2026 Speakers
Meet The Speakers
Katie Gingrich
Katie Gingrich is a people first CX leader passionate about building systems that don’t just scale, but truly serve. As Director of Customer Experience at Time To Pet, she leads the Support and Onboarding teams with a rare blend of empathy, operational savvy, and a deep respect for the humans behind every help ticket and workflow.
With over six years in customer experience and pet tech, Katie’s journey began in the dog agility ring and has spanned roles at Yelp, running an award-winning dog walking company, and now shaping service excellence at scale.
At every step, she’s been driven by one core belief: great experiences don’t happen by accident, they’re designed with intention. With a sharp eye for systems that create silent friction, and a gift for uniting teams around shared purpose, Katie helps businesses reimagine what it means to truly connect with their clients and their pets, with their employees, and with the heart of their mission.
Collin Funkhouser
Collin Funkhouser is the co-host of the Pet Sitter Confessional podcast, which he produces with his wife, Meghan. Together, they also own and operate Funky Bunch Pet Care, an award-winning dog walking and pet sitting company. Through hundreds of interviews with pet care professionals, Collin and Meghan explore the real-world challenges of growth, leadership, and people management in service-based businesses.
Known for his humor, insight, and practical approach, Collin helps business owners bridge the gap between people and process. He lives in Missouri with Meghan, their two amazing kids, and one very energetic corgi.
Dr Willie Ng
Dr Willie Ng is a licensed Master Peace Officer who has been serving the great State of Texas for over 30 years. He has worked in various roles for the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) – from Patrol Officer to Detective Investigator and Special Federal Deputy Marshal assigned to the U.S. Secret Service Task Force.
After retiring from SAPD, Willie accepted the position as Chief Criminal Investigator for the Bexar County District Attorney’s office where he served in this capacity with honor and distinction until 2018. While simultaneously working in law enforcement, in 2003, Willie founded Blue Armor Security Services, Inc., and has successfully owned and managed his small business for 20+ years
Teoti Anderson
Teoti Anderson is the co-owner of A Dog’s Best Friend, located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A professional dog trainer for more than 30 years, she is the author of The Dog Behavior Problem Solver, DogFancy Ultimate Guide to Dog Training, Animal Planet Dogs 101 Dog Training, Puppy Care and Training, The Super Simple Guide to Housetraining, and more.
She also writes for Modern Dog and Happy Paws magazines, Fear Free Happy Homes, and has been interviewed in Southern Living, New York Times, DogFancy, Puppies USA, Whole Dog Journal and other national publications. A popular conference speaker, she has given presentations to pet owners, humane organizations and fellow trainers across the United States and internationally. Teoti has extensive education and experience in working with a variety of canine issues, including serious cases of fear and aggression.
Teoti served on the board of directors of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) for six years, serving as President for three years. She serves as a consultant on canine training and behavior for local and national dog rescue groups. She has been involved with pet therapy as a volunteer, evaluator and Instructor for more than 25 years, serving with two Labrador Retrievers, a Papillon and one special cat.
Jessica L. Fisher
Topic 1: Food First Aid: What Pet Sitters Should Know About Dog & Cat Diets
The pet sitter's cheat code to healthier pets: I’m breaking canine and feline nutrition into on-the-job wins you can use today. We’ll spot the biggest bowl mistakes, decode labels in seconds, and make upgrades that actually move the needle: hydration hacks, smarter treats, simple toppers, and species-appropriate basics (cats are not small dogs). We’ll tie food to behavior, poop, skin, and energy so your guidance actually lands—with scripts you can use to educate clients without starting a debate. You’ll walk out confident, clear, and ready to be the calm expert in every kitchen
Topic 2: Keep the Clients, Grow the Profit: Add Revenue Without More Walks
You don’t need more clients—you need smarter ways to serve the ones you already have. This session shows pet sitters how to turn daily access and trust into new revenue streams without adding more visits. We’ll identify problems you’re already spotting (food, hydration, stress, environment) and package them into paid add-ons: consults, pantry/label reviews, “starter bowl upgrades,” routine check-ins, and wellness follow-ups. You’ll learn simple pricing, boundaries, and scripts that convert—so you upsell ethically, keep clients longer, and raise lifetime value. One certification. Lifetime value increases.
Gavin Gallagher
Gavin Gallagher has over 30 years of experience in both industry and consulting roles with a focus on technology. Gavin has worked with Macy’s, Accenture and H-E-B, spending the 20+ years with H-E-B creating a world class team of engineers and technologists focused on building enterprise class custom applications, mobile applications for customers and employees, cloud native applications hosted across the major public cloud providers, along with a broad set of SaaS offerings across an extensive range of retail verticals, including Manufacturing, Transportation, Warehousing, Pharmacy, Health Care Provider Clinics, Real Estate, Corporate Back Office and in store Retail Technology.
Since retiring from HEB as Chief Operating officer of HEB Digital, Gavin has spent his recent years working with multiple technology boards and continues to help guide two startup companies focused on the hospitality industry. Gavin has a great passion for applying technology to solve business challenges.
Lt. Kelly DeVoll (Retired)
Shannon Huskins
Shannon Huskins is the founder of Paws & Purrs Feline Services in metro Atlanta and has been pet sitting since 1997. Paws & Purrs is an exclusively cat-only business that specializes in feline hospice care and in-home cat sitting & wellness services. Shannon focuses her attention on each cat’s behavioral & environmental enrichment needs, managing chronic illnesses, and client education.
Shannon graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Biology and a minor in Health Sciences (pre-med). She spent nearly 2 decades working in veterinary medicine as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in feline-only clinics. She is also a long-time member of Pet Sitters International and earned the distinction of Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS), as well as selected as a 2020 Finalist for Pet Sitter of the Year. Shannon is Fear Free certified and recently became trained in Cat Behavior Modification techniques through the Feline Right at Home Initiative. And in 2022, she became the Shelter Manager of FurKids Animal Rescue’s medical triage unit and adoption center, where she cares for 80+ cats and kittens as they recover from illness or injury and await their forever homes.
Shannon has transitioned back to being a solo sitter and transformed Paws&Purrs into a “Concierge Cat Care Service”, where she now focuses her attention on a smaller client base so that she can emphasize high-touch customer service, specialized feline enrichment plans, and targeted medical care services for the cats in her care. Shannon has always looked for ways to educate cat parents and pet professionals, so it’s no surprise that her next endeavors are the upcoming podcast “The Cataholic” and an online course geared towards all things feline!