Speakers
Kelsey Ann Sexton
Kelsey Ann Sexton is an award winning Nationally Certified Master Groomer, International Speaker and Journalist with two decades of Professional Pet Grooming experience. She owns an award winning salon outside of Nashville, TN that focuses on customer relationships for routine pet grooming services. Kelsey was nominated for Barkleigh Honors Speaker of the Year in 2022 and 2023. She has a passion for continued education in the Pet Grooming Industry collaborating with several brands to help everyday pet groomers both seasoned and new.
Chris Anthony
Chris Anthony, weary from her travails in retail management and office work, found her calling when she discovered pet grooming. Her near fifteen year journey in this career has led her through many opportunities, experiences & life lessons, including grooming and managing in both small and corporate salons, and starting her own successful house call grooming business in New Jersey. Supplementing those life lessons by educating herself on the varying aspects of her career, she always sought out innovations in pet care, education, grooming techniques, tools and products. Now her passion for grooming & education has added more in depth knowledge on scissors, scissoring techniques and ergonomics to help preserve her own health and longevity in her chosen profession.
Kathlena Austin
Sharing the same passion as her husband, Kathlena Austin has been elevating the standards of dog grooming since 2007. A Nationally Certified Master Groomer for over 4 years, her expertise doesn't end there. As an open-level competitor, she continually hones her craft. Kathlena wears multiple hats - she's the Vice President of the San Francisco Bay Scottish Terrier Club and showcases her love for the breed by both showing and breeding Scottish Terriers. As the backbone of 'A Cut Above Grooming Salon', she's led the business for 4 years and recently expanded with a state-of-the-art mobile grooming unit.
Nathan Austin
With a grooming career that began in 2007, Nathan Austin is a true craftsman in the art of dog grooming. Holding the prestigious title of a Certified Master Groomer for over five years, his skills have not only been recognized but celebrated. In 2022, Nathan clinched the title for Best All-Around Groomer at Groom Expo West and was nominated for the Barkleigh Honors Award in multiple categories, including Best Up and Coming Groomer. In 2023, he was acknowledged for Best Educational Video, Best Entertainment Video, and Best Instagram. His crowning glory came when he was honored as the AKC Master Groomer of the Year in 2023. As an entrepreneur, he's also been the proud owner of a flourishing grooming salon for the past four years.
Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins
Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins is the Owner/Master Groomer at Love Fur Dogs in Glencoe, Illinois. Named "Best Groomer in Chicagoland" by the Chicago Tribune, she has been grooming, breeding, and showing several breeds of dogs and cats for over four decades. A retired career teacher now living in Virginia, Jennifer is an International Certified Master Groomer with an expertise in the science and history of dogs and the unique needs of the wide variety of pet coat types. She was featured on Season Three of the Hulu Television Series "Small Business Revolution" as a Grooming Expert. Jennifer also writes magazine articles and has won an award for her blog. She has been active in legislation that affects pet groomers, building state grooming associations, groomer education, and credentialing. She has published a poster and is working on a book of the same title, "A Groomers Guide to the Fifteen Coat Types," based on her ground-breaking seminar.
Elli Bultemeier
Elli found her passion for grooming over a decade ago when she started as a bather at PetSmart. Not long after training to be a groomer there, she moved to the private sector. She is an award-winning competition groomer, certified pet aesthetician, NCMG, and co-owner of Retro Stylist wear. In 2017, Elli started at Smoochie Pooch and currently wears many hats as she is currently a marketing development and regional manager, helping run a company with more than 7 locations and about 40 employees. She is passionate about helping the business grow and creating an employee first, compassionate work environment for her team.
Dave Campanella
Dave Campanella is an informative and entertaining seminar speaker, contributing trade columnist and genuine grooming enthusiast. He has over 30 years of pet industry knowledge, and has been Best Shot Pet Products sales, marketing, and product director for 15 years. He and his wife Tracy have co-owned a full service pet salon and self-wash in Ohio prior to relocating with Best Shot to Kentucky. Together they enjoy exhibiting at grooming shows, being industry ambassadors and showing their Kerry Blue Terriers, Lowland Polish Sheep Dog, and Samoyed.
