Mutual Rescue Team

The people of Mutual Rescue, inspired by their companion animals.

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Tectonic Video filming for Mutual Rescue in NYC
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Carol Novello

Creator & Author

Carol Novello is the creator of Mutual Rescue and author of Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too (Grand Central Publishing). She received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and English from Dickinson College and her MBA from Harvard Business School. Carol held several senior executive positions at Intuit before shifting her focus to animal welfare, serving as the president of Humane Society Silicon Valley for nearly a decade. She is currently on the board of directors at CUDDLY, Inc. Her family includes three rescues: cats Herbie and Porchini and mixed-breed mutt Daisy.

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David Whitman

Executive Producer

Mutual Rescue’s executive producer, David Whitman, is known as a wandering spirit. Following an adventurous year in Europe, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, then volunteered with the Peace Corps in Saint Lucia. He later managed Berkeley’s Hertz Concert Hall, for 14 years, then pursued arts interests for the next decade in Florida and Brazil. California’s Tech Interactive tapped him to coordinate its monumental, transatlantic exhibition on Leonardo in partnership with Italy’s Ministry for Cultural Heritage, Opera Laboratori, and the Uffizi Gallery. Then, for nearly a decade, he designed and directed the resplendent, multimedia galas of Silicon Valley’s global Tech Awards, before joining forces with Carol Novello to create Mutual Rescue.

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Finnegan Dowling

Shelter Engagement Manager

Finnegan Dowling is Mutual Rescue’s shelter engagement manager and a regular contributor to the Mutual Rescue blog. She has been poking around animal welfare for more than 25 years and has worked in shelters in Washington, Colorado, California, and Nicaragua. Prior to Mutual Rescue, she was the social-media manager for Humane Society Silicon Valley, where her work was honored with Shorty and Communicator Awards. Finnegan’s writing has been published in The Bark, Bay Woof, and Huffington Post. She lives in coastal Texas with an opinionated dog and her husband. When not working, you can usually find her reading, writing, or running around Latin America.

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Kurt Krukenberg

President

Kurt Krukenberg leads the Mutual Rescue initiative in his role as the president of Humane Society Silicon Valley, where he is also a longtime Doggy Day Out volunteer. Previously, he spent 20 years helping companies and nonprofit organizations create sustainable growth in a variety of operating and advisory roles. Kurt received his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University and MBA from Harvard Business School. He is eternally grateful to have been rescued by his wife, Charu, and their dogs.

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Blythe Jack

Strategic Adviser

Blythe Jack—a lifelong animal lover and a proud pet parent to her dogs Roxie, Oakley, and JosieBelle—is Mutual Rescue’s strategic adviser. As a board member at Humane Society Silicon Valley, she fell in love with Mutual Rescue and its mission at first meeting in 2017. Her support is reflected in every facet of the initiative, including its two recent films, “Kimo & Jazz” and “Keema & Her Pack,” as well as the new Mutual Rescue Moments series and a film in progress. Blythe has been an active private-equity investor in the consumer sector for nearly 25 years, having been a managing director at TSG Consumer Partners for over 11 years, where she led investments in consumer brands such as BrewDog, Backcountry, Dutch Bros, IT Cosmetics, and Canyon Bicycles, among others. She counts a great husband of over 20 years and teenage daughter amongst her pack, along with their three beloved hounds. 

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Partners

Mutual Rescue’s Film Subjects

Love and respect to the people who’ve shared their inspirational stories in Mutual Rescue films: Tanner Hopson, Kimo Pokini, Shakeema Hutcherson, Bhuvana Hariharasubramanian, Abhishek Raut, Jade and Jessica Allen, Kim and Brian Rose, Sarah Coletti, Patrick Donovan, Michael Uy, Jessi Burns, Josh Marino, Tracy Campion, Robin and Mark Myers, and Eric O’Grey, and to their companion animal co-stars: Rei, Jazz, Kubo, Keema’s pack, Lollipop, Trubs, Lana, Domino, Grace, Abbie, Andi, Scout, Jack, Liza, Jake, and Peety. 

Additional love and respect to the people, companion animal co-stars, and rescue organizations featured in Mutual Rescue Moments: Calvin Tucker, Henry, Saving One Creature At a Time (SOCAT); Samantha Brinegar, Joey, Fairytale Farms; Mary Kniskern, Stella, Prison Pet Partnership Program; Susannah Greenwood, Pullman, Lincoln, Paxton, Silicon Valley Pet Project, Cat Town; Sarah Hall, Dogs Matter; Elena Page, Angela Stell, Raina, Baxter, NMDOG; Mimi Christensen, Ariel, Sunrise of Bethesda Senior Living; Doreen Jakubcak, Eileen Farkas, Debbie Williamson, Marty’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary; Steve Lee, Lillian Lee, Bobe, Baby, Humane Society Silicon Valley; Sandy Brychta, Rebel Rey Lee, Cupcake, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.

Tectonic Video

Tectonic Video is a Chicago-based video strategy and production company that works exclusively with nonprofits. “We’ve partnered with Mutual Rescue from the beginning,” says Tectonic’s founder and CEO, Doug Scott. “We’re humbled to have created so many award-winning Mutual Rescue films together. We’ve seen how shelter animals and their people do indeed rescue one another, and we’re inspired by the tireless efforts of animal-shelter employees and volunteers to save lives.”

Advocate Creative

Advocate Creative is a branding and design agency for nonprofits and foundations. Since their inception in 2012, Advocate Creative has made it their mission to advance their clients’ missions. They help create brands, build websites, design print pieces, and launch campaigns for today’s most impactful organizations. Advocate Creative’s work is reflected in Mutual Rescue’s website design and the signature illustrations—by art director Jessie McGrath—in Mutual Rescue’s films and Coloring Pages For All Ages.

Alex Williamson

Alex Williamson is a Grammy-nominated composer, producer, and arranger for film, television, and games. His work with Mutual Rescue includes the films “The Love Is Mutual,” “Tanner & Rei,” “Kimo & Jazz,” “Keema & Her Pack,” “Bhuvana & Abhishek & Lollipop,” and, with Christopher Tin, the memorial montages “Still Yours” and “Silent Paws.”

Fenwick

Fenwick provides legal advice and assistance to Mutual Rescue, principally for intellectual property protection. From emerging enterprises to large public corporations, the law firm’s clients are leaders in the technology and life sciences sectors who are fundamentally changing the world through rapid innovation.

Story Judges

Under the direction of executive producer David Whitman, stories submitted for Mutual Rescue films have been selected by notable professionals in animal welfare, science, philanthropy, journalism, and the arts, including Dr. Marty Becker, Tom Corwin, Jenna Donleavy, Jennifer Erwitt, Ethan Goldman, Tisha Haney, Ingrid King, Bonnie-Jill Laflin, Maggie Lawson, Josh McGuire, Jude McVay, Doug Menuez, Karen Mullarkey, Amy Shojai, Phoebe Smolan, Rick Smolan, Gina Spadafori, Morgan Spurlock, Tracey Stewart, Mark Ulriksen, Kayleen VanderRee and Danielle Gumbley, the Mutual Rescue leadership team; filmmaking partner Tectonic Video; and board members, staff, and volunteers at Humane Society Silicon Valley.