Jay De Long
Co-Founder & Partner, Active Capital
A champion of entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems across many industries in and around St. Louis, Jay manages the strategy, vision, and development of the PCI.
The PCI recognizes and supports the innovators and changemakers of the pet care industry, all powered by Purina.
The business of making pets healthier and happier is booming and there’s still plenty of room for new ideas, new companies, and new success stories. PCI is here to nurture the best new pet care businesses and help them make a difference in pets’ lives.
For founders of high-potential pet care startups, PCI Powered by Purina provides a unique blend of visibility, connection, expertise and community, all backed by affiliation with Purina, a world leader in pet care. Through the power of our relationship-based programs, we support early-stage companies and innovative founders who are defining the future of pet care.
Purina founded PCI because they believe that an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem benefits everyone within it—both early-stage and established companies. This pet care leader wants to meet and support the early-stage companies it might be working with tomorrow and help raise the innovation bar for the pet care industry.
A champion of entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems across many industries in and around St. Louis, Jay manages the strategy, vision, and development of the PCI.
As Co-Founder of Active Capital, Megan supports all annual activities of the PCI Prize, and oversees the annual PCI Network events and meetings.
Prior PCIP winner and nework member, Dustin is the Founder/CEO of PupJoy and a former ad-tech executive. He manages the PCI prize competition, network programs, and events.
9 Square Ventures has been focused on connecting with pet care startups since 2014. Visit the 9 Square Ventures website to learn more.
As Vice President of Personalization at Scale, Bill leads both Nestle Purina M&A practice (over $1 billion in transaction value) and their Personalization at Scale team.
As Vice President of Strategic Planning, Blair leads emerging growth efforts at Nestle Purina focused on new business incubation and open-innovation.
As Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, David leads Nestle Purina’s Commercial Legal Group, which provides legal counsel and support across the business.