Dana Chavez-Rey
Dana began her career in animal care as a lead veterinary technician at the North Peninsula Humane Society. In 2005, Dana and her husband founded A Purrfect Groomer, then after 10 years they ditched the salon and hit the road in their new mobile grooming van, bringing the care and attention they gave to their salon clients to them. In 2016, Dana joined the Intellectual Groomers Association as a founding member and was on staff as an expert in feline grooming. As a staff member of IGA, Dana traveled the country giving seminars on feline grooming and certifying qualified groomers. In 2018, she joined Andis as a feline educator and tours the country giving demos and presentations on feline grooming, feline grooming certifications and the benefits of Andis products.
Anjie Coates
During her 30 years in the grooming industry, Anjie Coates realized that more than just dogs and cats needed her, so she began to specialize in rabbits and other small mammals. At Furry Tails, the salon she co-owns in Holden, Mass, she has created a niche market as a rabbit groomer and is recommended as the “go-to rabbit groomer” by veterinarians as far away as Maine. Her passion for continuing education shows through in her achieving CMRG (Certified Master Rabbit Groomer) as well as CCE, ACG and PGC. Combining that drive to be educated with a need to share that knowledge has led her to teach Pet Tech First Aide & CPR classes for groomers and pet owners alike. This brand ambassador for All For Groomers is currently publishing the first rabbit grooming book in the industry.
Rachel Colant
Rachel Colant is an award-winning, second-generation dog groomer with over eleven years of experience. She put her stamp on the grooming industry as the go-to drop coat specialist and has become known for the cutest Yorkies in all the land. Her passion for education has led her to the coveted position of lead groomer at Jess Rona Grooming in Los Angeles where she oversees competition-level grooming on every dog, every day. Her ultimate goal is to continue to elevate the industry through education and her signature gentle grooming techniques.
Jonathan David
Jonathan David has been the recipient of multiple scissoring awards, multiple Best All Around Groomer awards and Best in Show earning him a position on GroomTeam USA in 2008 and 2009. Jonathan was also a contestant on Animal Planet's "Groomer Has It" and has been featured as a grooming expert on multiple television shows. Currently, Jonathan owns and operates his salon, Lap of Luxury Dog Spa in Delray Beach, Florida and is a board member of multiple dog clubs.
Vivi Diaz de Leon
Vivi Diaz de Leon is a brand designer, web designer and founder of Fido Designs, a branding and web design agency exclusively serving pet businesses. She is dedicated to helping petprenuers build successful, memorable brands that are sure to catch your eye. She's continuously researching the latest trends in design, technology, and marketing to help pet businesses keep up in the rapidly changing digital age. Vivi believes that every biz deserves to stand out in its own unique way, and she's out to give petpreneuers confidence with a brand and website they'll be thrilled to show off. Her goal is to continue to elevate the industry through education and professional, personality-packed design that brings out the best in every pet business.
Teri DiMarino
An industry veteran, Teri has owned and operated successful salons and mobiles in Florida and California. A winning grooming contest competitor, Teri was a member of three GroomTeam USA Gold Medal teams. A multiple Barkleigh Honors and Cardinal Crystal Award winner, Teri was a regular columnist for Groomer to Groomer Magazine as well as a popular speaker and judge at seminars and trade shows across the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Mindy Dinwiddie
Mindy Dinwiddie owns Classy Canine in Litchfield, Michigan. She began grooming in 2007, having her own shop by 2008. She started in a back bedroom of her house, growing her business to a storefront. Her experiences include daycare, boarding and training. All while consistently furthering her education by attending expos, seminars and private lessons from top stylists in the industry, Mindy has been competing for three years. With a passion for learning and teaching, she began speaking in 2017 after having one of her grooms published in Doodle Modern Styles Special Edition. Mindy is also a Brand Ambassador for Evolution Shears.
