Michelson Found Animals is Partnering With NAVC to Chart a Course For 2035 And Beyond! 

NEWS PROVIDED BY North American Veterinary Community 

Jun 11, 2024

First Global Compass Event to Take Place April 10-11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. 

Global veterinary industry leader NAVC and leading animal welfare organization Michelson Found Animals Foundation (MFA) announced today the formation of a partnership that will bring together all aspects of the global $300+ billion animal health and pet care ecosystem to define the future of animal health and wellbeing into the next decade and beyond. 

At the center of the partnership is Compass, an annual global conference where industry leaders, visionaries, investors, and inventors convene to collaborate and explore future opportunities and key impact areas across the entire global animal health and pet care landscape. The event will bring together industry leaders and mavericks from inside and outside the animal health and pet care universe, exchanging ideas and gaining inspiration from across the full global spectrum of innovation and opportunity. 

The first Compass event will take place April 10-11, 2025, at the Gaylord National Harbor in Washington, D.C. Members of the media are invited to attend for free. 

“Our relationship with animals continues to expand and converge in every aspect of our lives,” said NAVC CEO Gene O’Neill. “They are at the center of an exciting socio-economic shift requiring bold, new ideas and a unified global approach to how we support their place in our lives today and in the future. Compass provides the platform for industry leaders from around the world to engage in novel, forward-looking dialogue with those across the entire animal health and pet care ecosystem. We will also invite visionaries outside of our industry to participate and serve as catalysts for new ideas and solutions we cannot even imagine today to chart a rewarding and healthy future for animals and their relationship with people. No forum like this exists today, and we believe its impact will be game-changing.” 

Compass will focus on evolving consumer needs and demands, navigating future retail and supply chain trends and developments, the evolving position of the veterinary industry, regulatory and legislative opportunities, future technology, and investment projections. It uniquely brings together leaders from these areas of the animal health and pet care industries as well as other industries that similarly focus on technology, investment, supply chain, research, and societal issues. 

“As two leading industry bodies, MFA and NAVC bring the leadership of the conversation about the future of the animal health and pet care sector directly into the hands of the industry itself,” said MFA CEO Brett Yates. “The leaders in our industry need a place to come together, and Compass will be that platform. The place where we convene to outline and discover future investment opportunities, advance technological development, collaborate on solving the issues ahead of us, and improve the lives of animals around the world long into the future.” 

The first Compass event will focus on numerous critical topics across the animal health ecosystem, including: 

• Investing and Entrepreneurship: exploring how investment strategies have evolved and identifying new models and trends for investors and entrepreneurs.
• Technology and Development: taking a deep dive into the pathway for AI in animal health and pet care in the next decade, for animals and suppliers, answering the question of what will be the “next AI” between now and 2035; preventative health management and translating human-wearables to animal-based applications for health monitoring.
• Market Dynamics and Consumer Behavior (Supply Chain & Retail): navigating the Vision of 2035 – research scenarios offering a look into key industry trends across the next 10 years; pharmaceutical advancements and non-surgical solutions for pet health; supplements; game-changing nutrition and novel ingredients; eCommerce; manufacturing dynamics and maximizing future opportunities.
• Regulatory Policy and Legislative Development: initiating legislator discussions on unlocking future potential. Many advances in legislation are needed to facilitate a healthier society for humans and their pets. This will include regulatory bodies and their role in maximizing opportunities around animal wellbeing.
• Pet Healthcare Professionals and Medical Innovations: exploring comparisons and divergences between pet health systems and human health systems (medical, dental, vision); insurance; at-home diagnostic tools; pharmaceutical advancements and non-surgical solutions for pet health; the role of nutrition, breed science, and exercise in pet health horizons.
• Infrastructure and Environmental Design: new approaches to shelters, veterinary clinics, consumer homes, and pet-friendly urban planning to ensure they are future-ready.
• Industry Advocacy and Nonprofit Perspectives: addressing social issues affecting pets and their owners (e.g., homelessness, domestic violence); ethical considerations regarding pets as property vs. sentient beings; the role of non-profits vs. governmental support in animal welfare; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in animal welfare spaces.

This unique meeting will bring together investor groups, veterinary groups and professionals, retailers and suppliers, contract manufacturers, pharmaceutical leaders, legislators and policymakers, nutrition and ingredient suppliers, philanthropic organizations, researchers, industry associations, and many other groups across the animal health and pet care sector. 

Compass event space is limited. Visit compassanimal.com to request an invitation and more information. 

About the NAVC 
The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. As the world’s leading provider of continuing veterinary education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools, and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including educational events headlined by VMX (Veterinary Meeting & Expo), the world’s largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; VetFolio.com, a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; NAVC Media, the veterinary industry’s largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and Embrace, an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized annually as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC’s products and brands, visit navc.com.

About Michelson Found Animals 
Michelson Found Animals Foundation is a leading animal welfare non-profit that believes people and pets are better together. Co-chaired by Dr. Gary Michelson and Alya Michelson, MFA operates a range of programs, including community partnerships, catalytic grants, impact investments, and education and advocacy initiatives that share a common goal: to champion pets at every point they intersect with our society. MFA has helped millions of pets since it was founded in 2005 and consistently seeks opportunities for the betterment of people and their pets. Learn more at foundanimals.org.