MAIN STREET VEGAN ACADEMY

Take your vegan outreach to the professional level by training as

an MSVA-Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator (VLCE)

Dine gently. Live wisely. Make a difference.

Are YOU ready to become a Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator?

As a Main Street Vegan-certified VLCE, you’re qualified to help individuals and groups go vegan, stay vegan, feel terrific, and be part of the wonderful ripple effect that’s saving the lives of people and animals, and helping heal the planet. And you’ll learn how to set up a practice, market yourself, and carry the vegan message.

Since our inception in 2012, we’ve realized that the VLCE certification and the business training we provide are relevant not only to those who want to do one-on-one coaching, group classes, and outreach, but to vegan entrepreneurs of every stripe. In addition to coaches, counselors, and educators, our graduates include people who are running vegan companies, shops, and restaurants, working for prominent animal rights and health-promotion organizations, writing books, podcasting, speaking at vegfests and other venues, and using their VLCE credential as part of a pre-existing profession in healthcare, nutrition, fitness, yoga, etc.

“This program inspires entrepreneurs and seeds vegan business endeavors of every sort. The curriculum is solid, the faculty top-notch, and the immersion experience and after-graduation support incomparable.” ~ Katrina Fox, Forbes.com

Quick FAQ:

1. How long is the course? ~ 6 days, Friday afternoon to Wednesday midday.
2. How much is tuition? ~ $1995, with a $250 discount for payment in full within 30 days of acceptance.
3. What makes me qualified? ~ Being a dietary vegan over 18 who satisfactorily completes the application and possible phone interview, reads the seven required books (list sent upon acceptance), and listens to 21 hours of the Main Street Vegan podcast.
4. Where will I stay in New York City? ~ We are located in South Harlem half a block from the #2 and #3 subway line, easily accessible from the Upper West Side. Upon acceptance, we send you a list of nearby accommodations in a variety of price ranges, either within walking distance or an easy subway or Lyft/Uber/taxi ride away.
5. What is the class schedule? ~ We’re accepting applications for all 2019 programs: April, June, October, and early December. Each class is discretely scheduled to accommodate instructor availability. Generally speaking, you’ll be in class from approximately 2:00 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 or 7 p.m. Sat.-Tues., and 8:30 a.m. to 1 pm on Wednesday. If you want to make this a vacation in NYC, we recommend adding a day or two onto your trip.

What will we do during the course?

Ours is a 6-day, in-person intensive in New York City comprised of in-depth lecture presentations with our superb faculty, and fabulous field trips to NYC restaurants and businesses. 

Our core curriculum is in three parts:

I. Vegan Principles, including:

• Fundamentals of vegan nutrition
• Plant-based nutrition through the life cycle
• Diet in the prevention and reversal of disease
• History of the vegetarian and vegan movements
• Fundamentals of animal rights and animal law
• Environmental implications of animal agriculture
• Animal use and abuse in fashion, and vegan alternatives

II. Communication Principles, including:

• The art of the food demo
• Public speaking for vegan educators and activists
• Fundamentals of coaching and counseling for VLCEs
• A compassionate approach to overweight, overeating & food addiction issues
• Working with mixed (vegan/non-vegan) and transitional families

III. Business Principles, i.e.:

• Building your brand, and marketing for success
• Client attraction and business development
• Social media and digital marketing for Vegan Lifestyle Coaches and Educators

“Victoria Moran creates a life-changing experience for her students at Main Street Vegan Academy. The wealth of knowledge, passion, kindness and insight that Moran and her team of instructors bring to the course is nothing short of genius. My only complaint: having to leave when it was over.  ~ Colette Rice, VLCE, Sacramento, CA

Upcoming course dates:

2019 courses will take place:

• Spring: April 26-May 1
• Summer: August 2-7
• Early fall: October 4-9
• Late fall: December 6-11

“I feel privileged to have been a part of such an amazing, love-filled group and a truly extraordinary vegan coaching program. Priceless!” ~ Nadia No, MFT, VLCE, San Francisco

Main Street Vegan Academy Mission Statement 

Main Street Vegan Academy is committed to training committed vegans to help others adopt and maintain a positive vegan lifestyle and health-promoting diet, geared to the needs and preferences of the individual. We endorse no particular iteration of vegan diet or animal rights ideology, trusting the conscience of our graduates to live up to their highest light in furthering the ethic of reverence for life.

