This is Us

  • Hilarie Viener, Founder

    When Hilarie met Lucky (well, actually his formal name was Lucodimus Atticus – and yes, there’s a story there) he turned her life upside down. 
    He was an opinioned, clever, curious beagle who needed to be rescued from the ASPCA (Bergh Memorial on the Upper East Side).  To this day we are not sure who rescued whom – but they were a match made in heaven. 
    Hilarie is a true creative and creator – and infectiously optimistic person. 
    She is a globally recognized branding and marketing specialist with a background working on Madison Avenue (Advertising) and collaboratively with start-up founders, global C-suite, world leaders, market movers, and non-profit boards.  She truly believes that all commerce must have a social impact purpose – as in “we all have to give back in the best way we can” – and one the things she says after “Hello” is “How can I help?”
    The idea for Black Paw just came to her – in a moment (see Our Story) – but she could see it – and fully understand
    why she had to bring it to life.  “I truly believe it will help so many people – losing a pet is just so incredibly difficult.”

  • Suzy Changar, Community Officer

    When Suzy met Fozzy, life took a
    wonderful, unexpected turn – she (and Mark) became pet parents to a beautiful
    Aussie Shepard puppy.  But little did she
    know, only a short while later another (much smaller but only in size) bundle of joy would come their way – when CoCo arrived on the scene.  And now is…now…
    Suzy is a born and bred Upper West-Sider
    (NYC) and a dynamic marketing executive with career success developing incredibly smart, connected, and unforgettable initiatives. She has a prolific track record working in a variety of fields from civic to entertainment to non-profits.  
    She is also simply one of the coolest, warmest, nicest people on the planet. 
    HEART OF GOLD.
    And when Hilarie (yup, they are besties and go way back to University!)  asked her to join Black Paw as the first and forever Chief Community Officer – I was overjoyed when she said YES!  Just like Fozzy knows – she’s our person.

  • Michael Quinn, Digital Marketing

    When Michael was a kid, his birthday parties were all fundraisers to benefit Main Line Animal Rescue in Pennsylvania. He had four dogs, a cat, a parrot and too many hermit crabs from the Jersey Shore.
    Born in Philadelphia, Michael is a writer, director and helper of all kinds. His play GET IT TOGETHER premiered under his direction last year at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood.
    And as luck would have it, Hilarie and Michael were working in the same office on Madison Avenue – a brief “hi!” turned into – “Do you want to see what I am working on?” (Hilarie said to Michael) – and from that moment on Michael has been part of the Black Paw story.
    Michael now only has two pets –– an American Staffordshire Terrier named Chief and a black cat named Indy. Both are rescues and well-loved :)

Our Trusted Advisors (we'd leave our pets with them...)

  • Eileen Strauss, Creative Advisor

    Eileen is the proud mother of three
    (1 darling “daughter” in the form of an Australian Labradoodle) and 2 human sons😊
    She is founder of S2 Design – a
    Manhattan-based global design and packaging firm - and a brilliantly talented brand strategist and design expert who continues to apply her creative vision brands around the globe. Her watchful eye for minute details and a keen sensibility for typography is unmatched – she just makes everything look even better than you imagined it could!
    When thinking of someone to bring
    the Black Paw Memorial Pin from idea to reality – Eileen was top of mind – and we are proud to say she is the first member of the Black Paw Memorial Pin Advisory.

  • Julie Mullen, PR Advisor

    Julie is a life-long animal lover – in fact - it’s hard to recall when she has been without a vivacious menagerie of cats and dogs, living together in harmony. 
    Julie is an award-winning, multi-talented Public Relations and Marketing professional and Entrepreneur.  She has served in director-level positions in several high-profile industries prior to co-founding The Buzz Agency in 2009 in Palm Beach County, FL – and is known for being the best in the business.
    She’s a highly valued member of the community, volunteering, serving on boards and always THE person you want to have on your team.  And one thing is for sure, we could not be more grateful to have her on the Black Paw Memorial Pin Advisory.

  • Paul Wahlgren, Start-Up Advisor

    A current dog uncle to a Frenchie & Shih Tzu whom he treasures (aka, spoils rotten when left to his own devices!). He grew up with Labs, also from time to time watches over a wonderful cat that acts like a dog!
    Paul is a Co-Founder at BeautyStat Cosmetics. He has 30+ years in the retail and wholesale business, having held board, senior management, marketing & business development positions in beauty & luxury goods companies across the USA and Europe.
    He holds a BSc. in Business Administration from SUNY Buffalo, an MBA from Nyenrode Business Universiteit in Breukelen, The Netherlands, and completed the Digital Marketing Strategy Program at Harvard University.