“Great things are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
-Steve Jobs
Our Team
CEO & FOUNDER
Cara Wells, PHD
Cara Wells is an entrepreneur, inventor, and animal scientist. Cara earned a B.S. in Animal Science (2013) and PhD in Animal Science (2017) from Texas Tech University. Prior to founding EmGenisys, Cara had the opportunity to work in both animal and human clinical IVF laboratories. These experiences fueled her interest in reproductive physiology, especially regarding assisted reproductive techniques. While Cara is generally interested in various verticals within the animal and human health industries, she has applied her research efforts to developing solutions which improve pregnancy outcomes of embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization. EmGenisys was founded to launch these innovations. Cara is a very active member of the global animal ag tech ecosystem. She has led EmGenisys to participate in 2 renowned business Accelerator Programs, including Creative Destruction Lab (Calgary, AB) and Luminate NextCrops (Rochester, NY) and received several awards recognizing EmGenisys’ market potential, including Texas A&M New Ventures Competition (2021, 2022), Grow NY Food and Agricultural Competition (2021), Femovate 2022, and Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge (2023). In addition to her work at EmGenisys, she loves mentoring the next generation of ambitious entrepreneurs and holds advisory roles in multiple companies, including a company working with pollinator conservation and biometric sensor technologies. She lives in Dripping Springs, TX with her husband, 2 horses, boxer dog and cat.
CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER
Russell Killingsworth, DVM
Russell is a veterinarian with nearly 40 years of experience specializing in bovine reproduction. As a graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine (1981), he founded Shamrock Veterinary Hospital, Inc as a mixed animal practice offering routine services and non-surgical embryo collection and transfer in cattle. After leading this practice for over a decade, Russell began to focus exclusively on cattle reproduction to advance animal efficiency and genetic progression in the Texas Panhandle. Russell contributes to global animal health through his role as a veterinarian, consultant to Great Plains Breeders Service (custom collection bull stud) and member of the American Embryo Transfer Association, American Association of Bovine Practitioners and American Veterinary Medical Association. He joined EmGenisys in 2019 to investigate and develop innovative technologies to improve conception rates of embryo transfer procedures.
Since then, he generated all preliminary data to establish proof-of-concept through his practice in Shamrock, TX. His contributions in the animal health space have been recognized by serval professional peer organizations including the American Embryo Transfer Association and American Association of Bovine Practitioners. As a rural veterinarian, he is eager to develop practical and affordable solutions to enhance animal health, production, welfare, and sustainability for use by his clients and others worldwide. Russell runs a small herd of Angus cattle and is an active member of his West Texas community. He and his wife enjoy spending time with their two daughters, son-in-law and adorable grandsons, Brock and Judah!
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Tracy Druce
Tracy Druce is an attorney with 25 years specializing in monetizable intellectual property. Tracy was compelled to co-found EmGenisys when he became aware of the novelty of the EmGenisys technology and market need for objective and non-invasive solutions to standardize and improve the status quo of embryo health evaluation. His experience and skillsets creating, managing, and exploiting worldwide intellectual property has served as a tremendous asset to EmGenisys, and allowed the company to generate immense value from each developed innovation. Tracy enjoys engaging with the animal health industry and events and conventions, as well as attending scientific congresses to increase his knowledgebase of market trends and synergistic technologies. He recently has learned basic embryology skills including handling, manipulation and grading which allows him to further relate to our customers and industry. After hours, Tracy and a group of family and friends raise and milk one of the largest grass-fed Italian water buffalo herds in the United States. They produce many products, such as all-natural yogurt and mozzarella cheese at their artisanal creamery.
FIELD-BASED SPECIALIST & INDUSTRY RELATIONS MANAGER
Cameron Hayden
Cameron grew up on his family’s livestock and crop operation where he developed a passion for animal agriculture through raising and exhibiting livestock at exhibitions across the country. Originally from Michigan, he completed his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University where he was a member of several world and national champion animal science competitive teams. He recently finished up a master’s degree from The Ohio State University focused on strategies to increase embryo production in cattle. His research efforts led to several primary and co-author publications at conferences like American Embryo Transfer Association, American Society of Animal Science, International Congress on Animal Reproduction, International Embryo Technology Society, International Ruminant Reproduction Symposium, and the Society for the Study of Reproduction, among others. Cameron brings a wealth of knowledge to EmGenisys with experience working in beef production and the animal health industry. He’s motivated to solve problems and improve systems in animal reproduction through development and implementation of innovative, user-friendly products. He also enjoys attending livestock shows, training horses and educating the next generation of agriculturalists.
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS
Kevin Johansen
Kevin is a serial entrepreneur, seedstock producer, brand and marketing enthusiast. He has experience with marketing and brand building in both agriculture and manufacturing industries. Kevin has always been passionate about agriculture. As a 5th generation farmer, he quickly became active in 4H, FFA and the American International Charolais Breeders Association. His family has a deep history in agriculture starting out as row crop farmers then diversifying into seedstock cattle where they currently operate both a Charolais and Hereford cattle herds in Missouri. Both herds use A.I. and embryo transfer as reproductive tools, producing 20 years experience of knowledge.
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Tim Boyer
Tim is a seasoned technologist and leader with 24 years of experience. After studying Computer Information Systems at Northern Arizona University, he architected and built software solutions for numerous organizations in financial services, hospitality and healthcare. He brings a unique blend of strategic thinking, leadership and technical expertise to drive innovation. Tim enjoys mentoring and collaborating with his engineering team to build scalable, resilient and maintainable systems to solve needs. He is eager to continue learning embryology and machine learning techniques enabling animal reproduction improvement. He lives in Denver, CO with his wife, son and dog.
EMBRYOLOGIST & ADVISOR
Micheal Rea
Michael is a dedicated professional with a passion for advancing reproductive technologies in the cattle industry. Originally from Colorado, Michael's journey began with hands-on experience at his father's ET business, followed by impactful roles domestically and internationally, where he spearheaded extensive management changes and established successful ET/IVF programs. Currently, Michael operates a thriving ET business, catering to a diverse clientele spanning dairy and beef operations across multiple states in the central and western United States. His unwavering commitment to excellence, coupled with his forward-thinking approach to genetics and data collection, sets him apart as a visionary professional poised to drive advancements in reproductive technologies for years to come.