NLE Choppa Vegan Snack Bars

©Eat Virgin

Meet Eat Virgin: An Optimum Wellness Bar Backed by Platinum Vegan Rapper NLE Choppa

While the snack market offers plenty of plant-based bars for a protein or sugar fix, there are few options for a bar made entirely from whole-food ingredients with minimal processing. Eat Virgin Meal Bars, launched by founders LA Rice, Natasha Pestano Rice and platinum-selling rapper NLE Choppa, was created to provide more than a snack – its bars are meant to be enjoyed as full, nutritious meals without compromising on taste or time.  According to its founders, Eat Virgin makes it easy to consume a nourishing, plant-based meal made with organic, raw ingredients. Its bars contain over 17 vitamins and minerals, and are available in three flavors:  Cherry x Chocolate – A grain-free mix of tart cherries and chocolate, plus dates, quinoa, hemp seeds, goji …

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Vegan Fast Food on Table

©Hart House

Kevin Hart to Open “Hart House” Drive Thru in LA, While Slutty Vegan Prepares to Launch First Texas Location

This month, two of the biggest-trending names in fast food – Kevin Hart’s Hart House and Pinky Cole’s Slutty Vegan –  are expanding their brands with breakthrough launches in California and Texas.  In Los Angeles, superstar actor and comedian Kevin Hart is preparing to open two new locations of Hart House – an all-vegan concept he launched in 2022. Opening May 23, the first of these (and third overall) is located on the famed Sunset Boulevard, where it reportedly replaces a former McDonald’s and will feature the brand’s first-ever drive-thru.  Inside, Hart House Hollywood offers a 2,130 sq ft space with 24 interior seats and 16 outdoor seats. The menu, originally created with a former Burger King chef, will feature Hart House’s curated plant-based sandwiches …

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Neat Burger Nolita

Credit: Vito Oliva, image supplied

Lewis Hamilton’s Neat Burger Opens First US Location in New York City

Neat Burger, the plant-based burger chain by F-1 champion Lewis Hamilton, has opened its first permanent US restaurant. Located in NYC, the opening is part of the chain’s plans to open 30 additional outlets around the globe in the coming years, following the success of its eight UK locations. Situated in the Nolita neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, the first US-based Neat Burger offers a menu of plant-based burgers, chick’n sandwiches, hot dogs, tater tots, fries and milkshakes. For the grand opening, Neat Burger offered free burgers to the first 100 guests, and reports it received a huge response, with hundreds of guests lining up to celebrate the occasion.  The Nolita restaurant follows Neat Burger’s six-month temporary pop-up location in UrbanSpace on Park Avenue. The company’s …

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Vegan Women Summit 2022

©VWS

Vegan Women Summit 2023 Returning to NYC with 100 Speakers, Brands and Mayor Eric Adams

The Vegan Women Summit (VWS) announces its return to New York City on May 18, 2023 for an all-new, 3 day experience. The annual summit, which is open to all genders, will feature its largest-yet gathering with over 100 speakers and brand activations from across the worlds of food, fashion and beauty, along with networking and professional development experiences. This year, the summit is being welcomed by NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who will host an exclusive VIP reception at the Mayor’s Mansion.  Co-hosted by founder Jennifer Stojkovic and Conference Chair Miyoko Schinner, the Summit will be held at iconic event space 99 Scott in Brooklyn. After selling out in 2022, VWS says this year’s gathering is expanding to offer even more speakers, panelists and events, …

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Pamela Anderson

Photo credit: Corus Studios (CNW Group/Corus Entertainment Inc.)

Pamela Anderson to Host New Plant-Based Cooking Show on Food Network Canada

Pop culture icon and animal advocate Pamela Anderson has signed on to host a new cooking show, tentatively titled Pamela’s Cooking with Love, on Food Network Canada later this year. Commissioned as an eight-part television series, each hour-long episode will take viewers into Anderson’s kitchen on Vancouver Island as she explores cooking plant-based meals for family and friends. Acting as a sous chef and host, Anderson will accompany chefs as they prepare dishes for afternoon cocktail garden parties, intimate family dinners, and campfire gatherings.  The show is set to begin filming in Summer 2023, with a premiere scheduled for 2024.  Supporting vegan businesses  ‘Cooking with Love’ closely follows the recent release of Anderson’s memoir and a Netflix documentary centered around her high-profile life. Over the decades, …

