Hi, I’m Alie.
I’m a neurotic pet parent and the ultimate generalist who found her way into the business side of veterinary medicine.
I studied English and art history, got Tumblr famous before “influencer” was a career plan, and went on to work across nonprofits, small businesses, startups, media, and technology. Most of my background is in marketing and social media, from helping with Super Bowl campaigns to building community workflows for global brands.
I’ve always loved animals. I don’t have kids, and my pets are my life. In 2020 (fuck 2020), my cat needed surgery for a urinary blockage, one dog tore a knee ligament, and my other dog lost an eye.
In 2022, after losing three pets in two years, I left tech to find my place in veterinary medicine. I showed up at a veterinary conference with “TBD” on my name badge because I didn’t know what else to put.
Today, I’m COO at Digital Empathy, where I lead operations, finance, and customer success.
More and more, my friends were asking me for advice about their pets, what to do, where to take them, how to make sense of it all. So here I am, writing for them, and for you if you’ve had the same questions. I’m also writing for veterinary professionals who want to understand their clients better and are open to doing things differently.
I’m particularly interested in the decisions we make when we’re worried about an animal, how we talk about money, and what people are building to make care easier to access. You’ll also find me exploring technology and AI, asking a lot of questions, and occasionally writing something much longer than I intended.
I have two dogs, Mae and Ivy, and a horse, Jade. I’m also a little woo-woo, and yes, I’ve talked to animal communicators. You’ll meet the animals I’ve loved and lost here, too. I want you to know who they were when I write about them.
Meet the animals