Petfood Forum has named its four 2025 First for Forum Ambassadors: Annesa Bahman with Blue Buffalo; Brianne Dowdall with Ollie Pets; Quentin Jensen with Targeted Pet Treats; and Leah Scott with Earth Animal Ventures.

Returning for its third year in 2025, the First for Forum program offers pet food professionals who have never attended Petfood Forum in the past a chance to attend the show at no cost. This year's Petfood Forum will run April 28-30, 2025, in Kansas City.

First for Forum is about more than giving new professionals a chance to experience Petfood Forum. It’s about creating a space where industry veterans and newcomers can connect and collaborate, said Lynzee Branstetter, marketing manager with WATT Global Media, which together with Petfood Industry magazine, organizes and hosts the event. 

“First for Forum provides an incredible opportunity for up-and-coming pet food professionals to gain valuable industry insights from leading experts, network with established professionals and build lasting connections, and discover the latest trends and innovations shaping pet food,” said Branstetter.

Aneesa Bahman, R&D scientist for Blue Buffalo.Petfood ForumBahman is an R&D scientist for Blue Buffalo, having worked with the company for about two years with a focus on nutrition formulation and ingredient functionality. Prior to her current role, she received a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a master’s degree in Animal Nutrition at University of Florida. During that time, Bahman gained experiences in animal nutrition, food science and developing sustainable agricultural systems. She said has a genuine passion for animal health, the environment and overall nutrition.

Bahman said she is looking forward to connecting with other scientists and eager to learn from the experiences of industry experts and professionals from across the pet food industry. "Attending Petfood Forum is an incredible opportunity to learn about the latest innovation and gain insights into industry trends," she said. "This convention is renowned for showcasing the newest technologies, ingredients and processing methods in the pet food industry. Understanding the current market trends and future directions of the pet food industry is crucial for R&D."

Brianne Dowdall, packaging engineer at Ollie Pets.Petfood ForumDowdall is a packaging engineer with over nine years of experience in the human food industry, having worked at Mars Chocolate, Beyond Meat and Gordon Food Service. Since joining Ollie in 2024, she’s focused on optimizing packaging designs, leading sustainability initiatives and ensuring an exceptional unboxing experience for customers, all while exploring innovative materials to reduce waste in the direct-to-consumer space.

With most of her experience in the human food industry, Dowdall is excited to expand her understanding of the pet industry — specifically best practices, emerging trends and new innovations at this year's Petfood Forum.

"I hope to deepen my knowledge of pet food processing, packaging, labeling and marketing," she said. "Additionally, I hope to connect with industry professionals to grow my network and foster long-lasting relationships. By attending the conference workshops, panel discussions and keynote sessions, I plan to leave the Forum feeling inspired and equipped with an actionable plan to make a greater impact at Ollie and for pets everywhere."

Dowdall also noted sustainability is a personal passion and is especially looking forward to the sustainability and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) sessions during Petfood Essentials.

Quentin Jensen, quality control and food safety manager, Targeted Pet Treats.Petfood ForumJensen is a quality control and food safety manager at the Targeted Pet Treats in Warren, Pennsylvania. He has a decade of experience in manufacturing and quality control. Jensen has primarily worked in human food but transitioned into the pet food industry over the last year and half. He oversees the plant’s product quality, sanitation and its adherence to food safety standards. His passion for quality comes from knowing that every product produced directly impacts the well-being of animals, and he said he takes pride in upholding the highest safety and quality standards, from sourcing ingredients to final product testing.

Jensen said his primary goal main at Petfood Forum is to expand his knowledge of regulatory standards, food safety and quality standards specific to pet food manufacturing.

"As someone new to the pet food industry, I’m most looking forward to connecting with experienced professionals and learning about the latest innovations in pet food safety and quality," he said. "It’s a great opportunity to gain insights into emerging trends, new technologies and best practices that can enhance food safety protocols that we employ at Targeted Pet Treats. I’m also excited to meet new people in this industry and build potential business relationships."

Leah Scott, senior manager of food safety and quality, Earth Animal.Petfood ForumScott is the senior manager of food safety and quality with Earth Animal Ventures. Holding a Bachelor of Science in biology from Morgan State University, she is HACCP certified and an SQFI Code 9 Auditor. Her expertise spans a wide range of skills including quality assurance, auditing, being a sought-after sensory panelist, and a number of other talents related to food science and product development.

Scott is also a devoted pet parent to two rescue cats: a spicy tuxedo named Timber and a loveable Norwegian Forest cat named Duchess, who motivate her to do her very best to create and produce products that she’d be happy to serve.

Scott said she is looking forward to seeing all the upcoming innovations in pet food during Forum. "I think it’s exciting to see the parallels between people food and pet food and learn about the potential to elevate product quality standards for our pets," she explained. "I’m hoping to learn as much as I can about the pet food industry as a whole and bring back any information I gain to improve the Earth Animal product line."