Last week, the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) hosted its first-ever Pet Sustainability Impact Unleashed track at Pet Summit 2025 in Orlando, Florida. This marked a significant evolution from our previous standalone Impact Unleashed event in Boulder, Colorado. By embedding sustainability into a larger industry gathering, we expanded the conversation, reached new audiences, and reinforced the idea that sustainability is integral to the future of the pet industry.
With over 130 companies and more attendees than any previous Impact Unleashed event,, the two-day program featured keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking focused on actionable change across the supply chain.
- No Matter Your Starting Point, There’s a Meaningful Next Step in Sustainability
In the workshop “Build Your Company’s Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap,” PSC’s Allison Reser and Hannah Hintz provided a framework for companies at all stages of their sustainability journey. Attendees discussed challenges and committed to concrete next steps to make progress within 30 days. [For those who attended, don’t forget to check in with your accountability buddy on April 24!]
Mia Davis, Chief Impact Officer at Ollie, led the keynote “Driving True Impact: Strategies for New Programs,” pushing the pet industry to take bolder action and integrate sustainability into core operations. Penny Steinwagner of Morris Packaging emphasized that sustainability strategies must be realistic and authentic to each company’s unique capabilities.
- The Right Words Can Transform Your Sustainability Strategy and Engagement
Keynote speaker Cheryl Baldwin, in “Connecting Climate and Nature: A Planet-Forward Approach,” urged companies to consider their nature footprint alongside their carbon footprint. Joanne Dwyer’s breakfast keynote, “Unleashing the Future of Sustainability: Driving Change in the Pet Industry,” highlighted the power of language, encouraging companies to frame sustainability in business-driven terms like operational efficiency rather than technical jargon.
In the session “Sustainability Trends in the Pet Industry: Data, Consumers & the Power of Social Listening,” Alisa Hamilton, Ingrid Chu, and Shannon Landry discussed how consumers want sustainable products but need better understanding of what makes a product sustainable. Similarly, in “The Future of Sustainable Packaging: Solutions for the Pet Industry,” Adam Kay, Brian Steinwagner, Jeff Travis, and Kasra Eskandari examined the impact of green claims and the language used in sustainability messaging.
- Collaboration Across the Supply Chain Starts with Two-Way Communication
The entire supply chain—from farms to processors to brands—plays a role in sustainability, and we heard from many points along the supply chain on stage.
In “Healthy Pets, Healthy Planet: How Sustainable Ingredients Are Shaping Pet Food,” Chris Schreiber, Jennifer Adolphe, Kate Schaffner, and Maye Walraven highlighted how resilient farms can support economic development while reducing environmental impacts and protecting our food supply to meet the needs of a growing global population.
Panelists in “From Soil to Supply Chain: Tracking the Impact of Sustainable Sourcing”—including Cate Battey, Eric Allphin, and Mark Kleinschmit—stressed the importance of ingredient traceability in building consumer trust and industry-wide responsibility. “Logistics and Manufacturing: Proven Practices to Lower Your Environmental Footprint” with Mike Kettelsen and Phil Wiltz shed light on the role of manufacturing and transportation efficiencies in sustainability—often overlooked areas that present major opportunities for impact.
- Passion Drives Sustainability—And It’s Contagious!
The lightning talks, a crowd-favorite session, featured inspiring stories from Aditya Siroya, Monika Berankyte, Eric Adams, Lashonda Geffard, Spencer Williams, and Jai Fletcher. Their deeply personal motivations for driving sustainability in business resonated with the audience, underscoring the passion that fuels this work. You kinda had to be there… the emotion was real!
Over cocktails, the conversations kept flowing—with attendees trading ideas, emails, and long-term collaboration plans.
One of the most powerful aspects of Pet Sustainability Impact Unleashed was the collaborative energy in the room. Attendees shared success stories, discussed challenges, and left with actionable steps to drive sustainability within their organizations. The event reinforced that sustainability is not just a goal but an ongoing journey—one that requires industry-wide commitment and innovation.
Thank you to attendees, speakers, and sponsors, who made Impact Unleashed possible.