Dr. Akil Taher is the author of OPEN HEART a book that chronicles his transformational journey. Dr. Taher had angioplasty at 56, open heart surgery at 61, and ran his first half marathon less than a year later. He then proceeded to run the Chicago, Boston, and Mumbai marathons, and also climbed mountains. He transformed from a middle-aged couch potato with a dangerously bad diet into a vital, energetic athlete, ever seeking new challenges and adventures. His whole food plant-based diet played a major part in his transformation.

Guy Vaknin is a renowned chef famous for his innovative plant-based creations. After serving in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), Vaknin moved to New York in 2005 to study computer engineering. But he quickly realized that his calling was in the food industry. Chef Vaknin then enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education. Upon graduating in 2007, he became the Executive Chef at Esprit Events, an established kosher catering company in Manhattan. In this role, he met his future wife and co-founder Tali. Together, they developed their signature vegan sushi and the Beyond Sushi brand was born. He is the founder and owner of City Roots Hospitality, New York City’s leading vegan restaurant group, which includes Beyond Sushi, Willow, and his latest vegan restaurant, Coletta.

beyondsushi.com
willownewyork.com
colettanyc.com
cityrootsnyc.com

Rachel McCrystal is the Executive Director at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. She has been at the Sanctuary for seven years. Rachel has volunteered for and worked at various animal rights, conservation, and sheltering organizations over the last 15 years with a focus on development, marketing, campaigns, and strategic planning. She’s been widely published with stories on animal rights and liberation.

Sarah Strickland is currently a junior in high school and the Lead Outreach Raven at the Raven Corps, a youth-led activist organization. Raven Corps current goal is to get big dairy out of schools and increase plant-based milk access in the over 100,000 schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program.

The Raven Corps is a youth-centered movement of activists devoted to building a just and sustainable future for ALL animals and our natural world. We take action through a consistent anti-oppression lens and trust that we can achieve liberation for ALL if we join forces and strike at the roots of oppression.

Jamie Logan is a NYC-based filmmaker, podcast host, and animal advocate who uses humor, health and fitness, public speaking, and social media to inspire others and cultivate change.

Stefanie Ignoffo is a plant interventionist, CEO & Founder of Plantspiration NFP Inc., and Food For Life Instructor with the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine and has completed the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Coaching program. She advocates and promotes Lifestyle Medicine by educating, motivating, and inspiring people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle in order to prevent and reverse chronic diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, autoimmune disorders, obesity, and chronic illnesses.

Kartikeya Talreja is a Los Angeles based certified Ayurvedic Nutritionist, Digestive Health and Lifestyle Coach. Ayurveda is one of the oldest health systems in the world which originated in India more than 5000 years ago. Ayurveda believes that most diseases originate with imbalances in the digestive system. Kartikeya guides his clients who are suffering from digestive issues by educating them to eat a healthy whole food plant-based diet, spices, herbs, and to adopt a healthy lifestyle using the principles of Ayurveda.