The Vegan Women Summit (VWS) is returning for its 4th year, scheduled for May 9 and 10, 2024, at the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood. The summit is a global event that brings together women leaders in vegan business, featuring speakers, panels, and networking opportunities with potential partners, mentors, and investors.
“VWS has cemented itself as the industry’s premier event for the future of sustainable innovation”
VWS has released an impressive roster of celebrity speakers for this year’s event, which includes actress Richa Moorjani, philanthropist Maggie Baird (mother of musician Billie Eilish), model and reality TV star Jayde Nicole and Heather Mills, a Paralympian and the owner of VBites. Mills is poised to share the inspiring journey of VBites, which she recently reacquired after the company entered administration at the end of last year. Joanne Molinaro, The Korean Vegan, and media personality Sharon Carpenter will also speak at the event.
This year’s VWS, spearheaded by Jennifer Stojkovic, author of “The Future of Food Is Female,” includes a red carpet event, an awards show celebrating influential leaders, and over 100 speakers across various industries such as food, fashion, and beauty. The summit already has an impressive list of over 44 sponsors, including major plant-based meat brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, along with Meati, TiNDLE, 2foods, and Violife.
Last year’s sold-out summit was hosted in New York City, with plant-based mayor Eric Adams opening the event. For the first time, VWS held a public choice speaker competition ahead of the summit, with Kate Dugan, Vice President of Brand Innovation at Beyond Meat, and Chef Babette Davis being chosen to speak at the event, among others.
Stojkovic comments, “At last year’s sold-out summit in New York, welcomed by NYC Mayor Adams, we launched several firsts — including a televised tasting debut of lab-grown meat and a live global Top Chef Competition— and conducted over 300 press interviews on-site, including segments on Good Morning America and MSNBC.
“VWS has cemented itself as the industry’s premier event for the future of sustainable innovation, and we have even more surprises planned across multiple industries, from beauty to food, fashion, and more.”
Celebrating female achievements
The VWS Awards, a significant part of the summit, will recognize nine companies, nonprofits, and individuals for their contribution to empowering women and impacting the planet and animal welfare positively. Notable finalists this year include Heather Mills, Kitty Block of the Humane Society of the United States, and Sylwia Spurek, a Member of the European Parliament.
“As we celebrate the achievements of women, VWS has historically always been a space to cultivate new connections and spark new opportunities[…] We couldn’t be more excited to bring VWS back to our home roots in Hollywood to prove that the future of plant-based is alive and well,” concludes Stojkovic.
