About ZOE

Zoe is the online news magazine for people who care about the animals, nature and our planet.

At a time when more and more people are aware of the challenges facing our planet, the larger mission of Zoe — the Greek word for “life” — is to bring together a global movement of people who are committed to making the world a better place for all living creatures.

Zoe is organized as a social enterprise integrated with a 501(c)(3) charity (tax-exempt status pending).

Background to Zoe

Zoe is the new venture of Michael Mountain, past president and co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society.

In the early 1990s, Best Friends — the nation’s largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals — became the flagship of the new no-kill movement. At that time, more than 15 million dogs and cats were being killed in shelters every year, and the prevailing wisdom was that this was simply a “necessary evil” for which there was no solution. As founding editor of Best Friends magazine and then www.bestfriends.org, Michael pioneered the campaign to save homeless pets, driving a grassroots no-kill movement that would transform the humane establishment. By the end of the 1990s, the number of pets being killed in shelters had dropped to below 5 million annually. Today, Best Friends and other humane societies across the country continue their work to bring that number to zero.

Today, however, millions more animals of all kinds are losing their homes and their lives daily, all over the world.

And, just as it was for homeless pets 20 years ago, there’s a prevailing sense that there is little that can be done.

But we’ve seen, over and over again, what can be done when people come together to meet a challenge. Zoe will take a similar approach to bring people together in a way that enables us all to be a meaningful part of the solution.

Millions of people around the world imagine a time – and a place – where they can come together to do good for our fellow animals and the planet.

Management

Michael Mountain — Editor-in-Chief. Michael was one of the founders of Best Friends Animal Society, the largest sanctuary for companion animals and the flagship of the no-kill movement. As President of Best Friends and editor of Best Friends magazine, Michael was the face of Best Friends, building a committed, grassroots membership base that pioneered adoption and spay/neuter programs all over the country. By the end of the 1990’s, the number of animals being killed in shelters dropped from 15 million each year to less than 5 million. Today, the no-kill movement is firmly established and, now under new leadership, Best Friends continues its work for homeless pets.

Meanwhile, millions of other kinds of animals are losing their homes all over the planet. At the grassroots level, a new pioneering effort is called for. Shortly after stepping down from his work with Best Friends, Michael teamed up and co-founded Zoe with Landon Pollack, a successful entrepreneur with a passion for animals.

Landon Pollack — Chief Executive Officer. Landon is an entrepreneur of 25 years. Landon has been a founder of, or founding investor in, more than two dozen companies. Before turning 20, he had started four businesses, earning his first million dollars at 13 selling sports memorabilia by mail order. Zoe brings together his business skills with his passion for animals and nature.

Laura Petrolino – Communications Director. Laura is a leader in social media innovation and online community development. She has spearheaded communications and development programs for U.S. Senators, leading consumer brands and national non-profit organizations ranging from health care to the fine arts.

Geoff Grant – Managing Editor. Geoff is the former Managing Editor at Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLB.com).

John Simonelli – Chief Financial Officer. John is the former COO and CFO at Looksmart and Business.com; and former CFO of Gap, Inc., Direct. He serves on the board of the Contra Costa Humane Society.

Susanne Lyons – Marketing Liaison. Susanne is the former CMO at Visa, and former CMO at Charles Schwab and Co., Inc. She serves on the board of WildCare, a wildlife rehabilitation and nature advocacy and education organization.

Joe Trippi – Community & Media Consultant. Joe pioneered the use of online technology in 1993 to organize the largest-yet grassroots presidential campaign for Howard Dean.

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Editorial

Lori Marino – Science Editor. Lori is senior lecturer in psychology at Emory University, and is considered the leading expert on the brains of dolphins and the intelligence of marine mammals. She is the Founder of The Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy, which focuses on applying science and scholarship to animal advocacy.

Gay Bradshaw – Ecology Editor. Gay is the executive director of The Kerulos Center, whose mission is to translate knowledge of animals as fully sentient beings into animal care, conservation, policy, and human-nature relationships.

Hal Herzog – Psychology Editor. Hal is Professor of Psychology at Western Carolina University, and author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat – Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals.

Jill Schensul – Travel Editor. Jill is the Senior Writer and Travel Editor at the Bergen Record.

Ptolemy Tompkins – Culture Editor. Ptolemy is former Senior Editor at Guideposts magazine, and the author of several books, including Paradise Fever and, most recently, The Divine Life of Animals.

Bonney Brown – Companion Animals Editor. Bonney is the Executive Director of the Nevada Humane Society, and the original director of the No More Homeless Pets Campaign at Best Friends Animal Society.

Tim Molloy - Senior Editorial Advisor. Tim is former Managing Editor at TV Guide.com.

Ingrid Fromm - Web Manager.  Ingrid is former TV producer for Cablevision’s Local Programming and Web Producer for News 12 Interactive and then Web Manager for North Shore Animal League America.

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Advisors

We are deeply grateful for the ongoing assistance from scores of people critical to the success of Zoe. There are way too many to list here completely, but some include:

Karyn Barsa: Former CEO at Smith & Hawken and COO/CFO at Patagonia.

Marc Bekoff: Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Nina De Sesa: Chairman of McCann Erickson New York. Chosen in 1999 by Fortune magazine as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business.

Mark Granovetter: Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, and editor of the Cambridge University Press series, Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences.

Margaret Loesch: Former President and CEO of The Hallmark Channel and former President of Jim Henson Television.

Allan Mayer: Principal Partner at 42West LLC, with previous experience as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Buzz magazine.

Betsy Morgan: Former CEO at Huffington Post.

Shelley Nandkeolyar: Former President Home Depot Direct Brands, and President Direct and Catalogs, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

Jane Pemberton: Former President at Gaiam, the lifestyle media company specializing in personal development, natural health and inspirational media.

Heidi Sinclair: Former Chief Communications Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and CEO, Europe, at Burson-Marsteller.

Emmet Stephenson: Founder and chairman of Startek, Inc., General Communications Inc., and Circle Corp.; and founder and former chairman of Charter Bank & Trust.

Brent Willman: CFO at the Oprah Winfrey Network. Former SVP and CFO at The Learning Channel (TLC).

Steve Zales: President of Time Inc. Lifestyle Digital.