Sierra Elbert
Sierra is an advocate for the professionalism of the dog grooming trade, is celebrated as the founder of Groom Curriculum, the first nationally collegiate approved dog grooming curriculum provider. Notably, Groom Curriculum is accredited by the National Council of Continuing Education and Training, underscoring its commitment to maintaining high standards with the field. Before launching Groom Curriculum, Elbert demonstrated her expertise through a successful board and groom business. She further solidified her standing by achieving placements in GroomTeam USA-sanctioned grooming contests on multiple occasions.
Dr. Cliff Faver
Dr. Cliff Faver, a 1987 graduate of CSU, is the founder/owner of Animal Health Services in Cave Creek, Arizona. He is the US distributor for Iv San Bernard products. He uses the two businesses as a means of merging the grooming and veterinary professions to pursue his life's passion of healing and helping pets. Dr. Faver is an international speaker and teaches the ISB Pet Aesthetician Certification program. He is a member of AVMA, AAHA, AZVMA, a sponsor for the CPPGA, a Board member for the Burbank Kennel Club, and previously served on the Novartis Lead Committee, Hill's International Global Veterinary Board, and is still active in a Veterinary Management Group.
Jayne Gallagher
Who would have thought that someone who grew up in a "No Pets Allowed" household would end up spearheading some of the most iconic grooms in the country? Jayne graduated from the Jersey Shore Grooming Academy in the year 2000, took courses from the prestigious Nash Academy, and took private lessons from top pet stylists and GroomTeam members from around the globe. She marks herself as a perpetual student, always excited to stay sharp in her craft. She is an award-winning legend who is known far and wide in the grooming community, even being featured as a competitor in the 2021 cultural phenomenon Pooch Perfect on ABC Network. Jayne specializes in creative styling, salon freestyle, Asian fusion, poodles, and bichons.
Misty Gieczys
Misty is an IGA Certified Master Groomer and has won many Best in Shows, Best All Around Groomer. She was on the US Gold Winning Model Dog Team in Taiwan and took BIS Creative. She won the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Award for her Charity "Groomers for Groomers." Nominated for Creative Groomer Barkleigh Honors and awarded IJA Creative Groomer. Misty started grooming in 2005 and helped open 3 other salons. She owns 2 upscale salons in Columbus Ohio with a staff of 15; Designer Paws Salon. 1st opened in 2013 and second in 2018 with receiving multiple service awards.
Juanita Harris
A groomer of 10 years and former owner of Grooming by Juanita, a storefront located in Pennsylvania, Juanita is now a Brand Marketing Associate for Ryan’s Pet Supplies. Prior to her career, Juanita completed her Degree in Law and spent time researching animal behavior which helped her understand the connection between dogs and humans. Juanita also has an extensive career in high-end sales, retail, and corporate level, as well as private grooming based in New York City which helped her have insight into building successful client relationships. In building a successful online brand, Juanita has worked with brands including Andis, Hydra, Duke & Winston, Skout’s Honor, Blackworks, Chippin’, and more!
Blake Hernandez
Blake Hernandez is a NCMG and three-time Barkleigh Honors recipient. He is best known for his online persona and caterwauling lyrics that speak to our industry. Blake has brought innovation and current outside trends to the grooming industry from Personality Marketing to the FoxEye, a phone holding device for the everyday groomer or aspiring influencer. Blake runs Foxy Roxy's Pet Salon in San Diego, CA, in addition to competing in grooming contests and dog shows all over the country. He is the co-creator and founder of GroomSource, an app made for groomers' continued education, as well as creator and producer of many products with Foxy Roxy's Supply Co. Blake was also a feature groomer in Netflix's "DOGS" documentary and a contestant on ABC's Pooch Perfect Season 1.
