In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Trish Ahjel Roberts is an acclaimed author, self-actualization coach and professional speaker.

Despite a history of childhood sexual assault, institutional racism, domestic violence, divorce and single parenting, Trish is a happiness expert.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, she’s a certified life coach, yoga and meditation instructor and reiki practitioner.

Trish is the founder of Mind-Blowing Happiness and Black Vegan Life, and the author of three self-help books including the recently released 12 Steps to Mind-Blowing Happiness.

In this interview Trish talks about:

• The impact that being sexually assaulted as a child had on her

• Her experiences of institutional racism and domestic violence

• How it’s possible to be ‘mind-blowingly happy’ in the face of atrocities towards people, animals and planet

• The misconception that happiness is based on your situation and why it’s important to find joy even when things aren’t going your way.

• How to stop anger from taking control of our lives

• What self-actualization is and why it’s important

• How to bring passion to your work even if it’s not your dream job or career

• And more

Visit Trish Ahjel Robert’s website

Find out more about Black Vegan Life

Get Trish’s latest book 12 Steps to Mind Blowing Happiness

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Reverend Erika Allison, a queer interfaith minister, speaker, and spiritual counselor in Massachusetts.

She is the author of Gay the Pray Away: Healing Your Life, Love, and Relationships from the Harms of LGBT Conversion Therapy, and she leads a monthly gathering to help the LGBTIQ+ community find spiritual belonging and liberation.

She also serves on the founding leadership and ministerial team of the Compassion Consortium, an interfaith and interspecies spiritual community for vegans and animal lovers, and is a Farm Sanctuary board member.

In this interview Erika discusses:

• Growing up in Texas in a religious community that sees being gay as ‘wrong’

• Her experience of conversion ‘therapy’ aimed at turning her straight

• How this experience impacted her self-worth and ability to form healthy relationships

• Her journey to overcome ‘identity harm’ and truly become out and proud

• How forgiveness and veganism played a part in her spiritual evolution

• The ‘Rainbow’ steps she teaches ‘rejection survivors’ from all walks of life to help them embrace all aspects of themselves

• A technique to give yourself the love you may not get from people around you in this lifetime

• Her relationship to religion – and her family – today

• And more

Visit Rev. Erika Allison’s website

Check out Erika’s speaker website

Find out more about the Compassion Consortium

Get Erika’s book Gay the Pray Away: Healing Your Life, Love, and Relationships from the Harms of LGBT Conversion Therapy

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In this episode we interview Sarah El Ebiary, an African American entertainment IP attorney who helped to create the Vegan Muslim Community Facebook group and the Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Egypt, which help guide thousands of members worldwide to live a healthier plant-based lifestyle.

Sarah is currently working as the founder of New World Entrepreneur & Entertainment Law, a virtual nonprofit law firm that provides affordable flat-rate services to green businesses, nonprofits, startups, entrepreneurs, and the creative community.

She’s also a yoga and meditation teacher, vegan chef and cooking instructor, and standup paddle board instructor.

In this interview, Sarah talks about:

• Being the only vegan in her family and how she handles it in a culture where sharing food is revered

• Her thoughts on Islam and veganism

• How she’s connected thousands of Muslims from across the globe, despite the dangers

• The growth of veganism in Egypt and in Muslim communities worldwide

• The challenges faced by vegan Muslims, from within their own communities and due to prejudice within vegan communities

• And more

Visit the Vegan Muslim Community group on Facebook

Visit the Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Egypt group on Facebook

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Marvita Washington, a former contestant on America’s Next Top Model – twice (2007 and 2008).

Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, she currently resides in New York City.

From sporty and tomboy, to high fashion and haute couture, Marvita is versatile when it comes to modeling different fashion genres.

In addition to modeling, she’s also the owner and chef of Marvita Vegan, a vegan restaurant and catering service that offers an assortment of healthy food options and drinks.

