Maribeth Abrams is a certified holistic health practitioner, author of two cookbooks, The 4-Ingredient Vegan and Tofu 1-2-3, and mother of two college students who have been vegan since birth. Known for her lively and approachable demeanor, her presentations offer a blend of motivation and education. MaribethAbrams.com

Contact:  MaribethAbrams.com

Star Alfriend works in the financial services sector. She has been vegan since 2013; her husband became vegan with her, and he lost 65 pounds. Star is also a proud mom of two girls. Becoming vegan saved her life as she was diagnosed pre-diabetic. After one year of eating vegan, her health turned around. Star’s goal is to help people obtain wealth and live a healthier lifestyle to enjoy life when older. Star has a YouTube channel called Vegan Groupie where she shows you how to cook vegan meals. She is also working on her first cookbook.

Contact: 610-306-1111, salfriend@comcast.net

Rebecca Aslam is a registered dietitian working to educate both patients and employees at a teaching hospital in MA. She is a nutrition advisor to the American Vegan Society, a lifelong vegan, and fourth-generation vegetarian. She loves experimenting with vegan cooking and enjoys working with individuals or speaking to groups of all sizes.

Contact: 617.308.7488 rebecca.aslam@gmail.com

Jonathan Balcombe, PhD, is a biologist with expertise in animal behavior. He has written several books on the inner lives of animals, including the New York Times bestseller What a Fish Knows. Jonathan also performs professional editing and consultations with established and aspiring authors. He teaches an online course in Animal Sentience for the Viridis Graduate Institute and serves as an associate editor for the journal Animal Sentience. Balcombe lectures widely, having appeared on six continents (the penguins eagerly await him in Antarctica).

Contact: 613-243-4143, jonathan@jonathanbalcombe.com

Harold Brown is in the documentary Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home and spent half of his life in agriculture. Growing up on a beef farm in Michigan and later working in the dairy industry, Harold has been involved in the behind-the-scenes operations of food production that uses animals. Today Harold is an activist advocating for sustainable food production, social and environmental justice, animal liberation, and peace through nonviolence.

Contact: 607-425-2524 farmkind@empireaccess.net

Dilip Barman is a certified PCRM Food for Life instructor and has led Triangle Vegetarian Society for over twenty years, including hosting the country’s largest vegan Thanksgiving. He is the North American representative for International Vegetarian Union and is executive producer of code blue documentary. He enjoys blogging about his daily dining creations (dilipdinner.blogspot.com) and is proud to have never repeated a dinner for his wife in all the time he’s known her since 2004. He also teaches vegan cooking classes in addition to Food for Life, and classes in photography and math through area schools and colleges. Dilip is the director of nutrition education at Central Park School for Children, an affiliate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and is on the advisory committee of the Plant-Based Network.

Contact: dilip@trianglevegsociety.org

Genesis Butler went vegan at six years old after learning her meals were a product of animal exploitation. She founded her nonprofit organization, Genesis for Animals, which raises funds for sanctuaries around the world. Genesis has won several awards including the 2018 Lisa Shapiro Youth Animal Activist of the Year. She became the youngest TEDx speaker for her speech “A 10-Year-Old’s Vision for Healing the Planet.” She’s also been featured in several documentaries including The Invisible Vegan, Vegan: Everyday Stories, and Corky, and in Cesar Chavez Respect for All where she learns about the activism of her great uncle, Cesar Chavez.

Contact: genesisforanimals@yahoo.com

Ted Barnett, MD is board certified in diagnostic imaging as well as vascular and interventional radiology and has practiced in the Rochester area since 1986. Dr. Barnett teaches a six-week plant-based nutrition course which is accredited for twelve professional CME. He is the founder, CEO, and medical director of Rochester Lifestyle Medicine, PLLC, a medical group created to teach plant-based nutrition to thousands of people in the Rochester area and to turn back the tide of obesity and chronic disease. He, his wife, and three children have thrived on an exclusively plant-based diet since 1991. He has been the co-coordinator of Rochester Area Vegan Society since 1995. RochesterVeg.org

Contact: drveggie@gmail.com

Chef Chew has been a vegan food inventor/restaurateur for over 15 years. His mission is to change lives one chew at a time and to bring holistic solutions to urban communities. He developed and manufactures his own line of plant protein, Better Chew. Chef Chew  founded The Veg Hub restaurant in Oakland CA, a social enterprise that provides affordable vegan food and free cooking classes to the San Francisco Bay Area. He has a TV Show, Chew’s Challenge.

