Innovation at the KC Animal Health Corridor 2023

From:  Allison Spengler Foster, Executive Director of the Veterinary Future Society

I had the pleasure of attending the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor Summit on August 26th and 27th of 2023.  I met incredible industry leaders and innovators in the veterinary industry. 

From the opening with Kimberly Young, President of the KC Animal Health Corridor,  and Caroline Belmont, Head of US Global Innovation and US Regulatory Affairs at BI,  to the closing of this Summit, the themes of data, innovation, technology, science, and entrepreneurship prevailed.

There was a strong emphasis on the topics of herd health and food sustainability, with several distinguished companies, including AgLogica Holdings (dba AGL Technology), Genevax Technologies Inc., and Novabind Livestock Therapeutics Inc., being granted the privilege of presenting their futuristic and innovative solutions in these areas. 

Among the array of company pitches, the ones that particularly piqued personal interest were:

• AskVet. Cal Lai, the President and CEO, introduced an AI-powered agent capable of engaging with pet owners, posing relevant questions, triage, and even scheduling appointments, thereby offering virtual customer care and a digital front desk service.
• MI-RNA.  Dr. Eve Hanks, Founder and CEO, presented providing lab diagnostic tests to identify diseases such as heart disease in cats, and joint disease in horses, even earlier than we can now.
• Full Life Wellness.  They announced Artie, which is a subscription-based meal shipment plan for dogs that mixes custom healthy food that you prepare in a specialty appliance. 

And, of course, the winner of the Summit,  Akston Biosciences, shared their groundbreaking work in long-acting protein therapeutics for pets which earned them the highest distinction, highlighting their dedication to advancing animal health.

Among other standout figures was  Linda Black, DVM, PhD, CEO of Gallant Therapeutics, who is at the forefront of pioneering developments in stem cell therapy and stem cell banking. Gallant’s pipeline features “allogenic mesenchymal stem cells” derived from adult tissues, with the remarkable ability to transform into diverse cell types such as bone, cartilage, and adipose (fat) cells, among others. This field of research is undeniably captivating.

I was extremely impressed with the KC Animal Health Corridor Summit and strongly recommend attendance in 2024 to any entrepreneur looking for support and resources.  

Allison Spengler Foster
Executive Director Veterinary Future Society

#VeterinaryFutureSociety  #Innovation  and  #AHS23

Kimberly Young, president of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, and Todd Zion, PhD, president and CEO of Akston Biosciences, share the stage after Akston Biosciences won the Innovation Award during the 2023 Animal Health Summit.