Anna Skaya shares the eight-year journey of building a pet genetics category, navigating Shark Tank, & rebuilding her identity after exiting Zoetis.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, UNITED STATES, June 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Influential Women, the global media and publishing platform dedicated to elevating women leaders, today released Episode 19 of the Influential Women Podcast featuring Anna Skaya, founder and former CEO of Basepaws and Managing Partner at AniVC.
In “The Co-Founder Myth: Building A Pet Genetics Company Alone From Scratch,” host Jodie O’Brien sits down with Skaya for a wide-ranging conversation about solo founding, fundraising as a female immigrant founder, the realities of national television exposure on “Shark Tank,” and the often-unspoken identity questions that follow a successful exit.
Skaya built Basepaws, the first DNA test for cats, over eight years without a co-founder, raising approximately $5 million and ultimately delivering a 25x return for early investors when the company was acquired by Zoetis. She appeared on “Shark Tank” three times, closing an on-camera investment from Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec, and is now a Managing Partner at AniVC, where she invests in early-stage pet health, longevity, and consumer companies. She also serves on the board of Petco Love.
“Co-founders should be people you’ve known for a very, very long time,” Skaya tells O’Brien in the episode. “Building a company together is incredibly stressful, and that stress breaks most relationships.”
The conversation also unpacks the underdiscussed mechanics of solo fundraising, including Skaya’s decision to bring in a male executive specifically to play the co-founder role during investor pitches, the rejection she faced from nearly every investor in Silicon Valley, and the moment “Shark Tank” turned the business around. Listeners also hear Skaya’s reflections on the identity crisis that followed her exit from Zoetis, and how she found her way into venture capital with a longtime friend and early Basepaws investor.
For founders sitting in that quiet stretch after a sale, or in the long grind before one, Skaya offers a piece of hard-won perspective: “You’ve got lots of money in your bank account, but you’ve never had that feeling before. I really felt like a ship without a port.”
The full episode is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and at influentialwomen.com/podcasts.
About the Influential Women Podcast Hosted by veteran journalist and media consultant Jodie O’Brien, the Influential Women Podcast features in-depth conversations with women across business, healthcare, technology, media, philanthropy, and education. Episodes spotlight the decisions, challenges, and turning points that have shaped each guest’s career. New episodes drop three times a month.
About Influential Women Influential Women is a global media and publishing platform dedicated to elevating the voices of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals across industries. Through editorial content, podcasts, masterclasses, recognition programs, and the Influential Women Magazine, the brand creates visibility for women who are leading, creating, and redefining what is possible. Influential Women has built a community of more than 96,000 followers on LinkedIn and serves women leaders worldwide.
For more information, visit influentialwomen.com.
Editorial Team
Influential Women
+1 877-241-5970
clientservices@influentialwomen.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Media gallery