Denise Heroux
Denise Heroux owns Awesome Paws Pet Salon, a Cleveland-based chain with two locations and active plans for expansion. Awesome Paws fosters a healthy environment for employees and pets with a focus on employee investment and learning. While managing both locations and a staff of over 20 employees, Denise finds time to work with the Ohio Professional Pet Groomers Association, which she founded. The association focuses on setting a higher standard for pet safety, business-building opportunities, versatile learning experiences, and creating legislative fluidity in the industry. You may have listened to Denise on both the Women PetPreneurs and Small Business Hiring podcasts.
Meg Ioffredo
Meg Ioffredo has been a pet professional since 2012, beginning as a bather at a corporate salon. Since then, they have taken every continuing education opportunity available to them and proudly have numerous titles under their belt: certified Pet Tech instructor, certified feline master groomer, rabbit groomer, certified canine esthetician, fear free certified, and more! Now, they turn their gaze on being an educator to give back to their grooming community, with a focus on cat and rabbit grooming. They also run Elevation Media Management, a small business that can do everything from managing social media posting to graphic design. This interest in social media blossomed when Meg ran a successful house call business in Florida. They realized how powerful of a tool social media can be for businesses, and now they want to share with you!
Markie James
Markie James is a NC native, member of Foxy Roxy Pro Team, member of the NDGAA, and graduate of the CVCC Advertising and Graphic Design Program. She has been grooming for over 14 years and owns Bark Side Pet Grooming which has won numerous local awards for excellence and quality. Markie has competed in grooming competitions where she placed Best First Timer, Third Place at APF 2020, Honorable Mention at APF 2021, and Third Place at Safari Palmetto 2022. Recently, she had an article published in Groomer to Groomer Magazine.
Melissa Jepson
Melissa Jepson has owned the award-winning Pupscale Pet Salon in California since 2013. As a founding member of the Association of Holistic Pet Professionals, she believes in creating a soothing environment for all aspects of grooming. She is thrilled to partner with Precision Sharp to offer high-quality products and also enjoys teaching webinars through Pawsitive Educational Training when she isn't traveling. Nearly two decades of experience and a comprehensive knowledge base have made it possible to impart a fresh take with practical applications to her students which she hopes they'll use long after the seminar has ended.
Lis Johnston
Lis Johnston is a National Master Certified groomer and owner of Serenity Pet Spa in Madison, WI. She has 15 years of experience as a professional groomer and more than 20 years showing dogs. She has won multiple awards across the United States and Internationally. She made GroomTeamUSA in 2018 and continues to strive for her goal to become a member of the USA travel team. She runs two full service, kennel free grooming salons with an apprentice programs to help groomers become master certified.
Alyssa Kasiba
Alyssa Kasiba is an international award-winning creative groomer. She has almost 15 years of grooming experience, and she began competitive grooming in 2016. Over the past years, she has specialized in creative grooming from competing on stage to teach the know-hows. In the 2022 season, Alyssa won 30+ awards nationwide, was on the cover of Groomer To Groomer magazine twice, and ended the year winning the Barkleigh Honors Creative Groomer of the Year. You may have seen her featured on Night Line News, Good Morning America, or as a Finalist on ABC's dog grooming competition show, Pooch Perfect. Alyssa has found a passion for teaching the art and creativity of grooming and can't wait to share it.
Milena Kon
Milena started off in graphic design and direct sales before realizing that she wanted to do more with animals. So, she went into grooming in 2013. She is now the owner of Driving Me Knots (Mobile Grooming), DMK Bowtique (Pet Accessories), and DMK Marketing Solutions (Custom Graphic Designs). She started competing in Extreme Creative Styling & Creative Abstract grooming contests in 2015, and won Up-and-Coming Creative Groomer that same year. Her creative work has also been seen on "The Greatest Showman" with Hugh Jackman and "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix. She was awarded the Barkleigh Honors Creative Groomer of the Year in 2018.
