In With the New

Emma Smith is the Founder of Zimt Chocolates, handmade artisanal chocolates that are vegan and certified organic. Zimt was founded in 2011 with the aim of supporting those who are most vulnerable through sales of chocolate and by spreading knowledge and opening hearts. Zimt is an ethical vegan company at heart and makes decisions consciously for environmental and human rights reasons. Their ingredients are certified organic, they use coconut sugar and nectar to sweeten their products, and they were an early adopter of biodegradable packaging. Zimt is committed to donating a portion of its sales to support animal rescues and organizations doing life-changing work to improve the lives of people vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

After working in the fashion industry for over fifteen years as a brand manager for top international brands, Silvia Jeane Gallo founded jeane & jax in 2014 with the vision of combining her fashion expertise with her compassion for nature.

Today, jeane & jax designs and produces stylish and luxurious vegan handbags, with the mission of providing consumers with ethical and sustainable alternatives to animal-based leather goods. jeane & jax uses only sustainable premium recycled vegan materials and/or plant-based fabrics. Their commitment to creating ethical products extends to every level of their supply chain, including manufacturing. jeane & jax works only with factories that offer employees a safe, healthy and equitable work environment, and have been audited and certified to meet these standards.

Originally from just outside of north London England, Joey's career as a fashion designer has taken him across five continents. It was in 2019 that Joey decided to switch from designer to factory owner and start Veshin factory in Guangzhou, China. Veshin (pronounced V-shin) is built on a philosophy centred on sustainability, transparency & environmentally progressive values, and is an original equipment & design manufacturer (OEM/ODM) specializing in luxury bags & accessories made from leather alternatives. Veshin works with brands during the product design and manufacturing stages to help them switch to cruelty-free leather alternatives. By sourcing next-gen materials and chemical-free dyes, Veshin helps brands replicate the look, feel, and performance of leather without the environmentally harmful practices.

Currently Joey resides in Colombia where he is piloting Veshin's second factory, located in Latin America.

Brent Baker is the Lead of New Business Development for MIRUM®, Natural Fiber Welding's (NFW) categorically new, plant-based, and plastic-free leather alternative material. Brent supports designers and makers around the world to reduce reliance on plastics and animal products to shrink their footprints and expand their creative palettes. In an industry awash with incremental solutions, NFW is driving a systems-level shift away from petroleum-derived products and toxic chemistries with their family of plastic-free materials.

Outside of MIRUM®, NFW is bringing to scale CLARUS®, a novel yarn treatment technology that imbues natural fibers with the performance of synthetics without the plastic, PLIANT® a 100% bio-based, recyclable, and moldable outsole for footwear, and TUNERA®, a 100% bio-based foam to replace plastic composites for internal components for consumer products.

Kelly Drennan is the Founding Executive Director of Fashion Takes Action (FTA), Canada's only non-profit organization dedicated to advancing sustainability in the fashion industry. Her role at FTA is to remove the barriers to sustainability that exist for the entire fashion system, through initiatives such as the annual World Ethical Apparel Roundtable conference (WEAR), Sustainable Fashion Toolkit, and My Clothes My World, FTA's youth education program. In 2017, Kelly was the recipient of the prestigious Clean 50 award given to Canada's climate leaders, where she was recognized for Education & Thought Leadership, and was the first recipient of the award for the fashion industry. In 2022 Kelly won the Sustainability Award given out by the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA).

Sandra Nomoto is a content writer, editor, and marketing consultant for cruelty-free businesses. Sandra's communications career began in the public relations industry in 2005, and in 2012 she founded Conscious Public Relations, Inc., a B-Corporation certified PR agency for socially and environmentally responsible companies. Sandra authored The Only Public Relations Guide You'll Ever Need and Vegan Marketing Success Stories, the world's first vegan marketing book. She also co-hosts VEG Networking Canada, where plant-based and vegan companies connect and collaborate.

Amelia Eleiter is the Co-founder and CEO of Debrand, a leading textile recycling solutions provider in North America. Amelia and co-founder Wes Baker launched Debrand to help the world's leading apparel brands achieve their product sustainability goals. The company specializes in the secure reverse logistics of obsolete, damaged, or returned goods, with a focus on extracting as much value as possible from our planet's finite resources.

Steven Bethell is the Co-founder of Beyond Retro, a line of unique, reworked items handcrafted from carefully selected vintage fabrics. Beyond Retro has been the leader in vintage clothing in Europe for over 15 years and was featured on the cover of Vogue, in the Huffington Post, and worn by Adele. Steven is also the co-founder of Bank & Vogue Ltd., which works with over 250 charities and private collectors to maximize the value hierarchy of textiles, based on the belief that everything has the potential to not only avoid landfills, but generate profit.

Emily Wilson is the Co-founder and CEO of Living Tree Foods, an emerging plant-based food company that aims to remove the barriers to eating a plant-based diet by making accessible vegan versions of traditional animal products. As an advocate for animal welfare and environmental sustainability – with a passion for plant-based foods – Emily launched Living Tree foods with her first creation: delicious cashew-based cheese spreads. How Emily's passion for animal rights and sustainability and her love of food fueled her journey from law student to food company CEO.

Madeleine Shaw is the Co-founder and Director of Partnerships and Impact at Aisle (formerly Lunapads), the #1 B Corporation in North America for sustainable period care products. Lunapads was one of the first ventures in the world to commercialize natural menstrual care, now a thriving industry. Madeleine has also championed initiatives for public institutions to include free access to safe and sustainable menstrual care products to address gender equity, poverty, and climate concerns. With 28 years of experience as a social entrepreneur, she is the author of The Greater Good, a guide to starting your own social impact initiative. Madeleine is also the Founder and Chief Community Officer of Nestworks, a family-friendly, co-working space and community.