Vegan Business Talk

In this episode I interview Melissa Murphy-Webster from AVS Organic Foods vegan cheese company in Melbourne, Australia. The company – which was originally called A Vegan Smiles – was the first to produce non-dairy cheese in block form in Australia which Melissa distributed via markets and retail stores. Melissa has a strong business background, including holding an MBA which she completed in 2017. Prior to starting her own business in 2013 she worked for 17 years with The Chemist Warehouse Group and its subsidiaries in several roles, finishing up as Head of Security and Fraud Operations Manager. She’s recently built and opened a production facility in Epping in the state of Victoria to expand AVS Organic Foods while simultaneously partnering with vegan meat company UnrealCo to start a new business called Ethical Manufacturing which will contract-manufacture vegan products for existing and new plant-based businesses. In this episode Melissa discusses: • How she went from selling artisanal vegan cheeses a

In this episode I interview Rimi Dabhia, founder of vegan snack company LoveRaw in Cheshire, in the north of England. Rimi left behind her career in investment banking and founded LoveRaw, which makes vegan, organic, natural chocolate snacks, in 2013 from her in-law’s home kitchen in Manchester with a budget of just £600. In February 2018 she appeared on Dragon’s Den (the UK equivalent of Shark Tank). Despite receiving an offer of investment from renowned dragon Deborah Meaden, Rimi turned the deal down and launched a new category of Vegan Buttercup chocolate snacks. Since walking away from the Dragon’s Deal offer, LoveRaw’s average monthly sales have grown by over 200% with a year-on-year growth rate of 98%. Products are sold in major supermarkets and coffee shops across the UK, and are exported to more than 20 countries. Rimi has achieved all this with two young children aged four and nine months. In this interview Rimi discusses: • How she scaled up the business from a home kitchen • How and when s

In this episode I interview Alicia Robb, a vegan investor in Colorado in the US. With a strong background in economics, Alicia created Next Wave Impact to increase diversity, inclusion, and impact in early-stage investing. The company’s global fund has 99 female investors, 25 of them women of color, which is led by an experienced investment committee of 10 women. As well as investing in vegan-led companies, Alicia also recently founded Vegan Investors, an angel investor group focused on helping vegan companies scale to have massive impact. In this interview Alicia talks about: • Why there so few female angel investors – and what she’s doing to change this • Why supporting vegan companies that are led by women, people of color, and other diverse backgrounds is important and how she’s making this happen • What she looks for in a business before deciding whether to invest • How a vegan business owner can stand out when pitching her • The types of vegan businesses she invests in and why • The key mistake

In this episode I interview Jeffrey Harris, co-founder of Plant Power Fast Food, a vegan fast food chain in San Diego, California. Jeffrey has spent the past 30 years working in the professional audio industry, mostly as a regional and national sales account manager for top brands. In 2004 he began to contemplate the idea of building a nationwide chain of 100% plant-based fast-food restaurants. After years of searching for partners who had the operational expertise he lacked, Jeffrey eventually found Mitch Wallis and Zach Vouga who had years of experience operating vegan restaurants and also shared Jeffrey’s vision for an entirely new, vegan version of traditional fast-food. The trio opened their first Plant Power Fast Food restaurant in San Diego in January 2016 and currently have five restaurants in operation in southern California, with more in the planning stages for what they hope will be a nationwide chain of restaurants capable of disrupting the traditional fast-food restaurant industry with health

In this episode I interview Shawna Barker, a plant-based nutritionist in Vancouver, Canada. Shawna is also the owner, manager and in-store nutritionist at Plant Life Nutrition, Vancouver's only fully vegan health food store. She began her journey towards health and nutrition over 25 years ago when she decided to change her diet at a very young age and was determined to learn everything she could about nutrition, food science, natural health, and how to thrive on a plant-based diet. Shawna graduated with honors from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Food, Nutrition and Health, as well as the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition with a Diploma in Holistic Nutrition. Between 2010 and 2013 she ran an organic farm and food truck, but then switched to focusing on her nutrition business, Synergy Nutrition, full time. Drawing from her background in both science and holistic health she supports her clients with a comprehensive program including individualized diet, supplement

