Authors
Thane Hogan is a current first-year veterinary student at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and a 2025-2026 dvm360 student ambassador.
Gianluca Bini graduated from the University of Perugia, Italy. He then moved to the United Kingdom, where he completed two internships, one in anesthesia and one rotating, at Dick White Referrals, one of the largest referral centers in Europe.
After completing his residency at North Carolina State University, he worked as an assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at the Ohio State University and, more recently, at Oklahoma State University. Inspired by his fervent desire to extend his impact and assist as many animals as possible, he founded Safe Pet Anesthesia, a tele-consulting and training firm.
Ignacio “Nacho” Mérida Isla, DVM, MBA, CertAVP, is a bilingual veterinarian, management consultant, and educator with more than 20 years of international experience spanning Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He is particularly passionate about helping veterinary practice leaders find balance between personal fulfillment and professional success, with a focus on leadership development and practice management. Through his YouTube channel, he shares educational content and practical insights on veterinary business and management for Spanish-speaking audiences.
Suhair Ahmed is a fourth-year DVM student at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan. He is an ambassador of dvm360 and aspires to become an excellent veterinarian, specializing in exotics and small animals. Ahmed aspires to become a certified board veterinarian for exotic mammals in the future.
Sophia Jodka is a first year dual degree student at Colorado State University pursuing her Masters in Public Health and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She hopes to combine clinical practice and research in her future career. She is a DVM360 Ambassador and involved in public health research surrounding diabetes prevention.
Shannon Bass, DVM, grew up in a veterinary practice and spent nineteen years in clinical practice after graduating from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked as a general practice doctor, emergency veterinarian, acupuncturist, and medical director of a specialty/emergency hospital. After almost two decades of practice, Bass moved into veterinary recruiting, focusing on specialty and emergency roles. She is currently the Vice President of Medical Leadership at Vets Pets, a group of veterinary hospitals in North Carolina.
Organized veterinary medicine is something Bass is passionate about. She enjoys serving as the 2024-25 President of the NCVMA and co-chairs a VECCS committee working on an Emergency Medicine Certificate for veterinary students. She is a conference speaker and podcast guest on leadership and communication topics.
Outside of work, Bass enjoys traveling with her husband, two sons, and three legged labrador mix. She is an endurance athlete, yoga instructor, and adventurous cook.
Amber Hopkins, DVM, cVMA, CCRT, DACVAA serves as vice president of medical operations for Thrive Pet Healthcare, as well as national specialty director of anesthesia & analgesia and chair of the National Specialty Directors. She is board-certified in veterinary anesthesia and analgesia and holds advanced certifications in veterinary medical acupuncture, canine rehabilitation, pain management, and extracorporeal therapies.
Hopkins brings extensive clinical and leadership experience to her role, including 7 years as a full-time anesthesiologist and pain specialist in a large specialty and emergency practice in San Diego, California, and 4 years as medical director and anesthesiologist for a multi-service specialty, emergency, and primary care organization in Colorado. She also served as a regional medical director prior to joining Thrive Pet Healthcare.
In her current role, Hopkins supports and mentors veterinary leaders across the Western US to build thriving hospital cultures, support financial growth, and develop clinical excellence. As the national specialty director of anesthesia & analgesia, she also leads organization-wide training with a focus on anesthesia, patient safety and pain management. These efforts ensure her teams deliver exceptional medical care and a superior experience for every client.
Rohan Relan is founder and CEO of ScribbleVet, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool used by thousands of veterinarians. He is a seasoned entrepreneur with an engineering background from the University of California-Berkeley, driven by a passion for cutting-edge technology. Over the past 8 years, he has focused on advancing AI and exploring its capabilities.
Dasia Harris is a second year veterinary student at North Carolina State interested in small animal and exotics medicine. She loves sharing her journey on TikTok and Instagram, showing the real behind-the-scenes of vet school while also inspiring future veterinarians.
Guiot, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, graduated with a veterinary medicine degree from the University of Liege (Belgium) in 2004. Board-certified by the American and European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2011, he has held prominent positions, including assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Michigan State University. Since his arrival at ACCESS Specialty Hospital-Los Angeles, he co-developed with Reunan Guillou the first comprehensive total joint replacement center in California, offering surgeries like total elbow, hip, knee, and ankle replacements. The ACCESS Bone and Joint Center, a part of Thrive Pet Healthcare’s community of hospitals, is the only complete orthopedic center for pet joint replacements on the West Coast.
Recognized for his expertise, Guiot is a Founding Fellow in minimally invasive orthopedic surgery and a Founding Fellow in joint replacement surgery for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, facilitating the establishment of an official training center for such procedures. Actively engaged in national and international orthopedic programs, he serves as the past-chair of the educational commission for AO Vet North America. He also recently served as the president of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society, a group of surgeons dedicated to the advancement of veterinary orthopedics. Guiot is dedicated to advancing patient care through innovative surgical techniques, instruments, and implants, solidifying his position as a leader in the field of veterinary orthopedics.
Emmitt Nantz, MBA, cofounder of Inventory Ally, has been part of the veterinary family for nearly 2 decades and is driven by a personal mission to make the veterinary domain better. Nantz spent 12 years working at Banfield, starting out as a single-site hospital manager. Having majored in agriculture business management, he expanded his education to include an MBA, a Black Belt in Six Sigma, and a Project Management Certification.
Nantz applied these learnings at Banfield and later as a Chief Operating Officer at SmartFlow where he helped hundreds of practices improve their operations. In pursuit of his passion for workflow optimization, Nantz honed his expertise in a critical area that often plagues hospitals' bottom lines – inventory management. He co-founded Inventory Ally, an all-in-one cloud software designed to help veterinary professionals reduce inventory costs, streamline processes, and save time.