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VWS 2023

©Vegan Women Summit

Vegan Women Summit Reveals First Winners of 2023 Speaker Competition

The Vegan Women Summit (VWS) announces the first set of women chosen by popular vote to speak at the 2023 Summit. With 22,000 votes cast across six continents, VWS says this year marks the event’s first-ever public choice speaker competition.  This year’s winning panels and speakers include Kate Dugan, Vice President of Brand Innovation at Beyond Meat, and Chef Babette Davis, with more selections to be announced.  The Vegan Women Summit 2023, which is open to attendees of all genders, will take place on May 18, 19, and 20th in New York City. The summit feature over 100 speakers and 50 brands in food, fashion, beauty, and sustainability.  Diverse topics According to VWS, this year’s winning public choice speakers represent a wide range of fields, …

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Target Tabitha Brown

©Target

Target Launching New Tabitha Brown Food Collection Featuring 40 Vegan Products

US retail chain Target announces it is partnering with superstar influencer Tabitha Brown to launch the Tabitha Brown for Target Vegan Food and Kitchen Collection. The limited-time collection features nearly 100 items covering grocery, tableware, linens, food storage and cookware. Debuting January 8th, Brown’s vegan grocery range includes 40 different selections of plant-based meats, spreads, pasta, snacks and more. The extensive collection includes: BBQ Seasoned Patties Garlic Plant-Based Patties Plant-Based Sausage with Mushrooms Sausage w/ Jalapeño & Cilantro Sausage w/ Mango, Basil & Cilantro  Strawberry Cream Cheese Caramelized Onion Cream Cheese  Garlic Cream Cheese Cilantro Lime Aioli  Spicy Cilantro Garlic Spread Truffle Garlic Spread Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Organic Popcorn  Vegan Potato Salad Garlic Pasta Salad Vegan Pizza Ravioli  Polenta & Wild Mushroom Ravioli Vegan …

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a drawing of uk's pm rishi sunak for genv million dollar campaign 2023

© GenV

GenV Offers UK PM Rishi Sunak £1M to Go Vegan for One Month

The international vegan charity Generation Vegan (GenV), which rebranded from its former name of Million Dollar Vegan last August, recently launched its latest campaign offering UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak £1 million to go vegan for one month “for the sake of animals, the planet, wild places, our planet, our health, our farmers, and our future.” In a letter sent to Downing Street on Wednesday, Naomi Hallum, chief executive of Vegan Generation, wrote: “We would like to donate £1m to a charity of your choice in return for adopting a plant-based diet for a month.” London Billboards, full-page newspaper ads Billboards at Westminster Underground Station and full-page adverts in four major UK newspapers are featuring ads through the first ten days of the new year, …

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TBH Cocoa Hazelnut Spread

©tbh

‘Stranger Things’ Actor Noah Schnapp Launches Capital Raise for TBH Vegan Hazelnut Spread

tbh, the company reinventing Nutella hazelnut spreads with better-for-you ingredients, announces the launch of its first capital raise on fintech platform Republic. Beginning Nov. 21st, individuals can invest as little as $50 to help tbh expand its retail footprint and grow its existing product line.  Co-founded by actor, influencer, and entrepreneur Noah Schnapp, alongside co-founders Elena Guberman and Ba Minuzzi, tbh offers a healthier, more eco-conscious version of the popular Nutella spread. Unlike its competitor, tbh’s hazelnut cocoa spread uses less sugar, contains more protein, and avoids the use of palm oil. By raising capital on Republic, a platform that allows everyone to invest in private market equity, debt or crypto offerings, tbh seeks to educate and empower a new generation to become shareholders in …

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planted.kebab_Oliver_Polak

© Planted Foods AG

Stand-Up Comic Oliver Polak Gets Naked in Planted’s Berlin Campaign

Food tech startup Planted wants to surprise people in Kreuzberg with a “billboard of a different kind”. Comedian Oliver Polak took off all his clothes to pose in front of the billboard at lunchtime as a living advertising message for Planted’s first plant-based kebab without additives. While the classic order is “one kebab with everything”, it is now “one kebab with nothing”. And just like the planted.kebab without additives, Oliver Polak also came “without everything”. The mission of the Swiss company, which raised £61 million in Series B last month in one of the largest alt-protein rounds in Europe, is to be better than animal meat, in terms of taste, sustainability, health and price. Planted wants to revolutionise the way meat is perceived and consumed …

