Our Team

WE LIKE DOGS. A LOT. 

We are a small, hardworking team who *really* loves dogs. Our mission is to share the beauty and joy of dogs with as many people as possible, every day, through photographs, videos, books, and our apparel. The Dogist was created in 2015 by our founder – Elias Weiss Friedman – who missed having a dog and wanted to tell the stories of all the dogs he saw. Since then, we have slowly been building and spreading this mission far and wide. 

 

 

Elias Weiss Friedman - Founder, Photographer, & Creative Director

Elias Friedman is the Founder and President of The Dogist. After years in corporate marketing developing a skill set in brand strategy and social media, he was unexpectedly laid off. Elias transformed what most would view as a hardship, into an opportunity. Reconnecting with his childhood passion for photography and dogs, he seized the moment and built The Dogist, one photograph at a time. With hustle, grit and an unrivaled commitment to his art, he built the social media and digital storytelling platform that is now celebrated worldwide by an audience of 3.7 million. He is also a NYT bestselling author, gifted public speaker and proud advocate for many dog rescue and rehabilitation organizations. Nevertheless, humble to the core, he still puts on his knee pads daily and proudly photographs all content for The Dogist with unwavering commitment. Elias graduated from Boston University in 2009. Elias is now the proud dog-dad of Elsa, who he adopted in spring of 2020.

  • Follow Elias on Instagram

  • Follow Elsa on Instagram

 

Kate Speer - CEO

Kate Speer now enters her third year leading the team at The Dogist. An accomplished sales and marketing professional, she is known for her expertise in digital storytelling, social media strategy and narrative marketing and her unrivaled hustle. Over the course of the last two years, she has transformed The Dogist Instagram into a fully fledged mission-driven e-commerce company and media site. Though she feels The Dogist has many years of growth to go before making the impact she hopes for, she is thrilled to be leading the team as it tackles another year. When Kate is not running her team, she can be found in the woods of Vermont adventuring or advocating for the many health benefits of dogs - a gift she experiences first-hand through her partnership with her PTSD service dog, Wafflenugget everyday. Kate currently splits her time between New York and Norwich, Vermont where she owns a home with her husband, Dave Lutz. Kate graduated from Middlebury College in 2011 with a BA in Environmental Studies and Creative Art.
  • Follow Kate on Instagram
  • Follow Waffle on Instagram

 

Isabel Klee – Director of Content

Isabel Klee, a powerhouse of social media strategy, influencer marketing and brand narrative, is the Director of Content at The Dogist. Known for her breadth of knowledge about the influencer industry and her captivating creative briefs, she has built esteemed campaigns for ABC Carpet, GoogleNest, Amazon and Budweiser, among others. In addition to running all things social media for The Dogist, she is also dog mom to Simon and runs his readily adored page - @Simonsits. Born and raised in New Jersey, she considers herself a New Yorker at heart and currently resides in Brooklyn. Isabel Graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2016 with a degree in English literature and promotional communications.