Core Faculty:

• Chef Fran Costigan, noted vegan baker and author of Vegan Chocolate
• David Benzaquen, founder and president of Plant-Based Solutions
• Marty Davey, MS, RD, LDN, “La Diva Dietitian!” 
• JL Fields, MVLCE, corporate wellness coach, author of Vegan Pressure Cooking 
• Jennifer Gannett, JD, VLCE, globe-trotting mom and expert on making vegan living practical for busy parents and “mixed and transitional families”
• John Joseph, a legend in the punk rock world and lead singer of the Cro-Mags, an Ironman triathlete
• Joshua Katcher, Parsons professor, designer for BraveGentleMan, author of Fashion Animals
• Michelle McMacken, MD, internist, Bellevue Medical Center, featured in the documentary, What the Health?
• Victoria Moran, HHC, AADP, author of Main Street Vegan, The Love-Powered Diet, and Creating a Charmed Life 
• Sharon Nazarian, VLCE, vegan blogger and co-founder of BigCityVegan.com
• Robert Ostfeld, M.D., MSc., FACC, director, Cardiac Wellness Program, associate professor of clinical medicine, Montefiore Medical Center
• Tatiana Forero Puerta, MA, RYT, HCC— Wellness consultant, yoga instructor, author of Yoga for the Wounded Heart
• Martin Rowe, author, publisher, www.LanternBooks.com, representative of the international vegan environmental organization, www.BrighterGreen.org
• Mariann Sullivan, JD, co-founder of OurHenHouse.org, professor of animal law at Columbia University Law School, host, The Animal Law Podcast
• Michael Suchman, JD, VLCE, and Ethan Ciment, DPM,  The Vegan Mos: award-winning bloggers, authors of  NYC Vegan: Iconic Recipes for a Taste of the Big Apple

Guest faculty when their schedules permit include  Matt Ruscigno, MS, RD; Jane Velez-Mitchell; Milton Mills, MD; Colleen Patrick-Goudreau; Christopher Sebastian McJetters; Stephanie Redcross of Vegan Mainstream; Suzy Welch, Today Show business correspondent, and many others.

“Main Street Vegan Academy will forever be a pivotal experience in my journey. Having the opportunity to learn such a well-rounded arc of information and knowledge, has motivated and furthered my commitment to help others attain levels of health, happiness and purpose that the vegan lifestyle provides.” ~ Avital Weiss, VLCE, Belfast, Northern Ireland

2019 course dates 

• Spring: April 26-May 1
• Summer: August 2-7
• Early fall: October 4-9
• Late fall: December 6-11

Where does the program take place? 

Main Street Vegan® Academy is live and in person in New York City. We are located in South Harlem, just above Central Park, conveniently accessible via the #2 and #3 subway line, with a stop just half a block away. This is not merely a course; it’s an experience you’ll remember all your life. In NYC you’ll be introduced to, and taught by, some of the most influential people on the contemporary vegan scene, and you’ll learn alongside fellow MSVA students who will likely become your lifelong friends and business contacts. By coming here you’ll see the future of veganism: a city teeming with vegan restaurants, shops, events and more. Our field trips to restaurants, boutiques, and other vegan businesses make the MSVA program a unique and life-changing urban study/vacation, whether you live in the Northeastern U.S. or come from afar.

Who applies for this program? 

Women and men from all walks of life — and, so far, twenty-eight different countries on six continents — are part of the Main Street Vegan Academy family. Participants have included men and women from the medical and allied health professions, business people, yoga instructors, culinary professionals, teachers, social workers, IT professionals, military personnel, fitness trainers, students, stay-at-home moms, and more. Every class has students of all ages. (18 is the minimum age for attendance, although we can accept a younger teen attending the program with a parent.) 

How do I know if I’m qualified?

To be accepted for the program, you need to be a dietary vegan already (that is, consuming no animal products, including fish, eggs, and dairy, regardless of how these are sourced). You also need to be open to learning more about all aspects of vegan living. 