In this episode I interview Callee Ackland, founder of Bestowed Essentials, a wholesale distributor, online marketplace, and zero waste retail store selling ethical, vegan and eco-friendly home goods in Rapid City, South Dakota. Callee founded the company three years ago at the age of 23 while still on active duty in the US Navy. A zero waste activist, Callee also hosts the popular Hippie Haven Podcast, a free weekly resource on sustainable living. She also travels the US in a self-converted campervan, hosting zero waste workshops, trash cleanups, and speaking at events such as the World Holistic Expo and Des Moines VeganFest. Callee is currently working on her first book ‘Starting A Zero Waste Business: Everything I Wish I’d Known’. In this episode Callee discusses: • How and why she transitioned from working as a translator in the military to starting a zero waste business • The pros and cons of running a business from a campervan • Why she chose South Dakota, which is not renowned for being vegan-f

In this episode, I interview Claire Smith, co-founder of humane investment platform Beyond Investing, in Switzerland. Claire is a vegan and environmentalist with 34 years’ experience in finance and investment at top-tier banks and investment houses, including UBS and Albourne Partners. She’s carried out bespoke hedge fund research, as well as working as a derivatives broker, marketer and structurer, and credit analyst. Beyond Investing creates investment programs designed for animal advocates and climate-conscious investors in both public listed equity markets and venture capital. The company created the US Vegan Climate Index, a stock index which screens out all animal exploitation and fossil fuel use from a US market benchmark, and is the sponsor of the US Vegan Climate Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), which launched on the New York Stock Exchange recently. Claire is also an investor in vegan and plant-based businesses and the co-founder of the Beyond Animal integrated digital platform, which aims to acceler

In this episode I interview Dave Graham, co-founder of Vegan Web Design in Queensland, Australia. Originally from Yorkshire in the UK, Dave spent his early career in software development working for large corporates including Walt Disney and BHP. Since going vegan six years ago he’s now committed to and passionate about using digital marketing to help those helping animals and the environment. Vegan Web Design – which is run by Dave and his wife Sian – works with small animal sanctuaries through to large international ethical non-profit organizations to help raise awareness and increase donations for their cause. The company also works with ethical businesses worldwide to promote and sell their products and services online, offering web design and development and digital marketing solutions. In this interview Dave discusses: • The key mistakes vegan business owners make with the design of their websites – and what to do instead • The key mistakes vegan business owners make at the back end of their webs

In this episode, I interview Christophe Caron, who, with his mother and father, own French vegan restaurant Delice & Sarrasin in New York. Christophe Caron (right) with mother & chef Yvette and father Patrick. Christophe moved from France to New York 10 years ago and spent the first few years as a fashion model, represented by top agencies Wilhemina Models and Ford Models. After becoming vegan he began craving animal-free versions of traditional French food. So he encouraged his mother Yvette – a renowned chef in France – and his father Patrick to join him in New York to open a French vegan eatery. Since opening six years ago on Christopher Street in the heart of the West Village, the small boutique restaurant – which serves vegan versions of beef bourguignon, steak tartare and many other delicious French dishes – has become a popular destination with locals and tourists alike. In this interview, Christophe discusses: • The leap of faith his parents, both about to enter their 60s, took by moving to a ne

In this episode I interview John Oberg, a vegan social media marketing expert and influencer in Washington, DC. John is dedicated to making the world a kinder place for animals by utilizing the power of social media. He’s the former Director of New Media for the international animal protection organization, The Humane League. And prior to that, he served as Director of Communications for Vegan Outreach. In both these roles, John oversaw social media for the organizations which led to a tenfold increase in following for both of them, as well as over 1 billion impressions of content posted to these pages. John recently launched his own independent project for animals through Patreon and has provided social media consulting services to non-profit organizations including Veganuary and Million Dollar Vegan. And he now offers these services to vegan businesses and brands. In this episode, John discusses: • What vegan brands and businesses can do right now to organically increase followers and engagement – wit