Contact: 479-871-2921

Steve Blake lectures widely about the role of nutrition in health. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and has a doctorate in nutritional biochemistry. Dr. Blake is nutritional biochemist for Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience, where he has authored a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease. He is the author of the college textbook Vitamins and Minerals Demystified and the dietary analysis software, the Diet Doctor. Dr. Blake is the Maui director for the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii. drsteveblake.com

Contact: 808-280-6865, steve@drsteveblake.com

Mary R Clifton, MD practices internal medicine in Duluth. In 2011 she cured herself of prediabetes and lowered her cholesterol with simple diet changes. Since then she’s helped thousands of others get healthy and strong by changing their diet. Dr. Mary is coauthor of the bestselling book Waist Away and companion cookbook Get Waisted. She cofounded a healthy weight-loss program. getwaisted.com

Contact: 231-342-6132, drmary@drmarymd.com

Freya Dinshah is coauthor of the book Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake: Kids! Teach Yourself to Cook. She has been a key organizer for local and national events to encourage compassionate, healthful living. Freya has taught cooking classes to people of all ages for over fifty years. She is a lifetime vegetarian, and vegan since 1960. She serves as nutrition educator and teaches basic cooking skills to children ages three to eighteen at afterschool programs in southern NJ. She is president of AVS, editor of American Vegan, and author of The Vegan Kitchen–the first U.S. cookbook with vegan in its title. americanvegan.org.

Contact: 856-694-2887 | freya@americanvegan.org

Sherry Colb is a Professor of Law and Charles Evans Hughes Scholar at Cornell Law School. She received her A.B. from Columbia College (valedictorian) and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She publishes a bi-weekly column on Verdict.Justia.com which often takes up issues of veganism and animal rights. She is the author of Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger? And Other Questions People Ask Vegans and coauthor of Beating Hearts: Abortion and Animal Rights.

Contact: 607-323-1292, sfcolb@gmail.com

Fran Costigan is a chef, cookbook author, and director of vegan baking and pastry at Rouxbe online cooking school. Fran is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. Professionally trained, Fran was a chef in both traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching in 1993. Her unapologetically luscious confections lack nothing — except dairy, eggs, white sugar, and cholesterol. Fran’s cookbooks are: Vegan Chocolate, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, and Great Good Desserts Naturally. francostigan.com

Contact: fran@francostigan.com

Anne Dinshah is vice president of American Vegan Society, a rowing coach, lifelong vegan, third-generation vegetarian, mom to vegan son Clint, and author of Dating Vegans and Healthy Hearty Helpings. She coauthored a kids’ cookbook with her mother Freya Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake and coauthored Powerful Vegan Messages, with her late father Jay. Anne credits Freya for instilling in her a love of cooking and Jay for a love of speaking to large audiences.americanvegan.org

Contact: 856-694-2887, Anne@americanvegan.org

Mark Wendt, MS, LPC, (MN) is a college counselor and coach with expertise in health and sports psychology. Mark developed DINOCARDS, the How You Do That career education series, and coauthored Get Graduated. Mark’s focus on health began in 2000 when he and other members of his family were suffering from obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease; they decided to choose a healthier lifestyle. Mark subsequently lost 30 pounds and lowered his cholesterol by 200 points. He became a barefoot runner and is currently working to complete a marathon in every state.

Contact: 715-862-0419, careerguy84@yahoo.com

Michael C. Dorf is Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he is the author of four books and numerous articles on law and its relation to social change. As a vegan activist, he applies the lessons he has learned from studying other justice movements.