Prior to acceptance, we review each application and may conduct a phone interview with the applicant. Upon acceptance, a reading list is sent out and we do expect each participant to have read the books on the list prior to the start of his/her session. Listening to at least 21 episodes of the Main Street Vegan Podcast, covering a variety of topics (health, ethics, environmentalism, cuisine, fitness, etc.) is also required prior to the start of your course. 

We are an Equal Opportunity program, embracing students without regard to race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, politics, or sexual orientation; we also welcome those of all vegan dietary preferences. We share some meals together and take any student allergies into account. We cannot, however, accommodate every food preference, so other than staying strictly vegan, organic where possible,  and leaving out any allergens we’re informed of, we ask for a bit of dietary flexibility while you’re here. There is also absolutely no body-shaming at Main Street Vegan Academy. We welcome you and celebrate you precisely as you are. 

“Wow! Victoria knows all the right stuff and the right people. Even the most knowledgeable vegan business person has something to gain from this course.” ~ Anndi Hahner, RN, VLCE, Kansas City, MO

What is the cost of tuition? 

The program investment is $1995 per student. (The payment must be made in U.S. dollars or calculated to equal $1995 in U.S. dollars.) Once you have been accepted into the Academy, you may pay either:

• A $495 nonrefundable deposit, required within 30 days to hold your place in class. You must pay the remaining $1500 within 60 days of the start of class.
• Or full tuition upfront; you’ll receive a $250 discount ($1745 instead of $1995) for paying within 30 days of acceptance.

Either full tuition or the deposit must be received within one month of your acceptance in order for a place in class to be held for you. Upon acceptance, you’ll be sent a credit card invoice for either discounted upfront-pay tuition, or the deposit, as you stipulate on your application. If you prefer to pay via PayPal (and perhaps take advantage of PayPal Credit, their 9-months-same-as-cash program), that is another payment option.

The deposit is nonrefundable. If a true emergency (personal illness, death in the family, natural disaster, etc.) keeps you from attending the program, the deposit is transferable to one later course. If you’ve paid in full and an emergency arises, you’ll receive a refund of all but $495, which can be applied to one later course. Please do not apply if you are not serious about attending or if you are unsure of your ability to pay the tuition. 

What does tuition include?

During the course period, you’ll receive:

• An immersion in every aspect of vegan philosophy and practice, as well as classes on the how-to’s of vegan coaching, vegan outreach, and vegan business
• Some 40 hours of small group instruction and experiential learning with Victoria Moran and other expert faculty members and guest lecturers
• Personal access to faculty and guest presenters, some of the most sought-after experts on vegan living in the U.S. today
• Field trips to NYC vegan businesses and attractions
• Diploma and professional certification as a Main Street Vegan® Lifestyle Coach and Educator (VLCE), prepared to coach individuals and groups on their vegan journey
• Six days with Victoria Moran, celebrated author, speaker, educator, radio host, Holistic Health Counselor, Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator, Vegan of the Year 2012, and Peta’s Sexiest Vegan Over 50, female category, 2016/17. This is a boutique experience in a small-group setting. Victoria will teach daily and be available throughout the program to answer your questions personally. Your relationship with her, the other luminaries that comprise the MSVA faculty, and your classmates and alumni from other classes can last a lifetime
• Not part of your tuition but offered to you as Victoria’s guest are a welcome dinner and an onsite lunch one day,
  plus light breakfasts daily, afternoon snacks, coffee and teas, and Mountain Valley Spring Water. 

“I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am for being a part of such an amazing course. I have learned and grown so much in a short time and I will be role modeling and transferring my knowledge to as many people as I possibly can during my travels and throughout the rest of my life.” ~ Louella Monaghan, VLCE, Perth, Western Australia

And after graduation, you’ll receive:

• An email compilation of course handouts from Victoria Moran and PowerPoint packs from several other instructors
• The MSVA-certified VLCE banner for your website, blog, email signature, social media pages, and printed materials
• Listing on the “Certified Vegan Coaches” page of MainStreetVegan.net at any point after graduation that you wish to add your listing
• Access to the private Main Street Vegan Alumni group on Facebook
• The MSVA Alumni Directory with contact information for all fellow VLCEs, a strong support network of Vegan Lifestyle Coaches & Educators from across America and around the world, including bloggers, chefs, health care professionals, personal trainers, image consultants, recipe creators, web designers, and others who can offer you advice and support
• The opportunity to have your post(s) featured on the Main Street Vegan blog, a way to share your content with a wide audience who’ll learn about you, your website, and your business
• Access to faculty with your questions and concerns
• Private alumni-only mailings, including work leads and outreach opportunities, plus informal reunions in NYC and elsewhere 
• The option to be listed as a VIP (Vegan Information Point) with the American Vegan Society, showcasing you as a vegan resource in your area
• The opportunity, if you wish to partake of it, for further education with us in the Master Coach graduate program, a weekend intensive offered every one to two years — Note: Taking the master class is not required to remain a VLCE in good standing. Once you have taken the basic MSVA course, you are a member of the MSVA family and we’ll support you in every way possible. We also never come back to graduates with any additional fees, charges, or mandatory offerings of any sort. 
• The cache of being a Main Street Vegan-certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator. Our program is known throughout the plant-based community and the animal rights world as offering the highest quality instruction and ongoing networking opportunities.

For a photographic tour of the fabulousness of one student’s Main Street Vegan Academy experience, check out this slideshow from Elissa Blake Free, VLCE, Washington, DC, journalist and graduate who went on to a position at the Barnard Medical Center.

What other costs will I incur? 

You are responsible for your own travel costs, accommodations, and meals out, as well as transportation in NYC, and any shopping you do on field trips. 

Recommendations for accommodations in a variety of price ranges are provided upon acceptance or earlier upon request. Manhattan’s Upper West Side or South Harlem are most convenient, although staying anywhere near the the #2 or #3 subway line works.

“I can’t fully express my gratitude to Victoria Moran for MSVA! The class was an incredible experience. Victoria put together an amazing lineup of presenters. This course was exactly what I needed to jump-start my vegan counseling business.” ~ Dianne Wenz, HHC, AADP, VLCE, curator Chic Vegan, West Orange, NJ

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Important notes:

• This course is designed to help you guide others to transition to and thrive with a vegan lifestyle. While you will receive several hours of health and nutrition training, you will not be a nutritionist. Being a certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator does NOT qualify you to provide medical advice or treat any illness. Any person looking to undergo a major change in diet should consult a licensed healthcare professional.
• This is also not a culinary program: your expertise upon completion of this course will be to teach, guide, and counsel individuals and groups about vegan eating and living, as well as align the entrepreneurial gifts and talents you may bring to the table with your desire for extended vegan outreach.
• While we give you a jam-packed educational experience in a short period of time and the support of our active alumni group afterwards, we make no guarantees about what any graduate will or will not accomplish upon completion of our program. Many of our graduates have successful practices and/or vegan businesses — and we can put you in touch with some of these if you’d like. We cannot, however, promise this outcome for everyone, nor do we promise that any graduate will necessarily earn income as a result of taking this course.
• Know coming in that this is an intensive. It’s 6 days in New York City, with a lot of information, a lot of activity, and a lot of time spent with some 20 other students and a series of instructors. If this sounds amazing, by all means apply. If it sounds like too much stimulation, you would be wise to consider a different program.
• Ours is a certification program in which men and women who are already vegan learn to teach and counsel others. It is not a how-to-go-vegan course. If you’re looking for this kind of help, check out the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, free and online, from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 

“I could not have imagined a better experience. Learning from Victoria Moran, hanging out with vegans aspiring to be of assistance to others, being back in the greatest city in the world, was exactly as fulfilling as I’d hoped it would be. At the risk of sounding trite, my biggest disappointment was that my class of the Main Street Vegan Academy had to come to an end.” ~ The Rev. Russell K. Elleven, EdD, DMin, LPC, NCC, CFLE, VLCE, Chicago, IL

Books by our alumni: Vegan Pregnancy Survival Guide, by Sayward Rebhal, VLCE; Vegan Pressure Cooking, by JL Fields, VLCE, also on our faculty teaching a knockout business class; The Answer Is Vegan, Carol Cymerint, RN, VLCE; and Animooves, by Jackie Demari Costello, LVCYT, VLCE. In addition, 60 graduates contributed recipes to The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook, by Victoria Moran and JL Fields, the #1 New Release in vegetarian diets on Amazon when it was published in December 2017.

