Recap of The Vegan Women Summit 2024

Highlights from Vegan Women Summit 2024: A Celebration of Innovation, Unity, and the Power of Women

Last weekend, we wrapped VWS Hollywood 2024, and my head is still buzzing from the experience. What an incredible community we've built together. As I heard time and time again from our attendees, this year's summit was more than just a conference; it was a vibrant celebration of the innovative spirit that drives the vegan movement forward.


Held over two packed days, VWS brought together nearly 1,000 guests, including industry leaders, innovative brands, and passionate advocates, all united by a common vision.


Here are some of my favorite highlights from across the two days.

I’m Vegan And I Know It

One of the most unforgettable moments of the summit was when DJ Redfoo of LMFAO transformed his hit "I'm Sexy and I Know It" into a vegan anthem, "I'm Vegan and I Know It." Our team threw shirts emblazoned with this logo into the excited crowd, and everyone enjoyed zero-proof shots of Ritual.

Star-Studded Red Carpet

Our vegan community Showed. Up. on the red carpet, and you all looked incredible! We had about 350 attendees for our VIP reception, who dined on vegan sushi appetizers from MA KIN, Climax Foods cheese, crepes from Crêpe du Jardin, divine chocolate gâteau from 2foods, and enjoyed vegan mocktails from TÖST and a VWS-themed mango lassi mocktail courtesy of Cha’s Organics.

A Call For Unity Within Our Community

Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, delivered a keynote that resonated deeply with me and many others at the summit. He spoke about the urgent need for unity within the plant-based industry, emphasizing that "We have a battle on our hands, and we can’t fight amongst each other; we have to come together."


His message is one I echo every day: the importance of collaboration over competition. We must stop the infighting and combat the merchants of doubt who spread fear and misinformation about our movement. We must break down these barriers and showcasing the strength that comes from unity. This feeling is just one of the many reasons why I love coming together at the Vegan Women Summit each year – this is a movement we are building together, and it shows in the love, passion, and effort I could see in every attendee.

VWS Awards: Celebrating Excellence in Veganism

This year, we were proud to recognize these individuals and organizations that exemplify the ethos of VWS:


  • Creator of the Year: Erin Ireland
  • Ally of the Year: Ash Kalra
  • Woman of the Year: Heather Mills
  • Nonprofit of the Year: Plant Futures
  • Best Place to Work: Impossible Foods
  • Company of the Year: MIKUNA
  • Innovation of the Year: Upside Foods

A Global Culinary Showcase

The summit was a feast for the senses, especially for food lovers. Chef Adjoa Courtney won the Top Chef competition with her veganized soul food, a beautiful representation of how we can honor tradition and innovation simultaneously.


Chef Rebecca Yang and Chef Ratbek Sadvakasov also showcased their culinary talents with traditional dishes from Taiwan and Kazakhstan, respectively. This culinary experience highlighted the diversity and creativity of vegan cuisine, reinforcing that veganism is a global, inclusive movement.

The Future of Food

This year's summit placed a strong emphasis on all facets of the vegan lifestyle, with no shortage of exciting vegan food to try.


Summit attendees had the opportunity to try meals and bites by Impossible foods, 2Foods, Meati, Nature's Fynd, Nelly's Organics, Mellody, Violife, GoodSAM, Beyond Meat, VBites, TiNDLE, Blue Zones Kitchen, Cha's Organics, NotCo, Oatly, Autumn Sons, Never Better Foods, Pura Vita, Mr. Charlie's, and Mauna Loa. Beverages like Topo Chico, Alani Nu, Prime, Good + Bar, and Open Water helped us wash it all down. In addition to all of our incredible vendors and Pathfinder booths, we surprised everyone with a tasting of Climax Foods' cheese, fresh from making headlines on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Future of Fashion

Our Fashion marketplace was an absolute hit, and I especially loved how Voes & Co white boots could be seen adorning the feet of many speakers and attendees around the Pacific Design Center. We also got the opportunity to shop incredible brands like Don't Eat The Homies, No. 49, Jeane & Jax, KINDOM, and more.

The Future of Beauty

I loved seeing the hundreds of guests, men and women alike, enjoying their brow makeovers at the Chella booth, while we also got to officially launch our VWS Pathfinder palette in collaboration with Chella. Attendees were able to test out and shop exciting and innovative beauty brands like Pacifica, Skincare Junkie, Saje, Nutrilixir, LA Sol, Juice Beauty, ATA Cosmetics, and others in the Clean Beauty Founder Collective brands.

The Future of Technology

 In addition to our incredibly popular Pathfinder booths, featuring Liven Proteins vegan collagen broth, Mooji Meats' incredibly realistic steaks, as well as Niramaya Foods and Prophecy Foods gut-friendly and innovative dips and spreads.


Our first-ever Pitch Slam highlighted the innovative spirit of the vegan business community, with judges Rachel Stinebaugh, Ryan Bethencourt, and Heather Courtney ready to invest. Pitches by Mehek Khera of Niramaya Foods, Luiza Villela of Unclassic Foods,  Davina Kaonohi of Element Apothec, and Erin Riley of Cabbage Hill blew the judges away, before they eventually named Deborah Gorman and SorBabes' pitch the winner! This event showcased how technology can accelerate the growth of vegan businesses and ideas.

Looking Ahead

As we wrap up this year's summit, I am energized by the passion and commitment of our community. The discussions, tastings, and presentations have not only entertained but also inspired us to keep pushing for change.

We thank all our speakers, brands, vendors, and attendees for making the Vegan Women Summit 2024 a memorable event. Here’s to another year of empowering women to build a kinder, more sustainable world!


-Jenny Stojkovic

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