In this interview Marvita discusses:

• How she felt after being rejected in season 9 and cut from season 10 of America’s Next Top Model

• Why she shared openly and honestly on the show about the sexual abuse she experienced when she was younger – and the responses she got

• How she felt about how she was portrayed on the show

• How the show helped her improve her self-confidence and self-esteem

• How being on the show impacted her modeling career (the answer may surprise you)

• Her advice to anyone thinking about applying to be on a reality TV show

• Her vegan journey and the unusual reason she started her business

• And more

Visit the Marvita Vegan website

Follow Marvita on Instagram

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Lyn White, director of strategy at Animals Australia, which is the country’s foremost animal protection organisation representing over 2 million individual members and supporters.

Lyn’s career pathway has taken her from policing to animal advocacy, to an Order of Australia and becoming a two-time state nominee for Australian of the Year.

Deeply passionate about the human potential and living a life of value, Lyn is considered one of Australia’s finest and most respected advocates.

Through her work with Animals Australia since 2003, she’s drawn massive public attention to issues including live export, puppy farms, greyhound racing and factory farming, and created much-needed change for abused animals.

A believer in the power of aspiration, Lyn’s life is dedicated to elevating human consciousness, presenting a vision of who we can become, and empowering people to understand the individual and collective contributions we can make in the world.

In this interview Lyn discusses:

• Her time in the police force and what she was able to use in her animal advocacy work

• How she takes care of her mental and emotional wellbeing in the face of witnessing terrible brutality and cruelty up close

• Why she still has hope and optimism for humanity, despite seeing the worst of behaviours

• How the Covid situation has impacted the work of social justice advocates – and what positives have the potential to come from it

• Why the ‘easiest’ kind of activism that involves blaming and shaming others is unlikely to be effective

• And much more

Visit the Animals Australia website

Watch the ‘Somewhere’ factory farming campaign

Watch ‘Tommy’s Story’ (live export campaign)

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Frances Gonzalez, the Founder and President of Vegan Wines, a vegan-friendly wine club, and Despacito Distributors, a plant-based wine distribution company.

Based between New York and Puerto Rico, Frances is an active member of Women of the Vine & Spirits, an organization that fosters a supportive environment for females in the alcoholic beverage industry.

She’s also the founder of VegFest Puerto Rico, a nonprofit established in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

In this interview Frances discusses:

• Growing up in the Bronx, New York, and how she became bilingual thanks to a kind teacher

• Running away from home, landing up in family court and group homes in her early teens

• How becoming pregnant at 16 and giving birth to twins changed her life – for the better

• Losing her home in New York 10 years ago after her property business failed and moving back to Puerto Rico to start again

• The devastating impact of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and how this inspired her to create Vegfest Puerto Rico

• Her mission with Vegan Wines

• The experience of women in the alcoholic beverage industry

• And more

Visit the Vegan Wines website

Learn more about Vegan Wines’ equity crowdfunder

Check out Vegfest Puerto Rico (Facebook page)

Find out about Women of the Vine & Spirits

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Naijha Wright-Brown, a native New Yorker, raised in the South Bronx.

A successful serial entrepreneur, she left the safety of the corporate world at the height of the Global Financial Crisis to start a vegan soul food bistro in Baltimore, the Land of Kush where she serves as Marketing Director.

Naijha is also the Executive Director of the Black Veg Society, co-creator of Vegan Soulfest and Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week, and has a digital talk show, Naijha Speaks!

She was recently named an honoree in the Baltimore Business Journal’s Enterprising Women of Excellence initiative.

In this interview Naijha talks about:

• Growing up in the South Bronx and how her mother influenced her into becoming who she is today

• What working with customers ranging from billionaires and senior citizens taught her about interpersonal relationships

• The time she produced comedy and talent shows promoting diversity, and why creativity is essential to business.