Another look at upcoming course dates:

• Spring: April 26-May 1
• Summer: August 2-7
• Early fall: October 4-9
• Late fall: December 6-11

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Graduates Praise Main Street Vegan Academy

Check out  blog post from Sayward Rebhal, VLCE, Santa Barbara:

“Main Street Vegan Academy Will Change Your Life,” on the OurHenHouse.org site

“No words can describe the positive and life-changing experience I had at MSVA! Thank you again for helping me on the path that I feel so passionate about!” ~ Stacy Morris, VLCE, Long Island, NY

“The academy was an incredible experience. All of the speakers were so inspirational and powerful.  I was amazed how humble and kind they were and how they were so willing to share.  I learned something valuable and different from each one of them.” ~ Vivien Straume, VLCE, Derwood, MD

And here’s a piece in ChicVegan.com from graduate Robin Patalon, VLCE, Fallston, MD: “A Walk Down Main Street”

“Since attending MSVA in June, I’m amazed at how quickly and effortlessly opportunities have materialized for me. I am now doing cooking demos at a local health food store, as well as the Olive Oil Trading Company, which asked if I would up the demos to at least two per month, as they had sellout crowds for my first two.” ~ Linda Voorhies, Veganification.com, Sedona, AZ

“Blend professionalism with the generosity of a seasoned and delightful hostess. The result? Victoria Moran’s Main Street Vegan Academy. This terrific 5+-day course in NYC draws on veg-savvy experts who help, guide, and encourage participants to find their own pace to make veganism work best for them, for their clients, and the world. This course is an original – and worth every bit of the time and money you spend.” ~ Carol Schneider, VLCE, SimpleSizeMe.com, Boca Raton, FL

From the “Mixed Green Blog” by Margie Cook, VLCE, Toronto: “Main Street Vegan Academy Magic.”

“Victoria’s compassion for animal beings and her clients infuses her instruction with an essence of understanding which enables MSVA graduates, to emerge after a short, productive week, as instruments of powerful change. The success of my clients is a testament to Main Street Vegan Academy.” ~ Nina Hayes, VLCE, Boston, MA

 “I’ve picked up three clients coaching clients since graduating from MSVA last month & I loved every second of the course. Thank you for equipping me with great tools and resources.” ~ Cortney Ostrosky, VLCE, Charleston, SC

“I am so excited to share that I will be working as a Humane Educator with the Ethical Choices Program beginning in a couple of weeks!  I am grateful for my VLCE certification and the amazing Main Street Vegan Academy – thank you, Victoria” ~ Sally Sanders, VLCE, Tallahassee, FL 

A post from one of our grads, Lynn Price, MVLCE, Charlotte, NC, on his blog, CrueltyFreeMe.com 

“As someone fairly new to the vegan lifestyle, I thought I’d be in over my head but no worries. This comprehensive course gave me the knowledge and skills I needed to take this to the next level.  I’ve never enjoyed learning so much or meeting such inspiring, amazing contacts and friends. I’m truly grateful for the experience.”  ~ Lynne Agnew, VLCE, Endicott, NY

Sometimes we even get praise from someone who wasn’t here! “I want to thank you for inspiring my wife, Alice. Her experience preparing for and participating in the Academy was truly transformative. We’ve been together almost 40 years, and I can’t remember when I’ve seen her so focused and so excited. During lunches on our balcony, she’s shared in detail, speaker-by-speaker and activity-by-activity, her experiences. I also read some of the books she was assigned. As a result, the Academy has changed my life, too!” ~ Wayne A. Gilbert, spouse, Denver, CO

From the popular blog, Vegan Noms: “The Main Street Vegan Academy – A Life Changing Experience”

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Contact: 

Victoria Moran, Founder and Director, victoria@mainstreetvegan.net 

Main Street Vegan office phone: 212-289-1808 

“Where your talents and the needs of the world meet, there lies your vocation” ~ Aristotle

 

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