Contact: 607-323-1492, mikedorf@gmail.com

Barata El is a lifelong resident of South Jersey; he became vegan July 1 1991. As a law enforcement officer in the NJ Department of Corrections for twenty-five years, he only met two other vegans in his line of work. Barata has a B.A. in theater arts from Rowan University. He married a beautiful native Jamaican woman in 1988 who is not vegan. They have four children and two grandchildren. Since age fourteen, Barata has been writing universal poetry—poems with which anyone from any culture can identify.

Contact: 609-458-7185, barata@comcast.net

JoAnn Farb is the author of two books, Compassionate Souls: Raising the Next Generation to Change the World and Get Off Gluten. She is a former microbiologist with a large pharmaceutical corporation, who now teaches cooking classes and nutrition education in Kansas. Her keynote presentation, What Really Matters, is a mind and heart-opening journey for all audiences, designed to connect social justice and environmental sustainability with health. CompassionateSouls.com and Getoffgluten.blogspot.com

Contact:  joannfarb.com

Sarina Farb, a science educator and activist, was born and raised vegan in Kansas. She has published essays about growing up vegan and dealing with “pushback,” created YouTube videos, and founded grassroots vegan groups. She has organized documentary screenings, a lecture series, and vegan potlucks. Sarina earned a BA in biochemistry with a concentration in policy studies, and she is passionate about bringing holistic critical thinking and ethics into science curricula. bornvegan.org, youtube.com/c/bornvegan

Contact: bornvegan@outlook.com

Emanuel Goldman has been vegan since 1992 (and vegetarian since 1964) with an ethical basis, but Emanuel is also glad about the health and environmental benefits. He is Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at NJ Medical School of Rutgers University in Newark. He has written on food poisoning and animal agriculture and done veg film reviews as “The Vegetarian Cinophile.” Emanuel has played cocktail lounge-style piano to entertain at a number of veg events through the years.

Contact: egoldman45@yahoo.com

Lee Hall holds a Master of Laws in environmental law with a focus on climate change and teaches at Widener University. Lee has appeared on Court TV, Gooseberry Productions’ Exploring Rights for Animals, Allegheny Front Environmental Radio, and It’s All About Food with Caryn Hartglass, and written for Growing Green International and American Vegan. A vegan since 1983, Lee’s books are On Their Own Terms about animals, freedom, and veganism and Capers in the Churchyard. Blog is Veganplace.wordpress.com.

Contact: climatelaw@me.com

Amie Hamlin has been executive director of the Coalition for Healthy School Food since its founding in 2004. She wrote a NY state legislative resolution for healthy plant-based entrees and nutrition education in schools which passed unanimously in 2004. The Coalition developed recipes and distributed to 25,000 schools nationwide, a middle school Family and Consumer Sciences Cooking Curriculum, a Pre K through second-grade curriculum Food UnEarthed: Uncovering the Truth About Food, and nutrition education resources. Amie consults with schools to help them implement healthy change.

Contact: amie@healthyschoolfood.org

Julieanna is a registered dietitian, the host of the wellness talk-show series What Would Julieanna Do? on Z Living Network, author of the books The Vegiterranean Diet and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition, and the nutrition columnist for VegNews magazine. She counsels a variety of clients throughout the world from her Los Angeles-based private practice including elite athletes, adults, and children with various nutritional and/or medical concerns. Julieanna received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and master’s of science in nutrition at California State University, Northridge. PlantBasedDietitian.com

Contact: PlantBasedDietitian.com/contact/

Sherimane Johnson is a vegan baker who shares the good news and health benefits of eating a plant-based diet. She utilizes fruits and vegetables to make her desserts sweet and delicious, instead of loaded with sugar. Sherimane shares her personal experience with diabetes, the disease that took her beloved grandmother, and how adopting a vegan way of eating has improved her own health. Sherimane is the mother of two young adults. Known for her lively and approachable demeanor, her presentations offer a blend of motivation and education, making a difference one cupcake at a time. NaturallySweetDesserts.com

Contact: NaturallySweetDesserts.com

Ellen is a personal trainer and nationally ranked sprint runner who also performs well in marathons. She is the author of many books including Eat Vegan on $4 a Day, Kitchen Divided, Vegan Sex, and Paleo Vegan. Ellen spent eighteen years as a two-time, Emmy-winning investigative reporter figuring out how to dodge genes that gave her mom, aunt, and both sisters breast cancer. A vegan runner for much of 40 years, she often gets “carded” at races and is featured as an example in The Ultimate Age-Defying Plan by Vegan Hall of Fame chef, Mark Reinfeld. VegCoach.com.