Angela Kumpe
Internationally renowned creative stylist and instructor, Angela Kumpe has more placements in creative styling than anyone, worldwide. She won the first ever Barkleigh Honors Award for Creative Competitor. She is the author of A Creative Collection, a step-by-step guide to creative styling. Angela's work has been featured on Animal Planet, TLC, The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, and ABC Nightline as well as in The New York Times and on the cover of Groomer to Groomer magazine. Angela is the owner of Angela's Grooming and Pet Spa in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Suzanne Marchetti
Suzanne has groomed for 35 years and has owned her own business for 24 years. Her most recent business was Uptown Paw in Huntington Beach, California. She ran a 6,000 square foot cage free daycare, boarding, and grooming facility. She is a charter member for both the SCPGA (past president) and CPPGA. She holds a Certified Pet Aesthetician from IV San Bernard, a CAH certification from WWPSA, working on her IPG licensing and is an award winning competitive groomer. She is owner, breeder and an AKC licensed professional handler. She is also a board member for the Burbank Kennel Club.
Amanda McGrath
Amanda is a Certified Feline Master Groomer with a unique talent for time management and organization. She has over 15 years of grooming experience and opened her own salon in 2009 where she grooms both dogs and cats. In addition to grooming, she has also worked in the veterinary field for the last 20 years. Amanda is currently on the management team of a four-doctor small animal veterinary hospital in New Wilmington, PA. By combining her experience in both industries, she created a consulting firm that helps veterinary hospitals improve their grooming departments and provides interview coaching and business organization training.
Jodi Murphy, NCMG, MPS
Jodi, NCMG and MPS, Meritus, owns the Puppy Spa Mobile Grooming Salon in New Jersey. Jodi was a four-year member of Groom Team USA and ended the 2004 season as #1 team member. She won Best American Groomer in 2005 and 2006 at Intergroom, and in 2006 she won the World Championship title in the Oster Invitational Tournament of Champions. Jodi has also won gold and bronze medals in 2005 in Barcelona Spain and a gold medal in 2007 in Milan Italy. Jodi has produced an instructional DVD Series for all levels of grooming, designed her own line of grooming apparel for groomers which is made in the USA, and written top selling grooming books.
Samantha Palya
Samantha Palya started her grooming career in the year of 1996 at Great Lakes Academy of Professional Pet Styling. She entered her first competition at the All American Grooming Show in 1996. From then she earned placements in poodles, and handstripping in her division. She was awarded Best Groomer and Best Groomed Dog in Show for a handstripped terrier at Groom Expo in 1998. At the age of 21 she opened Absolutely Pawfect Pet Styling. Samantha apprentices to help give opportunities to future pet care professionals. She holds certificates for CPR and Pet Safety, Skin and Hair, Salon Sanitation, Canine Body Language, Dog Gurus College, Pricing for profits, and many more.
Lynn Paolillo
Lynn Paolillo has been grooming both dogs and cats for over 10 years. The last 5 have been dedicated to working as an instructor and certifier with the National Cat Groomers Institute of America, Inc. teaching cat grooming students from around the globe. She also owns and operates Cat Naps Cattery, a feline-exclusive boarding and grooming business in New Jersey.
Patricia Pierce
Patricia A. Pierce, M. Ed., Co-founder and Managing Educational Director of Groom Curriculum, co-authored a learner-centered curriculum focused on dog grooming with Sierra Elbert. Pierce specializes in data-driven instruction and realized the need to embed durable skills and positive growth mindset lessons throughout the curriculum.
Irina Pinkusevich
Irina Pinkusevich, NCMG, has been in the grooming industry for over 20 years and currently teaches the art of pet styling at Merryfield School of Pet Grooming in Ft. Laugerdale, FL. She was a 2011 Barkleigh Honors Awards nominee, is a multiple BIS and Best All Around winner and Best American Groomer 2008 at Intergroom. Irina was a member of GroomTeam USA travel team in 2008 and competed in World Team Championship in Dachau Germany in 2009 where she helped bring back the gold for the U.S.
