Source: Pet Food Processing / Sosland Publishing Co.

DENVER — After years in the fast-moving technology sector, Kate Lin found her next startup idea close to home: in the everyday challenge of supporting her own pets’ health. She founded JoyFull Pet to make science-backed wellness easier through functional treats and supplements built around high-quality proteins, limited ingredients and convenient formats.

“I wanted the best for [my pets], but with my busy lifestyle, I couldn’t always make them elaborate meals with a dozen toppers, plus they’re so picky there was a chance adding more things would just make them refuse their meals entirely,” Lin shared. “This mindset has really helped me stay true to JoyFull’s focuses…”

In this Q&A, Lin shares how life as a pet parent shaped JoyFull Pet, the trends she believes are redefining pet wellness and her advice for women ready to lead and innovate in the industry.

PFP: How did you get your start in the pet industry, and how did that experience lead you to where you are now?

Lin: I’d always worked in startups and have had the entrepreneurial itch for a long time, but I hadn’t found an idea that lit me up enough to want to pursue it. It wasn’t until I became a cat mom and then a dog mom that I became passionate about this industry from a consumer standpoint, and starting JoyFull was really built out of a need I had as a pet parent. I wanted the best for them, but with my busy lifestyle, I couldn’t always make them elaborate meals with a dozen toppers, plus they’re so picky there was a chance adding more things would just make them refuse their meals entirely. This mindset has really helped me stay true to JoyFull’s focuses: clean, minimal ingredients that I can feel great about giving them; functional health benefits that help extend an existing routine into a wellness habit; and truly convenient form factors.

PFP: If you could pick three trends influencing the industry today, which are the most important and why?

Lin: The push toward fresh, real, recognizable ingredients: It puts pets’ health first, which is a shift away from what pet products have been for a long time, which is a place to repurpose byproducts from the human food chain. I think there’s a place for that, certainly, so I’m not here to demonize them, but we exist in this space for the pet parents who want more and are willing to pay for that premium.

Enrichment as a lifestyle routine: What used to be niche seems to be becoming more mainstream, and I’m here for it. It helps keep our pets happy and mentally stimulated, and when they’re happy and tired, it has benefits for us as well, like not having them destroy things around the house or otherwise act chaotic in an otherwise peaceful home.

Science-backed benefits and clinical research: In the human supplement space, having studies and measurable benefits is common and expected to demonstrate that a product will do what they say it will do. And I think it’s definitely much needed for this type of rigor to enter the pet industry in a much bigger way.

PFP: What advice would you give to other women in this industry?

Lin: Trust your instincts: women are overwhelmingly the people making decisions for their pets, so we’re uniquely positioned to innovate in this space when we are also the target audience. 

Kate Lin’s senior cat Mia, first dog Layla and newest addition Roo.

PFP: Just for fun, do you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person? Or, if you have pets of your own, tell us a little bit about them. 

Lin: I can’t pick just one! I always say that my dog and cats play different parts in my lifestyle. My Husky is like my little bestie and adventure sidekick, she loves to go shopping with me and she helps me easily exceed my 10,000 steps per day. But when I’m home and relaxing, my cats are the ones who come up to cuddle with me. I truly can’t imagine my life without either of them at this point.

Mia is our senior cat and first baby. She is my first picky-cat taste-tester for new recipes because she’s very particular. These days she’s usually sleeping at home, but she still loves traveling with us and is an angel in the car and on the plane.

Layla is my very first dog and the sunshine of our home. She’s super friendly, always ready for any adventure, and is play-motivated more than food-motivated. I joke that I accidentally trained her to be our picky-dog taste-tester by spoiling her with human food all the time.

Roo is our newest addition. She showed up at our house one day, and after no one claimed her for a month, she officially became part of our family. She’s very affectionate and vocal, and still very adventurous so she’s still learning the concept of boundaries now that she has a loving home!

Following years in the high-growth tech market, Kate Lin created JoyFull Pet to bring science-backed wellness to pets through functional treats and supplements formulated with high-quality proteins and limited ingredients.

Continue reading about other female leaders featured in our Women in the Pet Industry series.