2026 SPEAKERS
Robert Cheeke
He/Him
Author, The Impactful Vegan
Talk: Building Your Body on a Plant-Based Diet and Becoming an Impactful Vegan
Time: TBD
Robert grew up on a farm in Corvallis, Oregon where he adopted a vegan lifestyle in 1995 at age 15, weighing just 120 pounds. Today he is the author of the books, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, Shred It!, Plant-Based Muscle, the New York Times bestseller, The Plant-Based Athlete, and his latest, The Impactful Vegan, released in 2024. He is often referred to as the “Godfather of Vegan Bodybuilding,” growing the industry from infancy in 2002, to where it is today. As a natural bodybuilding champion, Robert is considered one of VegNews magazine’s Most Influential Vegan Athletes. He tours around the world sharing his story of transformation from a skinny farm kid to champion vegan bodybuilder. Robert is the founder of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, is a former multi-sport athlete, and has followed a plant-based diet for more than 30 years. Robert is a book writing consultant and ghostwriter, and he lives in his hometown of Corvallis, Oregon.
Learn how to eat to fuel your athletic interests, how to lose weight, gain muscle, lower stress and prevent injuries. Champion vegan bodybuilder and New York Times bestselling author Robert Cheeke shares the most important lessons to be learned in the process of building a better, healthier body with plants.
DNA
He/Him
Comedian
Time: TBD
DNA has appeared on NPR’s Snap Judgement, been Timothy Leary’s chauffeur, and has had a hit song on the radio in Northern California. DNA’s first time onstage was winning a Showtime College Comedy Laff-Off at Chico State. He then took 20 years off to create thousands of free community events and festivals. DNA‘s namesake, and Great Uncle, booked the comedy at The Anderson Hotel in the Borscht Belt. Comedy is in his genes. DNA just recorded his first comedy album, called Dark Horse, for Punchline Records.
Madeline Krasno
She/Her
Founder, Justify
Talk: From Complicity to Courage: Empowering Animal Lab Workers to Share Their Stories
Time: 2:30pm
Madeline Krasno, a former primate lab worker turned passionate advocate, shares her powerful journey from the lab to leading a movement for transparency and compassion in science. Featured in The Washington Post for her groundbreaking free speech lawsuits against the University of Wisconsin-Madison (appeal pending) and the National Institutes of Health (appeal won), Madeline sheds light on the ethical challenges of animal research and how her advocacy triggered censorship. As the Executive Director of Justify, a pioneering nonprofit, she champions a vision of advancing science without human or animal suffering by creating a safe space for current and former lab workers to share their stories and drive meaningful change. Madeline holds a master’s degree in Humane Education from Valparaiso University and bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Child Development from UW-Madison.
lauren Ornelas
She/Her
Founder, Food Empowerment Project
Talk: Food IS Power
Time: 3:30pm
lauren Ornelas is a long time animal rights activist since 1987 and is the founder and Senior Programs Director of Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a vegan food justice nonprofit that promotes veganism, champions for the rights of farm workers, highlights the lack of access to healthy foods in Black and Brown communities, and raise awareness about the worst forms of slavery, including child labor, in the chocolate industry. Watch lauren’s TEDx talk on The Power of Our Food Choices on YouTube.
Learn more about F.E.P.’s work at foodispower.org.
Sid Garza-Hillman
He/Him
Vegan Author
Talk: Raising Healthy AND Happy Vegan Children
Time: 4:30pm
Sid Garza-Hillman is the author of four books: Ultrarunning for Normal People: Life Lessons Learned On and Off the Trail, Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto, Raising Healthy Parents: Small Steps, Less Stress, and a Thriving Family and Six Truths: Live by these truths and be happy. Don’t and you won’t. He holds a BA in Philosophy from UCLA, is a public speaker, podcaster (What Sid Thinks Podcast), certified nutritionist & running coach, Oxygen Advantage breathing instructor, and founder of smallsteppers.com. He is the Stanford Inn & Resort’s Wellness Programs Director and Race Director of the Mendocino Coast 50K trail ultramarathon.
Yvette Baker
She/Her
Director of Activism, Apex Advocacy
Talk: Breaking the Cage: Intersectional Animal Activism for Collective Liberation
Time: 1:30pm
Yvette Baker is a Los Angeles-based writer, social critic, and total liberation activist. Her work and activism have been devoted to exposing and critically analyzing the intersections of human and beyond-human oppression through an Afro-Indigenous lens, aiming to empower the vegan movement as a movement for total liberation.
She has been a lifelong social justice advocate, with her efforts crossing into the animal rights movement at a young age. She has worked with various animal rights organizations as an educator and grassroots organizer, highlighting the need to understand systemic oppression and the principle of collective liberation as one of the most effective tools to build bridges between movements and work together toward common goals.
Javier Zamora
He/Him
Founder, JSM Organics
Talk: Farmworker Ethics
Time: 12:30pm
Javier Zamora had a dream to own land, farm organically, support his family, and provide sustainable food for his community. With an incredible hard working team, Javier created JSM Organics and has been growing Real Organic food since 2012. Known for their incredible berries, they grow a variety of vegetables and flowers that have become farmers market favorites and sought after finds in many indepent grocers in and around the Bay Area.
Srila Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaj
He/Him
Talk: Ahimsa (Non-Violence)
Time: 11:30am
Srila Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaj comes from an exalted lineage of Vedic scholars and is a respected spiritual teacher and long-time practitioner of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of the heart, rooted in ancient Indian wisdom. With over five decades of experience sharing Vedic teachings across Europe, Asia, and North and South America, he brings a wealth of insight into the transformative application of powerful concepts such as ahimsa (non-violence) with the dedication of Bhakti Yoga into improving our personal lives and communities. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Janardan Maharaj will offer a heartfelt bilingual discussion on how timeless principles of Bhakti and compassion can uplift and guide modern life. He currently serves as the Acharya (leader) of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram in Soquel, California, and continues to inspire spiritual seekers across generations and cultures.
Preethi Srinivas
She/Her
Founder, Befriend Cows
Talk: The missing lesson: Why befriending rescued animals matters for every child
Time: 11:00am
Preethi is the founder and CEO of Befriend Cows, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that is on a mission to inspire families to be more outdoors and build respectful and loving human-animal relationships. As a sought-after keynote, TEDx speaker and author, Preethi passionately weaves her commitment to animal welfare into captivating storytelling, inspiring audiences through dynamic talks on compassionate leadership and well-being. Her books serve as vital fundraising tools that directly support sanctuary operations worldwide via micro grants that Befriend Cows offers. Recognizing the power of experiential learning, Preethi also designs and leads immersive experiences like workshops, enriching field trips, and hands-on volunteering opportunities that create profound connections between individuals and sanctuary residents.