The Original Vegan Business Talk By Shane Jeremy James

It's an honor to have Sophia Sundar, the founder of Sophia Jasmine, join us today. Sophia has made waves in the fashion industry with her unique vegan apparel company. Her vision is to spread awareness of the vegan lifestyle through her clothing while supporting animal sanctuaries. Sophia's journey is a testament to her dedication and passion for animal welfare.

Sophia started her vegan apparel company four years ago, and since then, she has been creating thought-provoking clothing that sparks conversations and introduces people to veganism. Her niche market of vegans has expanded to include vegetarians and meat-eaters interested in veganism. Sophia's apparel is more than just clothing; it creates change and spreads a message.
Get inspired and informed by Sophia's vision of a cruelty-free world.

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We are excited to introduce Matt Noble, founder of the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank and an advocate for veganism and plant-based living. Noble recognized a significant problem in food banks, the lack of vegan options, and decided to take action. In 2015, he founded the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank, a volunteer-powered organization providing vegan options for needy people. Under Noble's leadership, the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank has implemented various programs, including a veganic farm and cooking classes.

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We are delighted to welcome Shera Fournier, the founder of Veron, a vegan French macaron company, to our virtual stage today. Fournier's journey as an entrepreneur has been inspiring as she turned her passion for creating delectable treats into a thriving business. Her story is about perseverance, creativity, and a deep love for baking.

Fournier's journey began when she discovered her dietary requirements didn't allow her to enjoy the traditional French macaron. She utilized her math and data experience to track changes to the recipe until she achieved the perfect macaron. Fournier funded the company through her savings and tutoring, avoiding having investors involved when she started.

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Today, we are delighted to introduce Sam Tucker, co-founder and CEO of Veg Catalyst, a social enterprise that promotes veganism through digital marketing. Sam has been a vegan and animal rights activist since he was 12 years old, and he has dedicated his life to spreading awareness about veganism and its benefits. With his passion for communication and digital marketing, Sam has successfully established Veg Catalyst, a platform that provides digital marketing services to vegan businesses and animal rights charities.

In this interview, Sam will share his inspiring journey as a vegan and animal rights activist and how he founded Veg Catalyst to promote veganism through digital marketing. He will also discuss the importance of cost-effective digital marketing strategies for businesses to reach their target audience.

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We are excited to introduce Eric Amundson, CEO and co-founder of Vevolution. This vegan investment platform aims to create a vegan economy by connecting vegan food tech, cellular agriculture, and next-gen material companies with impact investors. Eric has been in the industry for over two years and has helped countless startups secure funding on Vevolution's platform.

Eric's journey with Vevolution began as an event and media-based company that created TEDx-style conferences and events for vegan startups. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and killed the events-based industry, Vevolution pivoted into a fintech business. They have been operating as the new investment platform for over two years. Eric mentioned that building a two-way marketplace is one of the most challenging business models. Still, Vevolution has successfully created a community of about 5,000, with 1,600 organizations on the platform and close to 700 investors worldwide. Get ready to learn more about Vevolution and Eric's journey as an entrepreneur in the vegan industry.

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With great pleasure, we welcome Laura T Ross, co-founder of Cleveland Vegan, to our platform today. Ross is a true inspiration in the vegan food industry, having built a thriving business in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and business partner. With a social work and yoga background, Ross brings a unique perspective to the world of plant-based cuisine, emphasizing the nutritional benefits of veganism and its ethical and environmental impact.

Ross has been an integral part of the plant-based movement, gaining momentum worldwide in recent years. With her restaurant serving as a beacon of veganism in the Midwest, Ross has provided her customers with delicious and healthy plant-based meals that align with their values.

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● Laura T Ross's journey from a social worker and yoga teacher to co-founder of Cleveland Vegan

Today we welcome Demetrius Walker, the founder of Meeks Vegan Pizza, to our virtual stage. Demetrius is a self-taught chef and entrepreneur who started his restaurant in Houston's Third Ward, a historically black neighborhood, during the pandemic. Demetrius grew up in New York City and did not grow up vegan. However, he had an epiphany on social media five years ago when he saw a plate of pig's feet being served as a dish, which triggered him to become vegan. His restaurant is known for its delicious and creative vegan pizza, attracting vegan and non-vegan customers.

Despite starting his restaurant during the pandemic, Meeks Vegan Pizza has thrived, with delivery apps becoming more popular due to the pandemic. Demetrius attributes his success to the support of the vegan community and the curiosity of non-vegan customers. He has learned a lot from his experience starting a restaurant during a pandemic and is passionate about getting plant-based food into the hands of people who will enjoy it and spread the word.

Get ready to be inspired by Demetrius's journey as a self-taught vegan chef and entrepreneur and learn about the challenges and opportunities in starting a business during a pandemic.

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● Demetrius's journey to becoming a vegan and how it inspired him to start Meeks Vegan Pizza

We are pleased to welcome Geetha Jayaraman, the founder of Spoon and Sprout, to our podcast. Geetha is a former accountant and cost analyst who left her corporate job to pursue a more purposeful career aligned with her values. After dealing with food allergies in her family, Geetha changed her family's food consumption habits to include more organic options. This change resulted in the elimination of all food allergies.

Geetha's journey towards starting Spoon and Sprout began with her desire to recreate the plantain chips she enjoyed growing up in Malaysia. She started by making them at home and eventually began selling them. The business grew, and Geetha had to figure out how to scale up production. However, since the market had no equipment to peel and slice plantains, it was manual. Despite the challenges, Geetha's determination to create healthier food options and her passion for her product helped her overcome these obstacles and build a thriving business.

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● The challenges and rewards of building a business with a focus on healthier food options

We are honored to have Paula González Carracedo and Tom, the founders of the vegan agency, join us today. With Paula's extensive experience in activism and communication and Tom's background in Earth sciences and natural disasters, they have come together to promote the vegan lifestyle and help businesses transition to veganism.

Paula's journey to becoming a vegan began almost 20 years ago, and her biggest business inspiration was Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop. She has combined her passion for activism with her expertise in communication to create a business that aligns with her values. Tom's interest in photography and visual communication has also contributed to the success of their agency.

Their agency's services focus on removing animals from the equation and promoting sustainability, health, and ethics. Despite the challenges they faced during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, they remain optimistic about the growth of the vegan movement and the impact their business can have in promoting it.

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● Paula and Tom's background and inspiration for starting their vegan agency

We are delighted to introduce Laura Crotty, a stay-at-home mom, culinary writer, and plant-based product developer. Laura's journey in the culinary world began with her battle with a severe eating disorder while studying at NYU in New York City. She discovered the healing power of food and plant-based eating, which helped her overcome her issues and opened a new world of food.

Today, Laura is a well-known culinary writer who shares her passion for plant-based foods through her writing and product development. She has developed an all-natural scrambled egg alternative for a company in India and has written a cookbook for plant-based desserts, which has been published. Her focus on wholesome, plant-based foods reflects her personal experience and philosophy. She believes in the importance of cooking simple, healthy meals for your family and the healing power of food.

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