In this episode, Fra sits down with Paloma Newton, Co-founder and CEO of Elita, a startup using science to help dogs live longer, healthier lives. Paloma shares how a path through advertising, startups and venture capital led her to build a stem cell bank for pets, and how it grew into a preventative health platform for dogs. We talk about leading a science-heavy business as a non-technical CEO, building a company with your partner, why clear is kind, and why most advice is best ignored.
Watch the full episode on YouTube.
0:00 - Introduction
0:45 - How Paloma became a founder
2:30 - Wanting to be a dog, and an early knack for business
5:10 - From advertising to startups
7:55 - The duck story: learning fast at Baraja
11:00 - Confidence, upbringing and "anyone can do anything"
12:15 - Working in VC at Blackbird
13:15 - Building a company with your partner
17:40 - Clear is kind: giving feedback
19:50 - What Elita does
20:20 - Where the idea came from
23:10 - Pet health versus human health
23:55 - Making science accessible
27:15 - Why not being technical is an advantage
29:10 - Community
30:50 - How tech is changing pet health
32:45 - Founder tips: ignore most advice
35:10 - One thing to do for your dog's health this week