In this episode I interview Simon Newstead, founder of Bite Society, a new vegan food product company in Melbourne, Australia. A vegan for more than 10 years, Simon’s background is in technology. He’s a co-founder of Frenzoo, a mobile games studio in Hong Kong that has been in operation since 2008. In addition, he’s an angel investor and supporter of other companies including Ocean Hugger Foods, Shiok Meats, Kinds of Grace and Hungry Planet. Bite Society, a zero-profit company, was started in 2018 and launched its first products, milky chocolate balls and a chocolate block earlier this year. Simon’s goal is to lower the price of vegan goods and he hopes to inspire other founders and projects through transparency and open sharing, including the company’s financials. To this end, he’s charting the journey of Bite Society via his Vegan Startup podcast. In this episode Simon discusses: • The key mistake many startups make and how to avoid it • The pros and cons of either you or others promoting your produc

In this episode, I give you some tips on how to respond to queries and callouts from journalists who are working on stories and need expert comment or case studies. It’s one of the easiest ways to get free publicity for your vegan brand. You don’t even have to pitch the journalist or producer a story from scratch – they’re already working on something and are looking for experts in their field to comment or to showcase products. In this episode, I cover: • Where you can find queries and callouts from journalists – for free • The differences between the different query/callout platforms • How to choose which queries to respond to • The key strategies you need to use to maximize your chances of being chosen and featured • What you must include in your responses to queries • And much more Read the blog post on this topic Enrol in Vegans in the Limelight Online PR Course & Group Coaching Program (payment plans with monthly instalments available) Brands mentioned in vegan business news highlights JB SA

In this episode I interview Annie Ryu, founder of The Jackfruit Company in Boulder, Colorado in the US. Annie started the company in 2011 while traveling to India as a pre-med student and trying her first jackfruit. She discovered that this large fruit had many nutritional and ecological benefits, but also that the majority of jackfruit grown in India was going to waste. Passionate about global health, Annie saw this as an opportunity to improve lives so while she was still attending Harvard, she began building distribution systems, improving market opportunities for farmers, and creating a working international supply chain to make jackfruit more available around the world. The Jackfruit Company currently works with over 1,000 farming families to supply jackfruit to over 6,000 retailers in the US. The company makes a range of vegan products from jackfruit – which has been compared to pulled pork and other shredded meats – that are positioned as healthy, ethical and sustainable. In this interview, which

In this episode, which was recorded live in person in New York at the inaugural Plant Based World Conference and Expo, I interview Michael Schwarz, founder of Treeline Treenut Cheese in upstate New York. Michael’s discovery of the cruelty involved in dairy production and the harm animal agriculture causes to the environment were key drivers for his decision to give up not just milk, but his entire career as an intellectual property attorney, and focus on vegan cheese making. Raised in South Africa, Michael inherited his activism from his parents. His father, Harry Schwarz, was a key figure in the fight to end apartheid and a long-time friend and colleague of Nelson Mandela. Michael moved to the US in the 1980s at the height of apartheid’s power, went to law school and for over 25 years, practiced IP law in Dallas, London, New York and Washington. In 2012, he began to experiment with fermenting cashew nuts, culminating in the launch of Treeline, which is now a national brand, available in grocery and speci

In this episode I interview Melissa Hobbs, co-founder of The Vegan Company in New South Wales, Australia. Launched in 2018, although the business was registered in 2017, The Vegan Company is the go-to destination for vegan fashion and beauty in Australia. Its aim is to make vegan living stylish, desirable and accessible by connecting people with an ever-growing collection of sustainable, cruelty-free vegan fashion, beauty and feel-good news. The content hub shares inspiration, ideas and information while the online store sells a curated range of vegan fashion, beauty and home-wares. Melissa has enjoyed a successful career in magazine publishing, holding senior positions in advertising and strategy on leading mastheads, including Vogue Australia, GQ, Elle, Delicious and News Limited. Melissa is also a founding partner of efragrance, one of the first digital beauty retailers. Prior to launching The Vegan Company, Melissa co-founded Meat Free Week, an award-winning global campaign aimed at raising awareness

