Dara Forleo, B.A. in Business Administrations, PCS, MGP
Educator of the Year • Emerging Business Leader • Pet Age Icon Awards honoree • Host of NowMedia TV The Business of Pet Care
President
Dara Forleo is an entrepreneur, educator, and business leader dedicated to helping grooming and pet care professionals protect what they have built. As the founder of multiple pet grooming businesses, Dara understands that ownership is personal. A grooming business is often more than a workplace, it is where family, clients, pets, team members, skill, service, and reputation all meet.
Her work is rooted in one belief: pet care business owners do not need to be corrected. They need structure, standards, education, and support that respect what they have already created.
In 2015, Dara founded The Whole Pet Grooming Academy to raise professional standards in the grooming industry and give pet care professionals access to career-level education, practical everyday training, and a community built on growth. WPGA now supports groomers, salon teams, and business owners who want safer practices, stronger standards, and a more professional path forward.
Dara’s own education reflects her commitment to continued growth. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Management from Ottawa University, completed the 10K Small Businesses program at Babson College, and graduated at the top of her class from Yale’s Executive Education Women’s Leadership Certificate Program. She is also an MBA candidate with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, with expected completion in November 2026.
Her leadership has been recognized through Educator of the Year, Emerging Business Leader, and the Pet Age Icon Awards. Her insights have been featured in industry publications, conferences, and media platforms, including NowMedia TV: The Business of Pet Care.
Today, Dara’s work focuses on helping pet care professionals move from carrying every decision alone to building businesses with structure, standards, and support. Whether she is developing courses, guiding business owners, creating educational tools, or speaking to the industry, her goal is the same: to help owners protect the dream they built while creating safer, stronger, more professional businesses for pets, clients, teams, and themselves.