Contact: 941-704-1025, ejones@vegcoach.com

Brook Katz has dedicated his life to the sciences and maintains a logic-and-reason approach to life. He has training in emergency medicine and holistic medicines. Brook uses food as a healing tool and has become a gourmet chef in order to get the messages across. He authored several cookbooks including New Favorites and made videos. Brook feeds vegan food to thousands of people every year absolutely free-of-charge because he feels it’s one of the best and most dramatic ways of convincing people to listen to the rest of the truths.

Contact: 954-971-4432, brookkatz@hotmail.com

Michael Klaper, MD is a practicing physician and consultant with over forty years of experience in general practice and acute-care medicine. He is trained in surgery, anesthesiology, orthopedics, and obstetrics. Dr. Klaper believes strongly that proper nutrition and a balanced lifestyle are essential for health. He is the author of several books and videos on vegan nutrition and serves on the staff of True North Health Center, Santa Rosa CA. doctorklaper.com

Contact: michael@doctorklaper.com

Ellie Laks is the founder of The Gentle Barn Foundation and author of My Gentle Barn. Since Ellie was seven years old, she has rescued lost, abandoned, sick, or injured animals and brought them home to heal. In 1999, after majoring in psychology and special education, Ellie established The Gentle Barn as a sanctuary for severely abused and neglected animals. After the animals fully recover, healthy and happy, they help Ellie give hope and inspiration to at-risk, inner-city, and special-needs children who have similar stories of abuse and neglect. Through interaction, children learn kindness, compassion, confidence, and cultivate self-awareness and hope for the future. GentleBarn.org.

Contact: tgboutreach@gmail.com

April Lang is an LCSW, SEP psychotherapist in NYC. Part of her practice is devoted to working with animal advocates and people grieving the loss of their animal family members. April is also a humane educator, speaker, and writer. She writes a column, “The Relational Vegan” for the online magazine, La Fashionista Compassionista. She is author of Animal Persuasion: A Guide for Ethical Vegans and Animal Advocates in Managing Life’s Emotional Challenges.

Contact: aprillang23@gmail.com

Mary Lawrence, a trustee for AVS, is executive chef and owner of Well on Wheels, Connecticut’s premier vegan personal chef service. She also runs Ahimsa Health & Harmony, a vegan wellness center. Mary’s culinary creations are on the blog, The Traveling Vegan Chef wellonwheels.blogspot.com. Her two recent cookbooks are Easy Peasy Vegan Eats (2014) and Eat Vegan with Me (2017). Mary earned a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Dr. T. Colin Campbell Foundation at eCornell University. She studied culinary arts at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. wellonwheels.com

Contact: 860-985-1645, mary@wellonwheels.com

Vance Lehmkuhl (PA) is the vegan columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, writing the food column V for Veg (since 2011) and the philly.com blog V for Vegan (since 2013). He’s known for his audience-participation cartoon “Drawalong” and for his eco-conscious pop band Green Beings. He is the creator and host of Vegcast (vegcast.com), one of the first vegan podcasts, with more than a hundred interviews still free online. Philly.com/vforveg

Contact: soyjoy@earthlink.net

Sally Lipsky PhD has a PhD in education and certificate in plant-based nutrition. She combines her expertise in the field of adult learning with her knowledge and zeal about plant-based nutrition to offer workshops, presentations, and cooking demonstrations that focus on practical steps for adopting and sustaining healthy vegan habits. Her face-to-face and video talks are interactive, informative, motivational, and fun. She’s the author of Beyond Cancer: The Powerful Effect of Plant-Based Eating and runs PlantBasedEatingHub.com.

