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The conference features
experts in the fields of health, nutrition, animal rights, the environment,
exercise and related lifestyle areas, plus talented chefs. The following
speakers are already confirmed, with many more to be added. Please
check back for updates.
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Author of The 4-Ingredient Vegan, Tofu 1-2-3 and the Vegetarian Voice column Ask Maribeth: A Voice for Vegan Living; Certified Nutritional Consultant, cooking instructor, corporate chef for Vitasoy USA, cooking DVD
host, mother of two lifelong vegan teenagers.
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BS in Social Science from Drexel University; Board Certified Traditional Naturopath; Certified Massage Therapist & Tai Chi Instructor; Reiki Master Practitioner; Yang Long Form Tai Chi Practitioner; founder and president of Lancaster (PA) Vegetarian Society; founder and operator of SGMC - Solanco General Merchandise Co, a family owned and operated business, since 1977
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author of Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good (Macmillan) and The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives and Recommendations (released in 2000 by the Humane Society Press); has written many scientific papers and lay- articles on animal behavior, humane education, and animal research; a popular speaker, he has given invited presentations in the USA, UK, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil, Israel and mainland Europe; completed a 15-stop lecture tour of medical and veterinary schools in India in January 2007; currently Senior Research Scientist with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, in Washington, D.C; born in England, raised in New Zealand and Canada, and has lived in the United States since 1987 |
LEE BALL (NC) |
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teaches green building at Appalachian State University's Building Science program; ASU Energy Center's project manager; involved with development of green affordable housing, green building curriculum for colleges & K-12 public schools
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CHIP BALLEW (MO) |
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leader of the Vegetarian Club of the Ozarks, entertains and teaches juggling, "flip stix,' top & bubble tricks and other toys and games, long-time advocate for animals and cruelty-free living
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CAROLE BARAL, MS (NY) |
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certified Integral Yoga instructor for over 25 years; NAVS board member
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TED BARNETT, MD (NY) |
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board certified diagnostic radiologist; co-coordinator of the Rochester Area Vegetarian Society
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MARK BERMAN, MD (MA) |
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director, medical program at Keas, Inc.; special assistant to president & CEO for Childhood Obesity, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; obesity medicine consultant, Harvard Health Publications; graduate Harvard Medical School, Yale Univ. School of Medicine, Univ. of CA, San Francisco School of Medicine |
RYNN BERRY (NY) |
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NAVS historical advisor; author, Food for The Gods, Vegetarianism and the World's Religions, and Hitler: Neither Vegetarian Nor Animal Lover |
JOHN BOLUS (FL) |
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America's sole instructor of Chinese Wand Exercise; ranked 1st in his state's 5K races in the 65-69 age group, 5th in National Sr. Olympics; professional musician (keyboards) frequently performing at top clubs, including the Ritz Carlton; released "Naples Medleys", a CD collection of easy listening standards |
MICHAEL BUDKIE (OH) |
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Director of Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! (SAEN); past consultant for NEAVS, HSUS & PCRM; worked for In Defense of Animals on animal research issues; co-founder of National Activist Network. |
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co-author of How to Eat Like a Vegetarian, Even If You Never Want To Be One and How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty; director of the Marin Vegetarian Education Group; former food columnist for VegNews magazine; publishing consultant to many of the vegetarian world's best known leaders, including Howard Lyman, John Robbins, Dr. Neal Barnard, Ingrid Newkirk, Alan Goldhammer, and Victoria Moran; she has had dozens of letters published on behalf of animals and plant based eating in local and national magazines and newspapers and has been teaching vegan cooking classes for 12 years |
HAROLD BROWN (NY) |
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president, Farm Kind, Ltd.; born and raised on a cattle farm in Michigan and spent over half his life in agriculture including three years in the dairy industry; featured in the Tribe of Heart documentary, Peaceable Kingdom, the Journey Home, his story is one of transformation from animal farmer to vegan animal advocate; works as an advocate for sustainable independent family farms, environmental justice, social justice, and peace through non-violence |
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vegan; full-time animal advocate since 1989; founded Responsible Policies for Animals in 2002 after working for several national organizations; RPA promotes basic legal rights for all sentient beings as the route to an all-plant human diet; contributed chapters to Voices from the Garden: Stories of Becoming a Vegetarian, A Primer on Animal Rights, and The Great Ape Project; has published hundreds of articles and letters; his veganism & animal-rights song "When I Was Young" is on his music CD Songs of Now and Then (2007) |
