March is Women’s History Month, and I have had the privilege of hearing and sharing some of the most extraordinary stories of women across Animal Health.
According to AVMA workforce data, women make up nearly two-thirds of practicing veterinarians in the United States, and more than 80% of current Veterinary students, a remarkable demographic shift over just a few decades. Women now lead specialty colleges, research laboratories, hospital systems, startups, consulting firms, and global pet health companies. They are clinicians, executives, founders, scientists, strategists, and innovators.
But this progress did not happen by accident.
It happened because women before us stepped into rooms where they were not always expected, and sometimes not even welcomed. They built credibility and impact in environments that required resilience. They pursued board certification, advanced science, founded companies, mentored colleagues, and quietly (and sometimes boldly) insisted on progress.
As a board-certified Veterinary nutritionist who has worked across both clinical medicine and the broader pet industry ecosystem for over a decade, I have personally benefited from the courage, mentorship, and friendship of these women. And as the host of Vet Life Reimagined, I have had a front-row seat to their journeys.
The Women Who Reimagined What Was Possible
On the podcast, I’ve interviewed women who have transitioned from traditional practice into executive leadership, built companies at the intersection of science and innovation, advocated for mental health reform in Veterinary medicine, advanced research across specialties, and redefined what a “Veterinary career” can look like.
What stands out is not just their accomplishment, but their intentionality about mentorship, about designing careers instead of defaulting into them, and about lifting others as they rise.
These women are not simply succeeding within the profession. They are shaping it.
And yet, while women now represent the majority of Veterinary professionals, they still remain underrepresented in C-suite and executive leadership roles across portions of the broader Animal Health and biotech sectors. The pipeline has shifted, but the highest levels of corporate and strategic decision-making still do not fully reflect the demographics of the profession.
That reality presents not discouragement, but opportunity.
A Personal Season of Growth
I write this in a formative season of my own life and career.
I am in early motherhood with an 18-month-old daughter. At the same time, I am in an intense period of professional growth, building my personal reputation, strengthening relationships across industries, contributing to startups, and serving within organizations that support current and future professionals.
There are days when my enthusiasm feels expansive. There are days when the anxiety and fatigue feel heavy.
Balancing the drive to build with the desire to be deeply present requires constant reflection and recalibration. What matters most shifts, sometimes daily. The goal is not perfection, but intentional progress (and a lot of personal grace).
Despite the up-and-down emotional rollercoaster of life, I remain a deep optimist because I am not navigating it alone.
I am inspired by women in Animal Health who integrate career and family in ways that are honest, strategic, and values-driven. Women who are devoted mothers and ambitious leaders and refuse to believe that those identities must compete. They are redefining leadership not as constant sacrifice, but as purposeful alignment.
That evolution is part of Women’s History Month too.
From Representation to Responsibility
The increasing presence of women in Animal Health is worth celebrating. But representation alone is not the finish line.
If women now make up the majority of many areas of Veterinary medicine, then we also carry a responsibility to shape cultures, companies, and systems worthy of the next generation.
When I look at my daughter, I think of her future. I hope she enters an ecosystem where leadership is strong and compassionate, science is robust and respected, innovation is collaborative and ethical, and well-being is not an afterthought.
The future will arrive whether we shape it or not. The question is whether we will be intentional architects of it. Women before us opened doors. Now it is our turn, as a community, to build the path forward.
Women can be empathetic and intuitive and multitask like superheroes! When I think about the future of Animal Health, I don’t just see more women at the table. I see women helping design the table itself, strengthening its foundation, expanding its reach, and ensuring there is room for many more voices. This is not only a moment to honor women’s history. It is a moment to actively write the next chapter.
What future do you want to build together?