ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

Turning one family's crisis into a national mission.

Blastobase® was founded by Nick Fernandes — a lifelong pet owner, animal advocate, and marketing research professional dedicated to improving awareness and outcomes surrounding blastomycosis in pets.

After his own dog, Sabo, suffered permanent blindness following repeated misdiagnoses related to blastomycosis, Nick became determined to help other pet owners and veterinary professionals recognize the disease earlier and better understand its risks, symptoms, and treatment pathways.

Why it matters: Sabo's story mirrors hundreds of cases each year — initially misdiagnosed as kennel cough or misread as lung cancer on x-rays, delaying the single antigen urine test that could have changed the outcome.

Nick brings nearly a decade of experience as a marketing research consultant supporting leading associations and organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Library Association (ALA), Society of Vascular Surgeons (SVS), American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), and National Brewers Warehouse Association (NBWA). Throughout his career, he has helped organizations modernize membership strategies, strengthen engagement, and make more informed, data-driven decisions.

His expertise includes primary research methodologies such as survey research, in-depth interviews, online bulletin boards, focus groups , and digital experience assessments — skills that now help shape Blastobase’s mission of collecting meaningful case data and turning awareness into action. Prior to his work as a consultant to associations, Nick worked at IRI/Circana as an analyst. Prior to that he worked as a marketing director and in marketing research at Pace University in New York City.

Nick holds a bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University and an MBA from Pace University in New York City. A Chicago resident for the past 11 years, he created Blastobase to transform one family’s painful experience into a broader mission to educate, connect, and help protect pets nationwide. He has nearly 7,000 pictures of Sabo in his iPhone. Besides Sabo, Nick’s household has an adoring 7-year old cat, Leo, and a newborn human.