Elliot became vegetarian in 1990 after doing a high school research project on organic food. He and his husband Tim became vegan in 2000 after Tim took a nutrition course during medical school offered by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a US organization that advocates for the health benefits of plant-based diets and promotes the use of non-animal models during medical school training. They started sending newsletters to the house which Elliot read from cover to cover, ultimately declaring one day “that’s it, we’re becoming vegan!”

Elliot was the owner of Cosmic Treats Vegan Restaurant and Dessert Bar in Kensington Market and supported the TVA by being a business member, as well as hosting and participating in many of their markets and events. He has also been a long-time personal member in the TVA, even submitting an entry in their very first Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off.

Elliot is a registered physiotherapist who has focused on working with people who are homeless, the urban poor and other marginalized populations. He also has a special interest in people with overweight and obesity which was the focus of his research during his graduate degree. He has also volunteered for many years in organizations that address drug policy reform.

In his spare time he loves to bake, eat cake, and seek out the latest vegan treats in different cities and countries. Elliot also enjoys reading science fiction and loves to stay active by hiking and rollerblading along the Martin Goodman Trail.

Ana de Castro first discovered the TVA in 2013 to seek out others sharing her commitment to do no harm to animals. As with many at that time, the term vegan was still foreign to her. It was joining the TVA at that time that helped her understand the distinction and supported her to complete her transition to a complete vegan life.

Ana jumped immediately into volunteering. Her first experience was at the Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off which she thoroughly enjoyed. This event wasn’t enough for Ana. She took on so much more including accepting a regular position at the Resource Centre and assisting in hosting the TVA Podcast.

Inside and out of the TVA, Ana’s passion has been in providing exceptional customer service. In her professional life, she gravitated to front line work in the municipal government and has most recently settled in at the Public Library fulfilling her commitment and passion to helping others. She also enjoys walking, good music and dancing.

Ana hopes to continue to support the TVA mission by volunteering on the Board of Directors in supporting our mission to help other chose a healthier, greener, more compassionate lifestyle.

I became vegan in mid-2014 after watching the movie Blackfish, a documentary about orca whales in captivity. After seeing the film, I was haunted by the suffering these animals endure simply for our entertainment. I couldn’t help but connect this to the much larger scale suffering we impose on so-called “farm animals” simply for our taste buds. After dwelling on this, it became clear veganism was the only path for me.

Since then, I have learned a great deal about the environmental and health implications of our dietary choices and have transitioned to eating mainly a whole-food plant-based diet to maximize my own personal health, while still remaining steadfast in the original ethical origins of my decision to go vegan. I am passionate about saving animals and have volunteered with a number of non-profit organizations including the Toronto Vegetarian Association, Challenge 22, Mercy For Animals and the Toronto
Vegetarian Food Bank.

Professionally, I am a Partner in an investment firm. My area of expertise is investment analysis which is supported by knowledge across numerous areas including finance, strategy, accounting, tax and law. I am a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with an Honours Business Administration degree from the Ivey School of Business.

With respect to my other interests, I love hiking and cooking and I am a long-time avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan. I am also inspired by the zero waste movement and am on an ongoing journey to reduce my environmental footprint. I live in downtown Toronto with my common-law partner, Steve, and our dog, Kali.

I have been a member of TVA’s Board of Directors for more than 10 years and was President for a five-year term. As a Board member I have spent time on the Nominating & Governance, Programs Review, and Strategic Planning Committees. I have volunteered for the Veg Food Fest for about 20 years and have been actively involved in various outreach events for TVA. I have also been a coordinator for Veggies of Halton & Peel (a TVA social group) although I now reside in Toronto.

I have previous board experience with non-profit arts organizations. In the workplace, I’m a Vice-President at a national company involved in the distribution and servicing of industrial fire, safety, industrial hygiene and occupational health equipment. My responsibilities include management of quality systems, the facilitation of project teams and a variety of strategic initiatives including the implementation of new technology systems. My speciality is supply chain management.

My journey to becoming a vegetarian started more than 35 years ago and almost 20 years ago I adopted a vegan diet. An early inspiration was from an environmental/political perspective, then health, and I finally awoke to the ethical perspective, assisted significantly by presentations at the TVA Veg Food Fest that highlighted the importance of compassion for animals. TVA programs have had a significant positive impact in my life, so it is an honour to be able to give back and help support the organization.

The challenges of 2020 have applied stress to our organization and have further highlighted the importance of some of the strategic concepts we have started to implement. I look forward to continuing work on defining and implementing that strategy and helping build on the effectiveness and impact of our programs and the message we deliver.

Nital has been volunteering with the TVA for twenty-five years and has become increasingly active within the organization.  He served on the Program Review Committee, from 2015-18, after which he joined the Board of Directors (this past year he served as Vice President before serving as acting President in October).  