In this episode I’m sharing with you a talk I gave recently to a group of vegan business owners and entrepreneurs on what to include on the ‘About’ page of your website. It’s a question I get asked a lot by people, including my coaching and consulting clients and students on my Vegans in the Limelight online PR course and group coaching program, so I thought it would serve you to share this as a podcast episode. It’s also available as a video and as a blog post below. Among the things I discuss are: • Why the ‘About’ page of your website is so important • What NOT to include on your ‘About’ page • How to make your ‘About’ page compelling for your customers and clients • Why your ‘About’ page shouldn’t be all about you • Examples of an ‘About’ page for a service provider and for a product maker • Why your story as the business owner is important and you can no longer hide behind your company or brand • And much more Watch a video of this presentation: And here’s a blog post based on the presentat

In this episode I interview Dr Nadja Pinnavaia, founder and CEO of Plantable (originally Euphebe), a vegan food delivery service and nutritional coaching program in New York. Nadja has an undergraduate degree in chemistry from King’s College, London, and a Ph.D. in quantum chemistry from St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge. The company launched in 2016 under the name Euphebe before undergoing a name change and rebrand recently to become Plantable. Plantable is a 28-day program that delivers nutrient-dense plant-based meals to customers’ doors, along with personalized one-to-one coaching and support by phone or text with a team of coaches. Prior to founding Plantable, Nadja was a managing director at Goldman Sachs in London. She holds the Certificate in Culinary Nutrition from the Natural Gourmet Institute and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. In this episode Nadja discusses: • Why she left a high-flying corporate career in finance to start Plantable • How she kicked off the business i

In this episode I’m sharing a recording of a panel discussion I hosted last year at the 2018 Adelaide Vegan Festival in Australia, called the Future of Plant Based Business. My guests on the panel were Seth Tibbott, founder of iconic American vegan meat brand Tofurky which is sold internationally, and Cale Drouin, a plant-based consultant in Brisbane, Australia who works with food retailers and distributors. Among the topics we discussed are: • What’s driving the take-up of vegan/plant-based living • What plant-based products are currently ‘hot’ right now • What to be aware of when dealing with large supermarket chains • Strategies for getting your products into retailers • How will ‘clean’ meat compete against plant-based meat? • Pushback from animal agriculture industries in banning terms like ‘meat’ and ‘milk’ on products unless they come from animals • What’s happening in non-food-related vegan business sectors and the opportunities this provides • And more You can also watch a video of this

In this episode I interview Damien Clarkson and Judy Nadel, co-founders of Vevolution, a plant-based events and media start-up in London, UK. Damien has spent the past decade primarily working on social change projects for some of the UK’s biggest NGOs and brands. He’s previously ran a creative agency and in fact he’s been on this show before, back in 2016, in episode 35 talking about digital strategy, but since then he and Judy have taken Vevolution forward and now work on it full-time. Judy is a creative tour-de-force. She’s passionate about the sensory arts, promoting women via her platform Badass Vegan Women and She Loves Plants and encouraging people to care about animals and the environment. She’s worked with some of the biggest organisations in the UK in creating digital work and curating hackathons. With a background in events management, her main aim for each project and event is to bring people together to connect and create unique, one-off experiences. In this episode Damien and Judy talk about:

In this episode I interview Heather Mills, vegan entrepreneur and owner of VBites plant-based food company in England. After being fired as a young teenager for eating too many croissants at the bakery store she worked at, Heather decided she didn’t want to work for anyone else. Since then she’s run a successful bra company that made her a millionaire at the age of 19, a model agency and many other businesses. In the early 1990s on returning home from charity work in the Balkans, a road accident resulted in her losing her leg. Far from letting this hold her back, it kickstarted additional careers in the development of prosthetics, public speaking, television commentating, and alpine ski-ing – in which she broke several world records. In 2009 Heather bought the Redwood Company, a plant-based food brand that made vegan meat and cheese alternatives and rebranded it as VBites. As well as opening several VBites cafes throughout the UK, Heather has scaled up the VBites brand which now makes 130 plant-based meat