 Contact: PlantBasedEatingHub@gmail.com

Linda Long has had a lifelong relationship with food and hospitality and has been a committed vegan for more than half of her life. Trained as a home economist, she has had a varied career in the academic, corporate, and media communities, with an emphasis in fashion, food, and nutritional topics. She authored/photographed Great Chefs Cook Vegan and Virgin Vegan. She is host/NYC producer for Vegan Hotspot, web-based TV show by Delicious TV that spotlights vegan restaurants in New York City. Linda gave the first talk on a vegan subject at James Beard House. lindalong.com, virginvegan.com

Contact: 212-721-1113, 917-373-0399, linda@lindalong.com

Dale Lugenbehl is a writer and has taught college philosophy classes for more than thirty years. He has also served as co-director of Ahimsa Acres Educational Center since 1995. Dale’s areas of interest include the ethics of personal food choices, voluntary simplicity/low-consumption living, environmentally-conscious home-food production, understanding the processes of personal and societal change, and engaged Buddhism. ahimsaacres.org

Contact: lugenbehld@lanecc.edu

David M. Madow, DDS (MD) is an author with a passion for helping people live their healthiest possible lives. Now in his sixties, he stays active running marathons, backpacking, skiing, and climbing mountains. Formerly a practicing dentist, Dr. Dave combines comedy, music, and fun in talks, and is a member of The National Speakers Association. His weekly podcast, The David Madow Lifestyle Show, has over 275,000 listeners. DavidMadow.com

Contact: 410-504-2186, rundrdave@gmail.com

Damien Mander, aka the “Vegan Sniper”, is the founder and CEO of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF.org). He liquidated 100% of his personal assets to create IAPF to target wildlife crime. The organization changed to a primarily community approach by developing Akashinga: an all-vegan all-women team protecting Zimbabwe’s wildlife. This model empowers disadvantaged women to restore and manage a network of wilderness areas as an alternative to trophy hunting. Damien is a former Australian Naval Clearance Diver, Special Operations Sniper, and Iraq War veteran. His TEDx talk on speciesism has been seen more than seven million times across various platforms.

Contact: info@iapf.org

Andy Mars, PhD is a visionary leader in education. He has been directing totally vegan camps for kids since 1993 and runs vegan K-12 school and enrichment programs. Andy is the director of Veg Kids and of the Kids Make a Difference Foundation as well as the rabbi of Bnai Tov vegan synagogue. His mission is: “Helping make a difference in the lives of kids; helping kids make a difference in life.” vegkids.org    vegancamp.org

Contact: Andy@KidsMakeADifference.org

Christina Martin is a plant-based chef educator, healthy-food advocate, and nutrition columnist. After graduating with a BS in Business Administration from Rowan University, and working in the accounting field, Christina embraced a career change. She now has her associates degree in culinary arts. She has worked in many kitchens of Philadelphia restaurants including Vedge. Christina was also featured in an article and on the cover of Independent Restaurateur magazine. She seeks to share her love for cooking through educating with a focus on teaching the basics of healthy, local, and sustainable plant-based cooking. Christina is now a high school culinary arts teacher and the founder of Cooking to Nourish

Contact: chefchristinamartin@gmail.com

Christopher-Sebastian McJetters is a longtime vegan and social commenter who divides his time between London and NYC. A copyeditor by profession, Sebastian is a staff writer at Vegan Publishers, part-time lecturer on speciesism at Columbia University, and board member of Peace Advocacy Network. He explains why veganism is a useful tool for deconstructing multiple systemic oppressions. Sebastian contributed to the anthology Circles of Compassion, UK-based Barefoot Vegan magazine, and the blog “Striving With Systems.”

Contact: christopher.mcjetters@gmail.com

Vesanto Melina, MS, RD is coauthor of 10 books on nutrition, foods, and disease prevention. Her latest book (with Brenda Davis), Becoming Vegan: Express Edition, was given star rating by the American Library Association as the “go-to book” on vegan nutrition. She has taught nutrition at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and at Seattle’s Bastyr University. nutrispeak.com

Contact: 604-882-6782, vesanto.melina@gmail.com

Milton Mills, MD is a Stanford University School of Medicine graduate and a practicing critical-care physician. His encompassing worldview has led him to apply his knowledge about preventative healthcare toward the unique challenges of those who are underserved by the mainstream medical model: minority and less-affluent populations. Dr. Mills has served as Associate Director of Preventative Medicine for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and coauthored published articles on the Racial Bias in Federal Nutrition Policy. Dr. Mills is a powerful public speaker and an empathetic healthcare ally.

