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Dalan is dedicated to providing transformative animal health solutions to support a more sustainable future. We are redrawing the boundaries of animal health by bringing our vaccine technology platform to underserved animal populations, such as honeybees and other invertebrates.

Our Founders

Our three founders, Dalial, Franziska, and Annette joined together in 2018 to found Dalan based on groundbreaking research being done at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Pictured is Annette and Dalial at Dalan’s heaquarters in Athens, GA.

Leadership Team

Annette Kleiser

CEO

Annette has over 20 years of experience in business development, start-up formation, corporate strategy development and alliance management, both in university technology transfer and the biotechnology industry. She studied biology at the University of Konstanz and earned her PhD at the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich. Annette loves the sounds of the Barking Geckos of the Kalahari! Her favorite book is A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami.

Dalial Freitak

Founding CSO

Dalial has over 15 years of experience in research with a specific focus on insect immunology and physiology. In addition to her current role as CSO, she holds an Assistant Professor position at the Karl Franzens University Graz, Institute of Biology. She studied biology (Zoology and Animal Ecology) at the University of Tartu and earned her PhD at the Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology in Jena. Her favorite book series is Discworld by Terry Pratchett. When time allows, she loves to travel for sights and food, as well as cook at home from her 150+ recipe books.

Fernando Riaza Carcamo

Global Head of Business Development

Fernando has more than 30 years of experience in the animal health industry in both local and global positions, and in marketing, general management and regional management. He studied veterinary medicine and animal production at Complutense University of Madrid and holds a master’s in international management at Boston University, Brussels. He loves to play tennis, study guitar, cook, and is a fanatic of science fiction.

Nigel Swift

Head of Sustainable Agriculture and One Health

Nigel is a veterinarian with more than 25 years of experience working internationally in the field of animal health. He is ACVIM board-certified in internal medicine, with an MBA from Trium. Having managed a biotechnology lab in China from research to commercialization, he then led global vaccine research and development for Boehringer Ingelheim following their acquisition of Merial. He has worked with national and international organisations building disease control programs that have contributed to control of zoonoses, sustainable agriculture, antibiotic reduction and food security. His focus is the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. His favorite authors are Jeanette Winterson and Charles Handy.

Morgan Halme

Senior Director, Communications and Marketing

Morgan has over 20 years of experience in marketing, brand building and creative communications with both advertising agencies and global brands. His work has been recognized on an international level by the Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, and Communication Arts. Morgan holds a BA from UCLA in History. In his free time, Morgan enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family. His favorite book is John Adams by David McCullough.

Adam Costello

Director, Commercial Operations North America

Adam brings 8 years of experience working with early-stage start-ups, from sustainable food systems to robotics manufacturing, to his role at Dalan. He holds a BA from Colgate University and a MS in Conservation Biology from NY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. In his free time, Adam enjoys gardening, running, coaching soccer, and managing his sideline honeybee nuc business. His favorite books are The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

Board of Directors

Annette Kleiser

CEO

Linda Rhodes

Animal Health Entrepreneur & Veterinarian

Linda began her career as a large animal practitioner before joining the R&D group at Merck and later leading clinical research at Merial. In 2001 she co-found AlcheraBio, a CRO specializing in helping clients develop new drugs for animals. In 2011, Dr. Rhodes became the founding CEO of Aratana Therapeutics, a company that developed dog and cat therapeutics, and subsequently, when the company went public, she served as its Chief Scientific Officer. After retiring from Aratana in 2016, Dr. Rhodes was appointed to the Board of Directors of Zoetis. She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College, her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania, and her PhD from Cornell University.

Peter Brøns-Poulsen

Former President, Colgate-Palmolive (Europe)

Peter has more than 30 years of global leadership experience helming large organizations, and a deep knowledge of innovation processes. He is the former President & Chief Executive Officer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., a global leader in animal nutrition. Prior to his role at Hill’s, Peter served as Vice President & General Manager at GABA International AG, and has held several positions around the world at Colgate-Palmolive.

Neal Carter

President, Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc.

Neal Carter is a Bio-Resource Engineer with 40 years of global experience in agriculture. Neal is thePresident and co-founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. (OSF). Neal and family are apple and cherry orchardists who have lived in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia for 30 years, they are passionate about the fruit they grow and the global customer base they serve. Neal’s love for the outdoors extends beyond the orchard; enjoying hiking, mountain biking and back-country skiing.

Gavin Mathis

Chief of Staff & Platform Partner, Prime Movers Lab

Gavin is the Chief of Staff and Platform Partner at Prime Movers Lab, where he oversees portfolio support, guiding founders in public relations, government relations, and fundraising strategies. With extensive experience in media relations and public affairs, Gavin excels at helping startup clients shape their narratives for diverse audiences, from investors to policymakers. He graduated with a master’s degree in political management from The George Washington University and earned bachelor’s degrees in communication (journalism) and political science from Washington State University.

