Tell us about your company or firm.
Pet HealthCare Innovations™ is an award-winning company that greatly improves the health and quality of life for pets and their owners, by creating leading-edge products that are essential for the standard of care for pets.
We are developing an entire patent-pending ecosystem of 6 products for mobility-impaired dogs, including a groundbreaking stationary potty station, a revolutionary mobile walker, a next-generation wheelchair, and a best-in-class sling, harness, and hammock. All these products work together seamlessly, providing an unparalleled standard of care that results in less euthanasia, longer lifespan, and healthier, cleaner, faster, easier, and more affordable care!
What is one “must do” (or must not do!) piece of advice you have for founders growing a startup?
It’s hard to narrow it down to just one “must-do” piece of advice for startup founders, so here are several must-dos:
Get involved with the innovation and entrepreneurship community, join a top-tier incubator or accelerator, recruit a team of highly successful mentors, form strategic partnerships with best-in-class service providers that complete your team, and present and compete in startup competitions — like those from the Florida Venture Forum — to earn prize funding and connect with potential investors, other funding sources, and the community overall!
I was fortunate to be introduced to Florida Atlantic University’s transformative innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. My venture gained admission to The Runway at Florida Atlantic—a preeminent startup accelerator—where we were matched with an entire team of incredibly successful entrepreneur mentors. We formed a strategic partnership with Prototype House, which is assisting us through all aspects of product development, from ideation, design, and engineering to manufacturing and more. We also partnered with Fleit Intellectual Property Law, which is our patent counsel and advises us on intellectual property strategy.
These connections, mentors, team members, partners, and startup competitions have monumentally contributed to our development and success!
What excites you most about Florida’s future as a place to invest and/or grow a startup?
Historically, cities like Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York have stood out as global powerhouses of innovation. What excites me is seeing areas of Florida thriving among the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in the nation, fueled by Florida’s world-class universities, elite talent, strong capital from private and government investment, and cultures that truly embrace entrepreneurship. Florida is emerging as a true epicenter of innovation—a tremendous place to invest in and grow a startup!
What are you currently reading or listening to?
I pride myself on being curious and a lifelong learner. My formal education includes four diverse college degrees—in business, accounting, mathematics, and neuroscience. Right now, I’m enjoying expanding my knowledge and skills in engineering and biomedical applications, fields that directly connect with my passion for creating transformative product solutions. I’m always excited to explore new areas that deepen my understanding of the world or may inspire innovation!
Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration?
Growing up, I played a wide variety of sports competitively. It was always my dream to play in the NBA, and Michael Jordan remains one of my greatest heroes. While I didn’t make it to the NBA, I’ve been fortunate to channel that same passion for winning in sports into a new dream—developing innovations and sharing them with people in need, creating meaningful impact by helping others.
I am also inspired by a wide variety of innovators and entrepreneurs throughout history. I’m motivated by the opportunity to identify real problems facing people or society and create effective, leading-edge solutions that provide essential benefits to those in urgent need. Most of all, I’m inspired by the lasting impact these innovations can have in improving lives and helping others.
Could you share some words of wisdom for success in business or life?
The principles I’ve learned by playing sports competitively translate very well into achieving startup success. Whether it’s building a strong team, leadership, a consistent work ethic, commitment, dedication, determination, resilience, and so much more, these are essential for success as an athlete—and these same qualities are also essential for success as a startup founder.
Y Combinator, one of the top startup accelerators in the world, has researched which founder qualities matter most for startup success and found that determination is the single most important trait. I strongly believe that determination is critical not only for startup success but for success in any challenging endeavor. Determination is the relentless persistence to push forward through obstacles, adapt as needed, and turn vision into reality. When things get hard, rely on your determination—keep moving forward, learning, and improving, and you will find a way to succeed!
Can you tell us about a mentor or someone who has had a positive influence on you?
I have been extremely fortunate to have truly outstanding mentors in my life. I’d like to share stories about two mentors who have been especially influential in supporting my startup journey. These stories highlight the importance of taking action.
There is never a perfect time to get started—so start chasing your dreams right now!
Initially, I designed an invention to help my family’s dog Daisy with her mobility issues. It was my father, Douglas Thomerson, whose strong bias toward action allowed him to quickly turn that idea into reality. He took my design, went into the garage, and came back with our first prototype. It worked amazingly, we used it for over two years, and it saved Daisy’s life! My venture’s success was made possible because of my dad’s mentorship and guidance during this critical stage of early prototyping and user testing.
Later, I wanted to share this innovation with the world, but I wasn’t making any progress on developing a business—until I joined Florida Atlantic University’s Entrepreneur Boot Camp and met Professor Kevin Cox. With Kevin’s mentorship and guidance, he connected me to FAU’s world-class innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, including The Runway at Florida Atlantic, a preeminent accelerator that matched me with an entire team of incredibly successful entrepreneur mentors!
These mentors have consistently guided me to achieve critical milestones, enabling my venture to win prestigious statewide, national, and international competitions—such as those held by the Florida Venture Forum, gain recognition as a Next Generation Inventor by the National Academy of Inventors, be honored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and so much more. Their guidance has truly transformed my life forever.
Thanks to my mentors’ guidance, my venture—Pet HealthCare Innovations™—has achieved major milestones and continues to grow as we create innovative product solutions that greatly improve the health and quality of life for pets and their owners!
None of this success would have happened without getting started. Sharing some of what I learned from these mentors, my advice is this: take action towards developing your dreams, and reach out to family, friends, and the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for mentorship, guidance, and support to help make your dreams into reality!