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graduate Princeton University, Duke Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health; practices internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School faculty member; director Natural Healing Pathways, Inc., a non-profit organization providing a wholistic approach to helping people with chronic diseases through union of mind, body and spirit |
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co-founder/director of Plant Peace Daily and co-founder/past president of VegMichigan. He has a BS in Emergency Medicine and is a certified fitness instructor. JC has been leading life altering programs on health and the environment for many years and publishes one of the nation’s most popular vegan lifestyle e-newsletters, News For Life |
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culinary instructor, author, and consultant specializing in luscious modern organic vegan desserts; worked in traditional restaurants until her vegan diet and pastry work at Angelica Kitchen deepened her goal of creating reliable recipes for wholesome, delicious, contemporary vegan desserts; author, More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally; teaches vegan dessert classes, including her unique Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive®, at the Natural Gourmet Institute and Institute of Culinary Education; her celebrated Chocolate Cake to Live For was featured on the Get Fresh with Sara Snow Show and Nightline noted her Organic Vegan Twinkie; profiled in many publications and ezines, and she’s been a featured chef at conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada; works with New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods, PCRM, and Small Planet Fund, and she is a member of New York Women’s Culinary Alliance and International Association of Culinary Professionals. |
MARTY DAVEY, MS, RD (PA) |
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vegan registered dietitian; writes monthly columns for VegFamily.com and Vegan Culinary Experience.com concerning nutrition issues; dietitian for The Lodge at Woodloch, a top 10 rated destination spa; previously ran a family weight management program; creator of an audio CD, Organic Gardening, from the Ground Up; currently producing a cooking DVD |
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Public health nutritionist, clinical nutrition specialist, nutrition consultant, academic instructor, past chair, VNDPG of American dietetic Assn; best selling author, Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan, plus Dairy-free & Delicious, Defeating Diabetes and The New Becoming Vegetarian;recently conducted a government supported study in the Marshall Islands and implemented a program to prevent and reverse diabetes |
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Director, the Lifestyle Medicine Institute in Loma Linda; lectures at the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Rockford; offers over 25 years of leadership in the emerging field of Lifestyle Medicine; his pioneering efforts as an epidemiologically trained lifestyle interventionist with the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP) have shown how simple lifestyle changes can prevent, arrest, and facilitate the reversal of many of our largely lifestyle related diseases. With more than 50,000 graduates, the results of the Randomized Clinical CHIP Trial have been published in 12 peer reviewed medical journals. His book, Health Power (co-authored with Aileen Ludington), has two million copies in 16 languages in circulation. Speaker for past 2 years at the World Congress on Weight Management in Chicago. He earned his doctorate in Health Science and an MPH in Public Health Nutrition from Loma Linda University. |
ANNE DINSHAH (OH) |
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women’s rowing coach for The Ohio State University Crew Club; lifetime vegan and third generation vegetarian; author of Healthy Hearty Helpings. writes Dating Vegans: recipes for relationships, a column in the American Vegan magazine and a forthcoming book |
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founder and president of Vegetarian and Vegan Association; co-founder of the Vegetarian Nutrition Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association; director of vegetarian nutrition home-study course; author, The Most Noble Diet; has taught nutrition at the college and university level since 1980; Nutrition Director - The Coalition for Cancer Prevention through Plant-Based Eating |
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Microbiologist, and former biodecontamination consultant for Pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co Inc. Then an activist and founder of Vegetarians of Kansas City. Vegan for 18 years. Mother of two lifelong vegans. Her first book, Compassionate Souls -- Raising the Next Generation to Change the World, was a primer for raising healthy compassionate children. Her newest book, Get Off Gluten aims to help vegan's learn how getting off gluten can be beneficial, and to help gluten sensitive omnivores discover veganism for their health. |
NICOLE FORDYCE (CANADA) |
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long-time animal rights advocate, vegetarian for 23 years and vegan for 14 years; certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer, teaching total toning and cardio-kickboxing fitness classes; high school special education teacher; professional speaker on issues of inclusion & friendship facilitation for people with disabilities |
KATHY FRESTON (CA) |