Tom Chi (Board Observer)

Partner, At One Ventures

Tom has worked in a wide range of roles from astrophysical researcher to designer to corporate executive developing new hardware/software products and services. He’s played a significant role in established projects with global reach (Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo Search, Google), and scaled new projects from conception to significance (Yahoo Answers from 0 to 90 million users).

Nichole Hoffman

Operations Manager

Nichole works in operations and marketing at Dalan. Previously, she worked in quality control for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. She holds a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Boise State University. Nichole enjoys hiking, reading, and tending to her house plants in her free time. Her current favorite book is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Franziska Dickel

Director Scientific Operations

Franziska has a background in agricultural farming methods and biological pest control with over 10 years of experience in insect immunity and pesticide resistance. In addition to serving as Dalan’s Director for Scientific Operations, she also holds a postdoctoral research position at the Karl Franzens University Graz, Institute of Biology. She earned her PhD in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Jyväskylä. Franziska enjoys rock climbing, playing roller derby, and hanging out with her dog Frieda. Her favorite book is Perfume: The story of a Murderer (Das Parfum) by Patrick Süskind.

Kary Stone

Controller

Kary is responsible for our accounting and payroll. She comes to Dalan with over 20 years of accounting experience, most recently working in biomedical manufacturing. Her passion is animal rescue! She has personally fostered to adoption over 500 dogs and cats both in Texas and California. Her favorite book is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Ian Durie

Fermentation Scientist

Ian has worked in the lab for over 10 years developing antibodies and vaccines at institutions such as Boehringer Ingelheim, CDC, and UGA. He holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Florida, a Master’s in Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing, and a PhD in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Georgia. In his free time, Ian enjoys playing tennis and squash, as well as spending time with his wife and their adorable dogs, Beau and Reggie. His favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

Isaac Weinberg

Research Scientist

Isaac manages Dalan’s field trials in the United States. He has several years of experience developing and conducting field studies, which he gained primarily while attaining his PhD studying the behavioral ecology of honey bees at Tufts University. In addition, he has over 10 years of laboratory experience, having worked as a Biologist for the Dermatology Discovery Group at Abbvie, and receiving his BS in Biology from the University of Iowa. In his spare time, Isaac plays dungeons and dragons, boardgames like twilight imperium, and paints tabletop minis. His favorite book is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.

Kidus Yared

Lab Technician

Kidus works as a technician at the Dalan laboratory, helping with numerous experiments. Kidus received his BS in Avian Biology and Biological Sciences from the University of Georgia and is on track to receive his DVM from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in 2025. Kidus spent a summer as a zookeeper at Zoo Atlanta, as well as two years as an insect zookeeper in the UGA Entomology department where he first became interested in working with insects. In his free time, Kidus enjoys watching movies, taking care of his fish, and spending time with his cat. His favorite book is Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach.

Amy Floyd

Regional Manager, Beekeeper Relations

Amy manages beekeeper relations at Dalan. Previously, Amy spent 7 years with the USDA studying honeybee nutrition, microbiome, pathogens and toxin exposure. She holds a BS in Wildlife Conservation and Management and a MS in Entomology, both from the University of Arizona. Amy enjoys traveling the US in her self-converted camper van with her dog Miles and tending to her personal honeybee hives. Her favorite book is Nowhere for very long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life by Brianna Madia.

Everett Hendrixon

Sales Manager, North America

Everett manages our sales strategies across North America. He has spent close to 20 years in specialty agriculture and horticulture promoting organic and regenerative practices. Finding his degree in law as an extensive education in what not to do, he transitioned to business management and agricultural operations where he enjoys supporting the hardest working people on the planet. In his free time, he enjoys raising 2 young children, volunteering, gardening, and snow skiing. An avid student of the Bible, other favorite books include The Thread That Runs So True by Jesse Stuart, The Violin Hunter by William Alexander Silverman, and almost anything on organizational psychology.

Nathan Reid

Sales Manager, North America

Nathan has over 15 years of research and commercial experience with honeybees. He earned his BA from the UMD College Park and is an EAS certified Master Beekeeper. In 2017, Nathan began his tour of the US, managing colonies for honey production and pollination. From WA state down to FL he has collaborated with beekeepers and research institutions alike in the common goal of honeybee health. A teacher at heart, he enjoys his time in the bee yard and the practical application of science-based beekeeping. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, baking and spending time with his family. His favorite movie is The Great Escape.

Lauren Wood

Outreach Coordinator

Lauren joined the team as Outreach Coordinator to cultivate relationships with beekeeping organizations and bee lovers across the globe for Dalan. She holds a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Georgia and is a UGA College of Veterinary Medicine DVM Candidate 2025. She is currently a manager of the Bee Treatment Crew at UGA and has a personal love for beekeeping. She has previously worked for veterinary hospitals and zoos, including Athens very own Bear Hollow Zoo! She enjoys spending time with her dog and cat, movie marathons, reading, and going on adventures. Her favorite book series is Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.

About Us

Our Brand Video

Our Founders

Leadership Team

Board of Directors

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