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LOCI Red Sneakers

©LØCI

LØCI Raises £4M From Leonardo DiCaprio and More for Ocean Plastic Sneakers

British sneaker brand LØCI announces it has raised a £4 million seed round from high-profile investors including actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio. According to the fashion label, the investment from DiCaprio will help amplify its mission of making sustainable fashion more accessible and affordable.  Founded in April 2021, LØCI (pronounced “low-key”) produces vegan, biodegradable shoes that are crafted from certified recycled ocean plastic. Upon its launch, the brand achieved seven figures in sales in its first year, and has since expanded into 26 global markets, partnering with top retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.  LØCI counts Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Olivia Wilde and Eva Longoria among its celebrity fans, which has helped propel the 15-month-old brand to global fame and popularity. LØCI says …

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Pete Speranza, Sarno brothers

© Wicked Kitchen/Good Catch

Wicked Kitchen Raises $20M From Investors Including Woody Harrelson

Wicked Kitchen announces today that it has raised $20 million from investors including actor Woody Harrelson, and reports that it has more than tripled its YOY sales growth.   Today’s news comes three weeks after the announcement that Wicked, established by Derek and Chad Sarno, has acquired plant-based seafood company Good Catch — also founded by the Sarno brothers — expanding the company’s multi-category range to include the Good Catch portfolio of frozen and ambient vegan seafood products. New investors include Ahimsa VC of India, NRPT of Thailand (where Wicked is set to introduce 17 products), as well as actor Woody Harrelson. Harrelson, a vegan advocate, invested in Good Catch back in 2020, and also participated in a Series A round for Orange County vegan …

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Chris & Sebastiano, ForGood

Chris Smalling & Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni

List of High Profile ‘Changemakers’ Join Chris Smalling’s ForGood Fund

Earlier this year, athlete and investor Chris Smalling, in partnership with Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni and Rebecca Wheeler, launched global investment firm ForGood, with the purpose of investing in companies that address the world’s largest environmental challenges and help end animal suffering.  In a recent announcement, the investment consultancy revealed the names of four new high-profile ‘changemakers’ joining the ForGood community: Helen Skelton, an English television presenter and actress; Barcelona footballer Héctor Bellerín; Australian Snooker Star Neil Robertson; and English-Moroccan Musician Zak Abel. According to ForGood, anyone that invests in planet-friendly ideas, products, and services becomes a ‘changemaker’, hence the concept behind the changemakers community.  ForGood connects athletes, musicians, entertainers, and personalities with early-stage businesses focused on tackling social, environmental, and animal welfare issues, making investing …

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Bond Pet Food Founders

Tony Day, CTO, Rich Kelleman, CEO, and Pernilla Audibert, CSO©Bond Pet Food

Bond Pet Foods Raises $17.5M in Series A From Sia and Top Investors to Scale Fermented Meat Proteins

Bond Pet Foods, a biotech startup using fermentation to create meat proteins for pet food, announces it has completed its Series A fundraising round totaling $17.5M. The startup has also broken ground on a new 15,000 sq. ft. production facility in Boulder, CO.  The oversubscribed round included top global agribusiness companies ADM Ventures (Archer Daniels Midland Company) and Cavallo Ventures (Wilbur Ellis), as well as institutional funds Genoa Ventures and Lever VC; and food/tech and sustainability investors Thia Ventures and iSelect Fund, among others. Musical icons Sia Isabelle Furler and Joan Jett also participated in the round. A key trend   The startup plans to use the new funding to expand its portfolio of meat proteins and begin scaling production at a new 15,000 sq. ft. …

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Manna restaurant

© Manna

London Vegan Restaurant Manna to Host Celebrity Fundraising Dinner for Dog Charities

On Thursday evening, September 29th, UK dog charities All Dogs Matter and Pup Aid will be hosting a fundraising dinner at Manna, a London-based vegan restaurant in Primrose Hill. The event will feature a four-course “Taste of Manna” meal and will be attended by actor Peter Egan and media vet Marc Abraham OBE. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, take part in a raffle and win prizes for both themselves and their dogs. There will also be an auction featuring a signed hoodie by comedian Ricky Gervais, a signed book written by Marc Abraham, a personal tour of the Denbies wines estate and their vegan wines, and a family trip and personal tour of Earthling Ed‘s Surge Sanctuary. All profits from the raffle …

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