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health and wellness expert and a New York Times best-selling author; her books include Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness, The One: Discovering the Secrets of Soul Mate Love, Expect a Miracle: 7 Spiritual Steps to Finding the Right Relationship, The Quantum Wellness Cleanse: A 21 Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Body, Mind and Spirit; appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ellen, The View, Good Morning America, and CBS's the Early Show; her work has been featured notably in Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Self, W, and Fitness; regular contributor to the Huffington Post, AlterNet, and The Daily Beast, and writes a monthly food column for the LA Times Magazine; promotes a body/mind/spirit approach to health and happiness that includes a concentration on healthy diet, emotional introspection, spiritual practice, and loving relationships, among other tenants; her work is focused on providing guidance for conscious and healthy living in our increasingly busy world, as well as healing techniques for cancer, addiction, depression and other wellness issues
Regrettably Kathy Freston has had to cancel her appearance. |
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graduate of Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon; licensed osteopathic physician; completed a residency program at the Arcadia Health Center, an in-patient facility specializing in the therapeutic use of water fasting; founder of the TrueNorth Health Education Center and Director of the Center's residential health education program where he has supervised the fasts of thousands of participants; member faculty of Bastyr University where he teaches the course on clinical fasting; author of The Health Promoting Cookbook which provides detailed nutritional information on how and why to adopt a health promoting diet; he is co-author of The Pleasure Trap. |
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director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture, Humane Society of the United States; graduate Cornell's College of Agriculture and Tuft's University of Medicine; internationally known speaker on public health and social justice issues; invited as expert witness in Oprah Winfrey's meat defamation trial; author Carbophobia: The Scary Truth about America's Low-Carb Craze and the landmark Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching |
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co-founder, Veganic Agriculture Network, promotes plant-based farming and gardening; co-directed A Veggie Meal, the first French Canadian documentary about vegetarianism and veganism; writer for Veganic Organic Network's magazine Growing Green International; college background in organic farming; previously a circus instructor for Cirque du Monde |
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legal director for Friends of Animals since 2002; author of Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of Terror (2006); co-author (with Priscilla Feral) of Dining With Friends: The Art of North American Vegan Cuisine (2005); wrote the entry: “Vegetarianism” for the Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice (2007); regularly publishes work in the areas of human and nonhuman rights and has taught both Immigration and Refugee Law & Policy and Animal Law; speaks frequently on the world food supply, climate change, the importance of the ecology to animal rights, and the culture of the cage |
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Executive Director of New York Coalition for Healthy School Food. Wrote NYS Legislative Resolution which requested vegan entrees each day and nutrition education that includes information on multi-cultural and vegetarian/vegan eating styles. Formerly non-profit director for environmental organizations and a tobacco-control group. Founder and president of Club Veg: Vegetarian Education Group, with chapters in the Southern Tier of NY, Philly, PA, and Long Island, NY |
CHRIS HIRSCHLER, Ph.D (NY) |
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is a college Health Education instructor with over 10-years of teaching experience; Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and has presented at numerous national conferences; author of the forthcoming book Enlightened Nourishment for the Intrepid Soul
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MELANIE JOY, PhD, EdM (MA) |
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psychologist, activist, and professor of sociology and psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, specializing in the psycho-sociology of violence and non-violence, interpersonal and organizational dynamics, and strategic social change; has been active in the animal liberation movement for over two decades; author of Strategic Action for Animals: A Handbook on Strategic Movement Building, Organizing, and Activism for Animal Liberation (2008) and the forthcoming Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism
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STEPHEN R. KAUFMAN, M.D. (OH) |
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Associate Professor, Dept. of Ophthalmology at Case School of Medicine; chair of the Christian Vegetarian Association, co-chair of the Medical Research Modernization Committee; president of Vegetarian Advocates, coauthor (with Nathan Braun) of Good News for All Creation: Vegetarianism as Christian Stewardship; author, Guided by the Faith of Christ: Seeking to Stop Violence and Scapegoating
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co-founder of the Veganic Agriculture Network, promoting plant-based farming and gardening in North America (www.goveganic.net); co-founder of the Groupe Vegetarien de Rimouski and the Groupe Vege de Quebec; leads recreational workshops for children and adults in circus skills and cooperative games
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co-owner and director of Living Light International, a family of businesses united in their commitment to sharing the benefits of an organic, sustainable, raw food lifestyle with people around the world; president, Institute for Vibrant Living, a non-profit organization dedicated to global education about raw organic vegan food and its role in vibrant living; co-owner with his wife, Cherie Soria, of four green businesses, including Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, Living Light Café, the Living Light Marketplace, and the eco friendly, Living Light Inn