Macie Pisa
Macie has been grooming professionally since 2012. She started competing in 2014 and quickly rose to the top, becoming one of the youngest competitors in open division. Since then, Macie has catapulted her career in competitive grooming, with multiple Best in Show placements at the top grooming shows in the USA and Canada. She earned her Master Groomer certification from NDGAA in 2016 and a coveted spot on GroomTeam USA in 2019, where she was ranked #5 , 2022 she ranked #6 and 2023 she ranked #3. Macie was been nominated for Barkleigh Honors Up and Coming Groomer of the Year in 2017, and the Brian Stoppa Congeniality and Spirit Award in 2020. In 2021 she won season 1 of Pooch Perfect USA. Macie is passionate about continuing education and teaches techniques and skills at grooming shows across North America and Asia. Macie Specializes in Bichons and Poodles but has proved herself proficient in many breeds and techniques.
Adriane Pope
Adriane Pope is an award-winning Pet stylist in Breed Profile and Creative Grooming. Her specialty is extreme creative styling and creative abstract design. Adriane is owner/groomer of Adriane's Groom and Go Mobile Grooming in Conway, SC., and also the owner of Rivertown Bed and Biscuit Luxury Kennel since 2004. She has 24 years of grooming experience, and has been mobile for 22 years. She started competing in breed profile in 1997 and started the creative world in 2004.
Cassondra Renee
Cassondra Renee, founder and CEO of Club Pawsh in Buffalo, New York, is a seasoned groomer with over 10 years of experience in various grooming settings. She has also held corporate roles overseeing hundreds of groomers, where she cultivated a passion for coaching and advising others in the industry to achieve unprecedented success both financially and personally. This led her to launch The Unlimited Groomer Podcast & Coaching. Alongside the podcast, she offers mindset and business coaching tailored to the pet industry, operates a monthly membership community, and is available for speaking engagements. Outside of her professional endeavors, Cassondra is actively involved in WINC, an organization supporting women in business.
Victor Rosado
With 26 years of experience in professional grooming and conformation, Victor Rosado is a NCMG with NDGAA, ICMG, and is a certifier with IPG, as well as a Grooming Contest Judge and a Licensed All Breeds Conformation Judge for FCPR/FCI. As a competitive groomer, Victor Rosado is a multiple Best All Around and Best in Show winner, and one of the top groomers on GroomTeam USA. Victor is a member of American Spaniel Club, an AKC Breeder of Merit, and an exhibitor of American Cocker Spaniels for 20 years with multiple Best in Show and Best in Specialty Shows wins. Victor is also an Oster Ambassador in Latin America and owner of Davis Puerto Rico.
Dr. Molly Rowland
Molly started her grooming career in 2011 in a corporate salon. After a long Army deployment, she then decided the corporate salon was not the right fit and started Molly’s Pampered Paws in 2014 as a solo mobile groomer. Since then, along with her husband Todd, the business has grown to include a talented team with six mobile units, a multi-groomer salon, boarding kennel, consulting division, and pet industry podcast “The Pawcast: The Business Side of the Pet Industries.” Molly holds a Master’s in Business Education in Corporate Training and a Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership.
Todd Rowland
Todd has helped grow his wife’s mobile grooming business, Molly’s Pampered Paws, which she started in 2014, to include a talented team with six mobile units, a multi-groomer salon, boarding kennel, consulting division, and pet industry podcast “The Pawcast: The Business Side of the Pet Industries.” Combined with Todd’s 15+ years of leadership experience as a COO, Dr. Molly and Todd work together to combine education, experience, and best practices to help other pet professionals succeed.