Contact: 703-642-0855  gileadmedicalgroup@gmail.com

Victoria Moran is the Oprah-featured author of thirteen books including Main Street Vegan: Everything You Need to Know to Eat Healthfully and Live Compassionately in the Real World. Victoria has been vegan since 1983 and was voted “PETA’s Sexiest Vegan Over 50” in 2016. She hosts the weekly Main Street Vegan podcast and is the founder and director of Main Street Vegan Academy, training and certifying vegan lifestyle coaches. mainstreetvegan.net

Contact: office: 212-289-1808; mobile: 646-734-6167; direct email: victoria@mainstreetvegan.net: assistant Jo Lee: mainstreetveganmedia@gmail.com

John Morlino is a former social worker who founded The ETHIC (The Essence of True Humanity Is Compassion) the-ethic.org, to help create a world where all beings live free from violence and oppression. John’s presentations are heartfelt and compelling with a commitment to nonviolence and compassion. He also presents on animal rights, universal peace, gun violence, and genocide.
the-ethic.org

Contact: via website the-ethic.org

Ana M. Negrón, M.D., was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Dr. Negrón is a board-certified family physician who has made cooking with patients integral to her practice. She helps people transition to a whole-plant diet, thereby reducing the inflammation which is at the root of most chronic medical conditions. Dr. Negrón volunteers at a clinic for the uninsured and teaches family doctors the role of food in medicine. Her book, Nourishing the Body and Recovering Health: The Positive Science of Food published by Sunstone Press, is an antidote to our reliance on pharmaceuticals.

Contact: 610-525-6246 x4, ana.m.negron@gmail.com

Lauren Ornelas is the founder and executive director of Food Empowerment Project (FEP), a vegan food-justice nonprofit that promotes veganism, fights for farm workers, and works for access to healthy foods in communities of color. Lauren started the first high school animal rights group in San Antonio TX and also founded the group, Action for Animals, in college. As the leader of Viva! USA, she investigated factory farms and ran consumer campaigns which lead Trader Joe’s to stop selling duck meat, Pier 1 Imports to stop using feathers, and the CEO of Whole Foods to become vegan. Lauren has also given a TEDx talk titled “The Power of Our Food Choices.” foodispower.org, veganmexicanfood.com.

Contact: 707-779-8004, info@foodispower.org

Myriam Parham RD, CDE is a registered dietitian, a certified diabetes educator, and a CHIP-certified instructor. She coordinates and teaches multiple programs which promote a plant-based lifestyle at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Myriam also coordinates and teaches at the Diabetes Education program and is president and co-founder of Florida Voices for Animals, Inc. She has presented vegan nutrition lectures for Publix, worked on the GEICO research program, and has been a frequent speaker at the North American Vegetarian Society’s Vegan Summerfest. She is the mother of a healthy, active, and thriving teenager who was raised vegan.

Contact: mparham7@yahoo.com

John Pierre is a nutrition and fitness consultant, famous as a personal trainer to celebrities, rock stars, and Fortune 500 CEOs. His book, The Pillars of Health: Your Foundations for Lifelong Wellness, explains four principles: real food, mind stimulation, physical movement, and spiritual philosophy. johnpierre.com

Contact: foodsforlifejp@yahoo.com

Christina Pirello’s love affair with food began at a young age. She would put her cooking skills to the test when she was diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Meeting (her now husband) Robert Pirello would change her life forever; he helped her adopt a healthier lifestyle and diet, and she overcame the odds of her diagnosis and developed an expertise in cooking with whole-natural foods. She is an expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, acupuncture, macrobiotics, and has a Masters Degree in Nutrition. She teaches vegan/macrobiotic cooking, has authored eight cookbooks and is the hostess of the Emmy Award-winning TV show Christina Cooks.

