People, Pets, and Purpose, a Human Animal Support Services podcast hosted by Diaz Dixon: https://lnkd.in/gvMbQ3iY 🏆 Marleybones was named a finalist at The Grocer Gold Awards as Household Goods Brand of the Year: https://lnkd.in/dH5jCVFN 🙌 Baris Ozaydinli, the founder of Scootch among the Finalists for Equity Backed Entrepreneur of The Year Award at Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community: https://lnkd.in/dEN2BrFB 🎉 Shaina Denny - franchising Dogdrop CEO and Cofounder, was honored with the Los Angeles Business Journal's "Innovator of the Year" award! https://lnkd.in/d94FngWn 👏 Global Corporate Venturing named our own Rachel Sheppard, Director of Ventures at Mars Petcare and Leap Venture Studio & Academy co-manager, as one of the leading corporate venturing professionals on its 2024 Powerlist: https://lnkd.in/deEsVum3 🚀 Have a great weekend and stay tuned for more news next week! #WeeklyWins #Leap #Petcare

📢 We are thrilled to share the finalists of Leap Venture Studio & Academy x Black Pet Business Network live pitch competition happening at SUPERZOO 2024! Here are the founders who will compete on stage in Las Vegas: 👉 Eric Adams – Dog & Whistle 👉 Jerrica Fletcher – PawGone Good 👉 Srihas Sampath – Skona Pet Food 👉 Jeanette Eng – Social Paws App 👉 Kenan Peters – treev 👉 Patricia Porter, MBA – Veterinarian Electronic Assistant 💡 Heading to SUPERZOO? Be sure to join us at the emerging brand stage on Wednesday, August 14th at the emerging brands stage, and support these pet care innovators. 🏆 One grand prize winner will walk away with $10K to help fuel their business. #SUPERZOO2024 #PetCare #Leap #DEI

Welcome back to our Leap portfolio #WeeklyWins! 🎉 What a week this has been! Cohort 8 innovative pet care startups presented their amazing businesses during the virtual Demo Day, inspiring pet care industry representatives and investors. Congratulations to GekkoVet, Innovative Pet Lab, omnipetfood, Scooch, VetVerifi 🐾, WIMBA, BestyBnB - they rocked! 🎥 Tune in and watch the Demo Day recording: https://lnkd.in/gVimXHD8 Make sure to be back next Friday for more news! 🚀 #WeeklyWins #Leap #Petcare