Arielle Scavnicky
Arielle Scavnicky has over 13 years of experience ranging from working in corporate salons, private shops, and veterinary clinics. In 2016 she opened the Cleveland Grooming Academy, a grooming school certified through the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools. She is a National Certified Groomer, active competitor through Barkleigh and IJA, and president of the Ohio Professional Pet Groomers Association. Arielle has dedicated her career and future to creating a safe and fun learning environment for the new and upcoming groomers.
Jay Scruggs
Jay and his wife, Michelle, own Here Comes the Groom, a highly successful mobile grooming salon in Germantown, Tennessee. Jay has won multiple Best in Show and Best All-Around Groomer awards and helped Groomteam USA win the Gold medal in Calgary, Canada, in 2001. Jay was named American Groomer of the Year in 2001, Groomer of the Year Award at Westminster Dog Show in 2002, and Grooming Judge of the Year in 2004. In 2003 Jay won an International Gold and Bronze medal in Barcelona, Spain, helping groomteam USA win the silver team medal. He and Sue Zecco offer seminars nationally. Jay won a Barkleigh Honors Award at the event that he emceed.
Corina Stammworthy
Corina stumbled into the dog grooming industry by chance, but has brought fresh eyes and new ideas. She opened The Laundromutt, a self-service dog wash and grooming salon, on the concept that washing your own dog should be easy and fun. She believes that your dog should always be in the most educated hands, and in the cleanest and calmest environment possible. Corina is a college biology instructor and is currently in graduate school for Biotechnology.
Anna Stowell
Anna Stowell, widely known as "The Doodle Queen," is a 28-year-old entrepreneur and proud owner of Zoom Groom, a highly successful grooming salon in Hopkins, Minnesota. At the age of 14, alongside her mother, Anna's journey transformed a modest operation grooming dogs in the basement of a rental into a thriving enterprise. Driven by her determination and passion for animals, she embarked on a journey of self-education and skill acquisition. Her self-taught expertise allowed her to develop a unique approach to grooming, combining her inherent creativity and eye for detail with a deep understanding of animal behavior and needs. Today, Zoom Groom stands as a testament to Anna's unwavering dedication and entrepreneurial spirit. With a team of nine talented groomers, Anna continues to lead her salon to new heights of success.
Colin Taylor
Colin Taylor, author of ‘What Would Colin Do? 101 Situations and Solutions for Every Dog Groomer’ and founder of the Colin Taylor Academy is an international multi-award-winning groomer, who has been in the industry for 30 years. After more than 20 years of grooming in the US, Colin has returned to the UK to continue his career. His aim is to bring the same level of excitement and energy to the dog grooming industry worldwide. Colin is also an international judge and speaker and runs and manages Master Groom Dog Grooming Contest.
Shannon Tupes
Shannon Tupes is a Certified Master Groomer with National Dog Groomers Association. She has been involved in the pet industry for 28 years and has owned several successful grooming salons throughout the US. She is a member of GroomTeam USA, a current Board member of GroomTeam USA, and a national and international judge and speaker. She is also a Global Educator for Andis and a Brand Ambassador for Superior Care Pet. Shannon is a successful breeder, owner, handler of Bichons under the kennel prefix Releve, has bred over 25 champions, and is an active member of the Bichon Frise Club of America. Shannon is also a club-approved mentor for judges.
Jessica Uzzetta
Jessica Uzzetta is a Nationally Certified Master Groomer with a passion for continuing education and bringing groomers together to better the industry as a whole. She has been competing in grooming competitions since 2012 and earned multiple first place and a Best in Show award, quickly reaching the highest level in three short years. She is a single mother of two beautiful girls who owns and operates two upscale pet salons and mobile grooming businesses in Wentzville, MO. She is passionate about her Poodles in showing, breeding, rescue and education. In addition to grooming, Jessica has also been an active Veterinary Technician for almost 20 years. Her passion for animals and education to her clients, peers and the public are shown every day.