Twenty-five years ago, Nital’s father, a plant-based physician, introduced him to medical research and clinical practice that convincingly demonstrated the power of whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyles and opened Nital’s eyes to veganism beyond ethics.  He has since been active in researching and raising awareness about how plant-based living can be a swiss-army knife solution to many of today’s challenges. 

After working in strategic policy at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for several years, Nital became interested in evaluating what would happen in Canada if everyone transitioned towards a plant-based diet.  Over a decade later, he has recently founded Plant-Based Economics (www.plantbasedeconomics.com), a NGO focused on evaluating plant-based nutrition economics and policy. He also joined the Plant-Based Data team (www.plantbaseddata.org), in June, as a nutrition economic researcher, alongside Dr. Tushar Mehta and environmental researcher Nicholas Carter. Plant-Based Data is a one-stop shop for anyone looking for academic research on all-things plant-based.

Nital is passionate about plant-based food strategy , especially in Toronto. As the city increasingly focuses on climate change commitments (following last year’s C40 Copenhagen Summit), he sees greater opportunities for plant-based collaboration and impact in the city. This vision has been underscored by his time with the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank (www.tvfb.ca), where he now sits on the Board of Directors.

Nital was raised vegetarian and became increasingly vegan as a teenager before making the full transition six years ago.  He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master’s of Science (international economics) from Queen’s University. He enjoys yoga, reading, basketball, chess and spending time with his family.  

Having participated in green initiatives at a young age in Europe, with environment protection and endangered animal conservation at its core, I have always felt connected to those causes from an ethical perspective. As I started getting older, I lost that touch. It is only within the last 10 years that I have felt drawn to it again. I switched to a vegetarian diet about 7 years ago and shortly thereafter, became fully vegan.

In today’s times, I see the need to promote the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle more than ever. I am proud at a chance to be part of the TVA as I respect and love what it stands for: teaching, empathy and inclusion. I have already started to inspire my family and friends with the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. My goal is to lead with a positive example and help do that on a larger scale.

As a proven sales, marketing & business development professional with over 12 years of experience, I love all things marketing, strategy and project development related. I have a passion to grow and lead teams to maximize output and create a positive & healthy work environment. Skilled in establishing and leveraging strategic partnerships to maximize sales and to develop brand identity in highly competitive markets, I bring passion and a leadership development edge to everything I do. Currently, I am the Assistant Director of Digital Content for a small media company that specializes in biometrics and digital identity.

I have served TVA for many years as a director, outreach volunteer, President two times, as a committee chair in the past, and currently as a member of the Marketing and Development Committee. In addition to my local experience, I also have contacts in the wider North American and international vegetarian/vegan movement. Furthermore, I have strong connections with the very active Toronto animal rights scene. In my youth, I was active with several environmental groups and still am knowledgeable about the environmental movement. My profession is teaching. For several years I have been a special education teacher but previously worked in business and government. My business studies help me understand financial statements, strategic planning, human resources, and marketing.

In the 40 years since I became vegetarian and the approximately 25 since I became vegan I have witnessed and contributed to the amazing growth in veg*n resources in our city, the country, and many parts of the world. TVA has also grown and changed over our 70-year history. Our Veg Food Fest, Veggie Challenge, directory, and discount program have inspired countless groups and individuals. I wish to continue to serve this truly wonderful organization in whatever way I can. My values and TVA’s strongly align. I believe in our inclusive, welcoming approach. Our diversity, both in our membership and in our programs, is our strength. We need to continue to build on that diversity by reaching into diverse communities and by encouraging meat reduction as a step towards vegetarianism and veganism. I look forward to contributing to our strong team of staff, directors, committee members, other volunteers, and members in moving TVA forward.

Krista Schwab has been a board member of the Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA) since January 2019 and a TVA volunteer since 2016. She has been vegan for more than three years thanks to the support, events and community provided by the TVA. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Marketing and Development Committee that provides planning, advice and support for TVA’s communications and events, including virtual events such as the 75th Gala and Veg Food Fest. She also sits on the Name Change Committee where she supports strategy and planning activities and the Strategic Plan Committee where she provides writing expertise for the development of the plan.

Krista has been a board member through times of transition and growth for the TVA, including bringing on a new Community and Engagement Coordinator, TVA’s move to a new office space and the development of a new strategic plan. This year, she supported the TVA as we shifted our activities and events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prior to being a board member, Krista volunteered with the TVA in communications roles. She led the development of a comprehensive social media strategy to grow the TVA’s digital outreach efforts. She managed the TVA Instagram account (@TorontoVeg) for one year, growing the organization’s followers by 32%. She has also led the TVA’s social media for events such as the Vegan Bake-off, Veg Holiday Market, Veg Spring Market and Veg Food Fest. 