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AMY LANOU, Ph.D. (NC) |
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assistant professor of health and wellness, University of North Carolina-Asheville; senior nutrition scientist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; author forthcoming: Building Bone Vitality: An Innovative Approach to Osteoporosis Prevention Without Dairy Products, Calcium Pills or Drugs
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co-founder of the nonprofit arts/educational organization Tribe of Heart, producer of the award-winning documentaries, The Witness and Peaceable Kingdom (completely new version is being audience tested); site co-host, HumaneMyth.Org
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cartoonist, writer and all-around entertainer; founding member of vegetarian pop band Green Beings; creator of "Edgy Veggies" cartoon for VegNews; author, Joy of Soy (collection of his vegetarian cartoons); illustrator and feature writer for Vegetarian Voice |
BOB LEROY, RD, MS, EDM (NY/NC) |
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NAVS Nutrition Advisor since 1990; vegan since 1976; nutritionist; writer; researcher; certified fitness instructor |
LINDA LONG (NY) |
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author/photographer "Great Chefs Cook Vegan;" has been a
committed vegan for thirty years with a lifelong relationship the food
industry; her varied career has spanned the academic, corporate and
media communities with a strong emphasis in fashion, food and nutrition
topics; her photography has Vegetarian Journal, American Vegan and
VegNews; member of the James Beard Foundation, International Association
of Culinary Professionals, Women Chefs and Restaurants and the American
Society of Media Photographers |
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executive director, Voice for a Viable Future; nationally renowned
speaker; author Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth From the Cattle Rancher Who
Won’t Eat Meat and No More Bull! The Mad Cowboy Targets America’s
Worst Enemy: Our Diets; he is the subject of the feature documentary
Mad Cowboy, an expose' of modern agriculture
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ERICA MEIER (DC) |
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executive director of Compassion Over Killing (COK), a non-profit animal advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Since 1995, COK has worked to end the abuse of animals in agriculture through undercover investigations, public outreach, litigation, and other advocacy programs; prior to working at COK, Erica spent four years as an animal control officer in D.C., rescuing sick, injured, and homeless animals as well as enforcing animal protection laws |
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vegan; hands on activist who brings high profile awareness to issues of animal cruelty including to those raised for food; she was largely responsible for the banning of dog and cat fur imports by the European Union; board member of New York Coalition for Healthy School Food; recently appeared on the hit television show “Dancing with the Stars” and donated all of her proceeds from the show to Viva! (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals), to which she is a committed Patron and activist; campaigned for over 14 years to raise funds and awareness to rid the world of landmines and is a founding Patron of the charity No More Landmines, the largest funder of landmine clearance in the world; works internationally raising funds to establish global locations to help amputees obtain new limbs; has received numerous accolades and awards for her work for humans and animals, including the Celebrity Animal Rights Activist Award and inaugural UNESCO Children in Need Award; serves as a United Nations Association Goodwill Ambassador |
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associate director of preventive medicine with Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM); co-author of PCRM's report on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines |
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motivational speaker and metaphysical life coach; author of ten books, includingThe Love-Powered Diet: Eating for Freedom, Health & Joy, and the brand new Living a Charmed Life, a sequel to her best-selling Creating Charmed Life which is published in 29 languages and quoted on boxes of Celestial Seasonings teas; appeared on Oprah twice; articles in Body & Soul, Mothering, Vegetarian Times, Woman's Day, Yoga Journal, BeliefNet.com; vegetarian since age 18, and mother of lifelong vegan actress Adair Moran
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Best selling cookbook author; books include Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and the newly released Vegan Brunch
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STEVE NAKON (IL) |
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founder of Northwest Yoga; director of the yoga
programs at the Chicago Botanic Garden where he is featured as part of
their popular Garden Chef series, teaching Food and Consciousness and
Seasonal Whole Foods cooking classes; studied Macrobiotics at the Kushi
institute; he has presented at Yoga Journal Grand Geneva Conference,
Midwest Yoga Conference, Southwest Yoga Conference, the Green Yoga
Conference and the Macrobiotic Teachers Conference; member of The
International Association of Yoga Therapists and Yoga Alliance