Joey Villani
In 1998, Joey purchased the Nash Academy in New Jersey which he owned and operated until 2008. Now a well-known pet industry speaker and judge, Joey has been nominated 14 times for the Cardinal Crystal and Barkleigh Honors awards. He has been enthusiastically involved with Intergroom International for 33 years and has been instrumental in expanding the organization's reach into Belgium, Italy, and France. Joey is one of the original members of the International Judges Association and has made many television appearances. Today, Joey continues to innovate and explore new dimensions in the pet care and grooming industry. In early 2009, Joey became part of the Animal Radio on-air staff where he is known as "The Dogfather".
Elena Volnova
Elena Volnova is a co-founder of Dog Fashion Spa brand and PetStore Direct distribution company. She has over 10 years of retail, e-commerce and marketing experience in the dog grooming industry.
Ralph Whitman
Ralph is the Owner/Sharpener of Whitman’s Sharpening, one of the largest sharpeners and grooming tool suppliers in the Mid-West. Whitman’s provides sales and services to over 40 AKC/UKC dog shows and trade shows annually. Ralph noticed there was a need for higher quality, safer, more effective and easier to use products within the pet industry. So, these concepts have been in the forefront of their ideals since conception of the company in 1995. Whitman’s is the developer and manufacturer of the USA quality pet safe clipper blade cleaner/storage solution The Redip and The Diamastripper Tool. They operate out of Farwell, MI where they have a full retail area, as well host clinics and seminars all over the country.
Dan Williams
Daniel J. Williams is the managing director of EZ-Groom Pet Products Inc. in Oak Park, Michigan, U.S.A. He holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Lawrence Technological University, earned a master’s degree in business administration from Baker College, and has completed the University of Chicago Advanced Leadership program. He has authored numerous articles on cosmetics, and metallurgy as it relates to pet grooming shears. Dan has designed and engineered a number of manufacturing projects at metal-making factories in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Over the past 22 years, Dan has served as president and CEO of three small closely held organizations where he managed a number of mergers and acquisitions. Dan has worked with EZ-Groom since 2002.
Olga Zabelinskaya
Olga is a Certified Master Groomer and owns two grooming salons, Elite Pet Spa & Boutique in Madison, NJ and Grooming Gallery in Morris Plains, NJ. She has multiple BIS and Best All-Around Groomer wins as well as two prestigious Winners Circle Champion titles. Olga is 2009 and 2010 American Groomer of the Year by Cardinal Pet, and was awarded the Lynne Carver Memorial Award as Best All Around Stylist 2009. Olga was born in Russia where she had a Master Degree in Engineering and finished law school. Olga was a GroomTeam USA member 2008-2012 and won the Silver medal in Belgium, 2011 as a part of the traveling team. Olga co-hosts many pet fundraising events.
Sue Zecco
Sue is a 2011 Barkleigh Honors Award winner. She is a Certified Master Groomer with both the National Dog Groomers Association (NDGAA) and the International Professional Groomers (IPG). She has been grooming for over 30 years. She has won multiple grooming awards, including her biggest show accomplishments: 1998 International Groomer of the Year and 1999 Oster Invitational Tournaments Grand Champion. Sue has been a member of GroomTeam USA since 1997 and broke all records in 1999, earning 113 points. She is also a Wahl Clipper Corporation spokesperson. With Jay Scruggs, she conducts a series of full-day seminars called Super Styling Sessions. Sue breeds Standard Poodles under the "Dreamcatcher" prefix.
Hannah Ziegler
Hannah Ziegler is a renowned pet grooming expert and seasoned public speaker with a unique "training first" approach honed through years of experience with both wild and domestic animals. Specializing in various grooming techniques, including restraint-free grooming and handling difficult and senior dogs, Hannah's insightful articles have been featured in reputable publications, reflecting her expertise and commitment to animal wellbeing. With her engaging speaking style and wealth of knowledge, she is a sought-after speaker for events and conferences.