By day, Krista is a Senior Strategic Communications Advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation where she leads the planning, development and implementation of a broad range of communications projects and initiatives. Prior to this role she was a Digital Services Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks where she worked on digital communications for climate change initiatives. 

Mark and his wife became vegan in 2013, after watching Vegeducated. They were immediately sold on the benefits of veganism — for animals, the environment and our health. The morning after, they cleaned all of the animal products out of their home and have been vegan ever since.

Mark became a TVA member in 2016, and joined TVA’s Program Review Committee in 2018 where he has supported the evaluation of a number of TVA programs. He also served on the selection committee for TVA’s 2019 Lisa Grill Compassion For Animals Award and supported delivery of the 2020 Award.

Most of his career has been spent in the public and not-for-profit sectors, with a focus on health and wellness. For the last ten years, Mark has worked in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries in the Ontario Public Service, where he has guided the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of several high-profile provincial strategies, policies and programs.

Prior to joining the Ontario Public Service, he worked as a business analyst and project manager for a boutique consulting firm, where he led the planning and delivery of several major health care initiatives for government clients. Mark has also worked as a business analyst and project manager for a not-for-profit injury prevention organization, and provided technical support and training as a volunteer for an HIV/AIDS education, advocacy and support NGO in Ghana, West Africa.     

I attended Veg Food Fest for the first time as a veg-curious omnivore struggling to decide whether or not veganism was something that I could truly commit to. Although the food and speakers at the festival were fantastic, it was the vibrant Toronto veg community that ultimately
inspired me to take the leap; less than two months after the event, I was fully vegan and loving it. I have attended every Veg Food Fest since that year (2017) as well as a number of TVA events, and am more convinced than ever that veganism is truly the most compassionate lifestyle for both the planet and for the wonderful animals that inhabit it.

Given my personal relationship with the TVA, I am excited to serve as a board member and to support the TVA in creating a more inclusive, compassionate and just world through vegan education and outreach. As the only vegan among my friends and family, I am inspired by (and
thankful for) the organization’s commitment to connecting veg*ns and veg-curious people across the city and look forward to helping the TVA continue to create and foster these important relationships.

Having served as an executive member of my university’s veg club for three years, I have extensive experience in project management, event organization and community outreach which will serve me well as a board member. Furthermore, as an avid reader, I am well-versed in current vegan news, vegan philosophy, plant-based nutrition, and strategies for effective activism. I also have a B.Sc. degree (Honours Neuroscience) from McMaster University and am currently pursuing a Master of Science at the University of Toronto.

My hope is that the scientific literacy and critical thinking skills I have acquired over the years will enable me to bring a unique perspective to the board which will support the TVA’s growth through these unprecedented times. 

Karel Vredenburg became vegetarian 37 years ago, inspired by the ethical vegetarianism of his wife. They raised their four children vegetarian, and the whole family, including partners and dogs, went vegan 6 years ago after a discussion during a vacation about the reality of the dairy
and egg industries. Karel and his family created the website icouldnevergovegan.com during another vacation three years ago to advocate for, outline the benefits of, and provide guidance to adopt a plant-based vegan lifestyle. Karel also uses his Instagram account for outreach and is
thrilled that many followers have been inspired to go vegan by his posts.

Karel and his family have been part of the TVA for many years, having regularly attended events such as the Veg Food Fest, the Spring Market, the Holiday Market, and sanctuary trips and listening to the Veg Out podcast.

After undergraduate, Masters, and PhD studies at the University of Toronto, Karel was recruited by IBM and is currently the company’s Director of Design and Academic Programs globally. Domestically, Karel heads up IBM Studios Canada and IBM Canada’s Innovation Corps. For the
past eight years, he was instrumental in introducing a new strategic and innovative organizational design transformation program to IBM worldwide and to many leading Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, as well as start-ups and scaleups. He is also a frequent keynote speaker at industry conferences and organizer of global design challenges.

In his role as Industry Professor, Karel codeveloped Innovation by Design programs for the DeGroote School of Business, the DeGroote Health Leadership Academy, and McMaster University, and he regularly teaches in the Digital Executive MBA program, the Emerging Health
Leaders program, and the Innovation by Design pan-university program. Karel serves on the IBM Employee Charitable Fund Board of Directors, an organization that has responsibility for and governance of the raising of funds for and dispersal of funds to charitable organizations, and he has for several years taught Canadian board directors new strategic, innovative, and creative problem-solving methods in a module that is part of The Directors College curriculum. This year, the focus of his teaching and webinars has been on providing board directors the tools for dealing with the challenges of guiding and governing organizations through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karel blogs at karelvredenburg.com; his Life Habit Mentoring podcast is available there as well as on all podcast apps and services.