Contact: robert@christinacooks.com, www.christinacooks.com

Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN, (MD) holds a master’s degree in health education from Towson University and is a registered dietitian. A vegan since 1986, he has been speaking on nutrition and food-related topics since 1997. Through group presentations and online services, he focuses on plant-based diets to prevent and treat chronic diseases and nutrient deficiencies. Unique topics and perspectives are a specialty.

Contact: 410-764-8343  mark@balancednutritiononline.com

Clifton Roberts has been vegan since his birthday Sept 24 1997. He’s a Humane Party volunteer, 2016 U.S. presidential candidate, 2018 candidate for U.S. Senate, and hopeful 2020 U.S. presidential candidate. Clifton is passionate about protecting representatives of nature, human health, and environmental resources. As global policy director for the world’s largest semiconductor producer (Intel) he influences governments to establish policy conducive to evolution of cloud technology. He’s committed to inserting vegan advocacy into politics, and he can walk on his hands.

Contact: Clifton@cliftonroberts.org or 916-479-1628

Brenda Sanders serves as one of the directors of Open the Cages Alliance, an animal advocacy organization for which she organizes a vegan education program, animal rights demonstrations, and family-friendly events promoting the vegan lifestyle including Vegan SoulFest in Baltimore. She’s also the executive director of Better Health, Better Life, a community-health organization for which she conducts lectures, workshops, healthy-living classes, and food demos.

Contact: 443-219-7971, brenda@bhblnow.org

Kerrie Saunders, MS, LLP, PhD is the author of the first successful application and oral defense for the American Medical Association on the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis in medical settings. Vegan since 1996, she is a featured expert in the movie Eating You Alive, coauthor of the Guidelines for a Standard of Care for Preventive and Integrated Medicine, and contributing author for the blockbuster book, Rethink Food. Her own book is The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention. She began her career as a master’s level psychologist and earned her doctorate in natural health. drfood.org

Contact: 248-808-3601, drkerriesaunders@gmail.com

Miyoko Schinner (CA) is a chef and entrepreneur promoting delicious, decadent, and healthful plant-based foods for thirty years. She is the founder of Miyoko’s Kitchen, a leading maker of artisan vegan cheese. She is cohost of Vegan Mashup, a television show seen on PBS. Her bestselling books are Artisan Vegan Cheese and The Homemade Vegan Pantry. artisanveganlife.com, miyokoskitchen.com

Contact: info@miyokoskitchen.com

Ori Shavit is a food writer and critic, media person, a leading promoter of the Israeli vegan cuisine and vegan culture, and an activist for animal liberation and green lifestyle. Ori organizes and hosts cooking workshops and dinners, offers culinary counseling, and owns the urban vegetable restaurant, Miss Kaplan, in Tel Aviv. She publishes recipes and info on her website Vegansontop.com and on the food channel of YNET, one of the most popular Israeli news and content websites. Shavit cooked for the first vegan dinner in the Israeli Parliament on the Knesset’s Animal Rights Day. Ori speaks fluent English and Hebrew and tours in the U.S.

Contact: oshavit@gmail.com

Rae Sikora has been vegan and a full-time spokesperson for other species for over thirty years. She is cofounder of Plant Peace Daily, Vegfund, and the Institute for Humane Education. Rae leads compassionate living and ethical consumerism programs for diverse audiences ranging from schools and prisons to businesses and universities. Her work takes her from the U.S. to the Middle East and Central America. plantpeacedaily.org

Contact: 248-219-3991,
rae@plantpeacedaily.org

Sherry Gilkin is an adjunct graduate professor of public health and teaches vegan cooking classes. Sherry became a vegetarian in 1993 after being assigned the topic of vivisection by an ethics professor her first semester of college. Her path to veganism followed in 2006 when she enrolled in a vegan cooking class led by AVS’s own Carol Githens. Sherry obtained her master’s degree of education through the Institute of Humane Education and has a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies through eCornell University.