• How she defines soul and why we need to embrace our ‘vegan soul’

• How she handles rejection, especially in business, as a woman of color

• Why women need to start prioritizing their own goals instead of always putting others’ needs first

• And more

Visit the Land of Kush website

Check out the Black Veg Society website

Find out about Vegan Soulfest

Enjoy the Naijha Speaks talk show on Facebook and YouTube

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Jane Velez-Mitchell, the founder and content editor of JaneUnChained, a multi-platform animal rights and vegan lifestyle media outlet.

A TV journalist for decades, Jane’s experience includes reporting for the nationally syndicated show Celebrity Justice, and a six-year stint, hosting her own show on CNN Headline News, where she ran a weekly segment on animal issues.

Jane is the author of four books including her memoir iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life, and Addict Nation: An Intervention for America.

Based in Los Angeles, Jane is also the producer and host of the award-winning vegan cooking show New Day New Chef on Amazon Prime.

In this interview Jane talks about:

• Her decades as a mainstream TV report and host

• The role alcohol played in her keeping her sexuality hidden

• Coming out as a lesbian while co-hosting a radio show - and the aftermath

• How being in relationships with women was different to being with men

• Sobriety and humility

• Why she started JaneUnchained and her predictions on the future of mainstream media

• And more

Visit the JaneUnchained.com website

Watch or listen to an interview with Jane on the Vegan Business Talk podcast about how she got her TV cooking show New Day New Chef onto Amazon Prime

Check out the environmental documentary Jane produced Countdown to Year Zero

Read Jane’s books iWant and Addict Nation

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders we interview Catherine Kelaher, the founder of NSW Hen Rescue, a charity that liberates, rehabilitates, and rehomes hens and other animals from factory farms in Australia.

Catherine was born and raised in England and studied English literature and creative writing at university.

She moved to Sydney in 2006 and has been rescuing animals ever since.

Catherine is also an author. She’s written 2 books; Amanda the Teen Activist, and her most recent title Saving Animals - A Future Activist's Guide.

In this interview, Catherine talks about:

• How a visit to a battery hen facility led her to start NSW Hen Rescue in 2010

• The challenges of running a volunteer-based rescue while working part-time jobs and doing it all in rented accommodation with constant eviction notices

• Learning to embrace a new opportunity for the rescue’s current home after a crowdfunding campaign didn’t go quite as planned

• How caring for her mother through her terminal cancer in 2011 and the death of her sister last year from Covid-19 motivates her to work even harder to prevent suffering in the world

• Why she loves writing so much and what it gives her

• And more

Visit the NSW Hen Rescue website

Find out more about the Project Hen Haven crowdfunder

Check out Catherine’s books Amanda the Teen Activist and Saving Animals – A Future Activist’s Guide

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In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we speak with Kimberly Renee, a self-taught private chef in Atlanta, Georgia, and the founder of Might Be Vegan, a plant-based media and marketing consultancy designed to help people live a more healthful life by eating more plants.

Before launching Might Be Vegan in 2018, Kimberly was the CEO of ContentPark, a tech-driven content development agency that worked with major brands, including Macy’s, AT&T, and Southern Company.

Passionate about health and veganism, especially for BIPOC communities, among her many initiatives, Kimberly created the award-winning national COVID-19 hunger relief program, Food Love by Might Be Vegan, which provides families in need with nutritious, plant-based food at no cost to them.

In this interview Kimberly talks about:

• Why she’s a wannabe hacker (for good)

• How she combined her love of data and creativity to carve out a career in content creation

• Why she called her brand ‘Might Be Vegan’

• The need for brands to implement policies to remove bias towards people of colour and not just pay lip service to diversity

• How and why she started Food Love to help marginalised families in need

• What food apartheid is and why we need to use this term instead of ‘food deserts’

• And more

Visit the Might Be Vegan website

Find out more about Food Love by Might Be Vegan

Check out Kimberly Renee’s Creator Club for Content Entrepreneurs

 

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