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culinary educator; dietitian; freelance writer who has been teaching nutrition and cooking classes since 1985; contributing editor for Natural Food Network magazine; consultant to Amy’s Kitchen frozen foods; author, The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and the forthcoming The Veggie Queen™ Cooks: Pressure Cooking “The New Fast Food™” Meals; formerly in charge of the nutrition and no-fat vegan cooking component of the McDougall Program
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JOHN PIERRE (IL) |
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vegan nutrition and fitness consultant who lectures throughout the US
sharing the principles of compassionate living to people of all ages;
best known for his innovative work helping older adults enhance
cognitive functioning, and his fun, yet effective approach to functional
fitness
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best- selling cookbook author (with Isa Chandra Moskowitz) of Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World; currently working with Isa on the follow-up, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar (due fall of '09) and her first solo cookbook, Vegan Latina (due 2010); contributes to the VegNews "Hot Urban Eats" column; lives in NYC and eats all of her vegetables
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nationally known presenter, consultant and author with work featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, e-zines, and on radio; her "Dear Dr. Kerrie" column has been featured in the national award-winning, VegNews magazine; her book, The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention, is a Publishers BestSeller, now in its 3rd printing; she provides private Functional Foods Consultations at two offices in Michigan, and remotely nationwide; she is a Certified FLT Health Care Provider, and one of four Global Diabetes Moderators for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine |
RICHARD SCHWARTZ, PhD (NY) |
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author, Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and Mathematics and Global Survival; president, Jewish Vegetarians of North America, coordinator, Society of Ethical & Religious Vegetarians; frequent speaks and contributes articles on environmental, health & other current issues; Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, College of Staten Island |
RAE SIKORA (GA) |
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Co-founder of Plant Peace Daily; Works with individuals and groups creating peaceful community that respects all Life; co-created the nations first humane education certification and Masters programs; leading programs internationally for 25 years on compassionate living, including: all forms of non-violence, ethical consumerism, advertising / media influences, communication, conflict resolution, animal rights / awareness, and environmental awareness / responsibility. |
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creator, writer and host of The Traveling Vegetarian television show that features her visits to the world's finest restaurants and meetings with great chefs and restaurant owners, all in search of the best vegetarian cuisine; her vlogs, blogs and other resources provide information on eating a plant based diet, especially while traveling; columnist for VegNews magazine about vegan travel; currently working on her first book |
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raw food revolutionary, founder and director of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute; author of several books, including Angel Foods: Healthy Recipes for Heavenly Bodies, and the recently released, Raw Food Revolution Diet: Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger! with coauthors Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina; she has been teaching gourmet raw vegan cuisine to individuals, chefs, and instructors for over 16 years and vegetarian culinary arts for more than 35 years and personally trained many of the world’s top raw food chefs and instructors; often referred to as the mother of gourmet raw vegan cuisine; she and her husband, Dan Ladermann, own four green businesses including Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, Living Light Café, the Living Light Marketplace and the eco friendly, Living Light Inn |
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has been involved with vegetarian and vegan-related issues for over four decades; author and co-author of sixteen books on compassionate living and vegan cuisine; contributing author to many other books, pamphlets, national publications, and magazines; senior book editor, Book Publishing Co.; international business dispute resolution specialist; award-winning column, Ask Jo! appears on her web site Grassroots Veganism |
MICHAEL STEPANIAK, BA (PA) |
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a program coordinator for the Pennsylvania Resources Council, one of the state's oldest grassroots environmental organizations; administrator of the Southwestern PA Household Hazardous Waste Task Force, which has collected and responsibly disposed of over one million pounds of toxic products and minimizes their generation through education |
ZIA TERHUNE (FL) |
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full-time animal advocate; founder of Veg4Life Potlucks in Gainesville FL, a vegan group that has been thriving since 2005; under her guidance, she and dedicated volunteers at Veg4Life have been distributing free food at events since 2007; has helped over 50 local rescue organizations, sanctuaries and AR groups form an umbrella coalition. |
DAVE WHEITNER, MSPPM, MA (PA) |
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author, music composer, and strategic life consultant for overachievers, intelligent eccentrics, and socially/ecologically conscious people; author, Naked Idealism, a self-empowerment guide for socially conscious people, and a forthcoming vegan cookbook; host of vegan waffle recipe site waffleparty.com and co-host of America's longest-running waffle party |
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