Contact: sgilkin@hotmail.com 

Eric Nyman owns and operates Wildflower Vegan Café in Millville NJ, one of the longest-running all-vegan eateries in the state. A longtime vegan and second- generation vegetarian, he enthusiastically advises start-up vegan businesses and seeks to create environments conducive to enlightenment. Eric minored in history and holds a BA in philosophy from Montclair State University and enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and woodworking. He wishes his vegan son would eat vegetables and all exploitation would end, but isn’t sure which will happen first.

Contact:  973-945-4285
ecnyman1@gmail.com

Casey Taft, PhD is a professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized clinical researcher in the area of violence prevention and has published over one hundred journal articles, book chapters, and scientific reports. He is also co-owner of Vegan Publishers, a vegan-themed publishing company, and sees the prevention of violence towards nonhuman animals as a natural extension of his interpersonal violence work. He is the author of Motivational Methods for Vegan Advocacy.

Contact: 617-872-3623, contact@veganpublishers.com

Caryn Hartglass, a vegan since 1988, combines science with practical knowledge educating about the healing benefits of a plant-based diet. She is co-founder of Responsible Eating And Living (REAL), co-director of nutrition programs at the Food Revolution Network, and editor of the Food Revolution Family Cookbook. She hosts the weekly It’s All About Food show. An ovarian cancer survivor, she’s a contributor to the book 25 Women Who Survived Cancer: Notable Women Share Inspiring Stories of Hope.

Contact: 718-490-0507
caryn@carynhartglass.com

Vinnie Straub went vegan after taking a 30-day raw vegan challenge in January 2014. As a teen, Vinnie worked at the family’s seafood restaurant, then he received culinary training in the U.S. Army. By 2015, he knew he wanted to create his own reality while helping the planet and its inhabitants in any way he could. In June 2017, he walked away from a good paying 9-5 job and used the money he had saved to purchase his first food truck. He is co-owner of Self Love Café (and Vegan Food Truck) in Bridgeton NJ. In his spare time, Vinnie enjoys going on nature hikes, reading books, expanding his consciousness, and making hip-hop music.

Contact: selflovevegan@gmail.com

Laura Theodore is a Taste award-winning PBS vegan chef and multi award-winning cookbook author. She hosts the Jazzy Vegetarian vegan cooking series on public television, and has authored five cookbooks: Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease, Deliciously Vegan, Jazzy Vegetarian Classics, Jazzy Vegetarian and her March 2020 release, Vegan For Everyone. She has been featured in The New York Times, VegNews, Family Circle, and Reader’s Digest and on Netflix, in the documentary film, Food Choices. LauraTheodore.com JazzyVegetarian.com.

Contact: laura@jazzyvegetarian.com

Connor Jacks is a lifelong vegetarian and five-year vegan. As a state finalist long-distance runner, Connor dispelled myths about vegans being less than stellar athletes. His work on stage and in film have honed his skills for public speaking. His high energy and friendly personality make him an effective speaker, especially for younger people or those new to veganism. Connor is enrolled in college and works at a vegan juice and sandwich shop.

Contact: 615-556-5650
iamthejacks@gmail.com

Blake Tumbleson completely changed his diet and his unhealthy life, primarily through a vegetarian—and later a vegan diet—and lost over 50 pounds. Today Blake is a runner, hiker, meditator, and evolving master of his life. He enjoys sharing his story, hoping to motivate others, and delivers inspiration and practical suggestions. His approach is light, informative, and nonjudgmental.

Contact:  615-948-0008
Blake@ManEvolving.com

Will Tuttle, PhD, is an author, educator, pianist, and composer. Author of The World Peace Diet, a former Zen monk, a dharma master in the Korean Zen tradition, and vegan since 1980, he is devoted to cultural healing and awakening and has seven CD albums of original piano music. worldpeacediet.org

Contact: 800-697-6614
willtuttle@earthlink.net

Sharon Jacks has been a vegan educator and activist for over 25 years.  She raised two healthy sons on a vegetarian diet. Sharon is a certified PCRM Food for Life instructor and through her company, Studio Veg, she conducts programs on weight management, disease prevention, and more. Sharon specializes in helping families and individuals transition to a vegan lifestyle.

Contact: 615-556-1152
Sharon@StudioVeg.com