Curriculum Vitae
Cal Lai
Founder, Chairman and CEO, Vet24seven, Inc. dba AskVet
Cal Lai is a serial entrepreneur and visionary in the use of technology to reimagine and build highly valued and engaging, compelling consumer experiences. Cal has spent nearly 40 years starting and growing four companies that utilize web, mobile and AI/data technologies to create disruptive new consumer business models. Cal’s thesis encompasses the concept that every technological revolution is driven by a new idea for creating and extracting value through consumer engagement and empowerment. Understanding technology inflections as they relate to the needs of customers is key to the platforms Cal’s companies have built. A philosophy and process that Cal describes as “using technology to put a business’ value creation and value extraction engine at the center of the customer’s universe.”
In 2014, Cal founded Vet24seven, Inc. dba AskVet, to use an AI-driven digital platform to deliver better pet healthcare to the 65M US households that have pets. AskVet is the world leader in virtual healthcare for pets. Our network of 150+ remote veterinarians (DVMs) are available 24/7 to coach, support, guide and advise pet owners via text, chat, phone, video and mobile app.
The AskVet mission is to shift the pet health journey from “sick care” to “healthcare.” Through AI and a digital engagement platform, we create customized action plans based on each pet’s age, breed and specific conditions. Our technology ecosystem offers 70% of the services found at a veterinarian’s office—from the comfort and safety of home.
AskVet’s DVMs have performed 500,000+ virtual care consultations, with consistently high customer ratings. AskVet is the tool that empowers pet owners to take control of their pets’ health and wellness every day, helping pets to live longer, healthier, happier lives. AskVet uses analysis and develops insights from our deep lake of data gathered from pet owner and veterinarian interactions to drive contextual consumer insights with relevant, actionable advice.
AskVet provides pet parents with plans customized to your pet’s age, breed and specific conditions. We walk you through a guided experience. Do you need to check your cat’s blood sugar every day? We send you reminders, you record the number, and we keep track of it. If the system sees the numbers trending upward, it alerts our veterinarians who reach out to you, to ask if Kitty has been eating table scraps, or suggest that her insulin dosage needs adjusting. You don’t have to wait until your pet’s problems are out of control and require emergency intervention.
We remind you when it’s time to walk your dog, and how far you should walk if he needs to lose a few pounds. We tell you when it’s warm in your area and you need to keep Rover hydrated and make sure his paws don’t get burned on a hot sidewalk.
AskVet’s core customers are millennial females, and what drives them is performance in every aspect of their lives. They don’t want to put their futures, their success, their careers, their health in other people’s hands. They want to control it for themselves and those they love.
Cal also serves as a board member, board advisor and CEO coach to startup companies.
