Our Staff

President & Biologist, Director

Zara is a biologist, serial entrepreneur and conservationist. She is the founder and CEO of Felidae, a global conservation organization that conducts innovative research on wild felid species. 

Zara brings over 20 years of experience in the fields of biology, conservation, and entrepreneurship. She has conducted groundbreaking research on felids throughout the world, and as a National Geographic Explorer, she is committed to raising awareness around biodiversity, wild felids and the link to public health. Her dedication to excellence is evident in her organization’s consistent record of publishing rigorous applied scientific research, advancing our understanding of the natural world. 

In addition to her work in conservation, Zara has a wealth of experience in the fields of technology, biotech, healthcare, and private equity. She holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, complemented by her background as a biologist. An accomplished entrepreneur, private pilot and ultra trail runner, Zara has founded four innovative companies, introducing cutting-edge technology in health and wellness. She pioneered the world’s first wearable device offering real-time speed and distance metrics, and collaborated with the Mayo Clinic to develop consumer-focused fall detection technology. She also invests in emerging opportunities that benefit human health and environmental sustainability. Zara is a Limited Partner at Portfolia, a female venture fund investing in companies dedicated to building a better world, and a scientific advisor with the End Brain Cancer Initiative.

Zara is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader and has featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and National Geographic.

Lead Wildlife Ecologist

Alys Granados is interested in using science to inform wildlife conservation strategies in partnership with diverse groups of stakeholders. She has a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, Canada where she used camera traps to measure the impacts of logging on wildlife in Malaysian Borneo. Following her PhD, she returned to Borneo to work as Field Research Manager for the Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program. Most recently, Alys was a postdoc at the University of British Columbia where she studied multiscale effects of recreation and land use on mammals in western Canada.

Researcher

David C. Stoner is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Quinney College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. David received his BA from the Department of Geography at UC Berkeley, and holds graduate degrees from USU, where he investigated the effects of urbanization, habitat fragmentation, and exploitation on cougar behavior and population dynamics. His current work is focused on ungulate migration patterns and habitat use in response to plant phenology, snowpack dynamics, and predation risk. He has worked for the US Forest Service, UC Santa Cruz's Predatory Bird Research Group as well as the USGS Biological Resources Division, Humboldt State University and the California Department of Fish and Game. His interests are in the application of landscape and behavioral ecology to the conservation of mammals and birds.

Field Intern

I found myself at Felidae through my desire to be involved in wildlife conservation. When I was in high school I read a book called Into The Wild, which drew my interest to the natural world. I also have an interest in ecology and how the world is interrelated. My other interests include lacrosse, traveling, and hiking.

Wildlife Biologist Intern

Jenny is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology. She is eager to continue her education in and research on wildlife ecology with a focus on endangered carnivores. This past year she was a Gray wolf cluster searcher in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with the Middleton Lab, where she assessed seasonal patterns of wolf predation in order to better understand the reasons for carnivore-livestock conflict. She is excited to research the apex predators of the area in which she grew up as well as how human modifications are affecting them. She hopes her future research will have applied conservation outcomes and will help turn human-wildlife ‘conflict’ into ‘coexistence.’

Jenny is currently based in South Lake Tahoe and enjoys hiking, climbing, running, and water coloring!

Wildlife Biologist

Katie is a recent graduate from Reed College where she obtained a degree in biochemistry. After graduating, she discovered her interests lie more with wildlife biology and ecology and has been working seasonal field jobs to gain experience.

Her goal is to become an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and research the effects of human activity on wildlife.

Favorite wild cat species: "Tough call, but I'll go with cheetah!"

Wildlife Biologist Technician

Cailan graduated from UC Davis with a degree in wildlife, fish, and conservation biology. During college she worked on projects with waterfowl, birds of prey, and small carnivores. After college she interned at the Oakland Zoo with their lions, tigers, camels, currasows, and cuckoos.

Her love of animals and wildlife started early and she continues to pursue opportunities to work with a variety of species. She is especially interested in human-wildlife conflict and the relationships humans have with wildlife in this ever changing world.

She is very fond of tigers from her time at the Oakland Zoo, and they have become her favorite wild cat.