Dine gently. Live wisely. Make a difference.
Change Your Life. Change the World.
Earn the Respected Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator (VLCE) Certification
We get it: you're passionate. You're determined to bring about a vegan world. At Main Street Vegan Academy, we share this passion, and we know that equipping you for the task ahead demands a personalized, professional, in-depth, real-life experience. Because this is what it takes, this is what we offer -- in two powerful formats, live via Zoom, or in person in New York City.
Upcoming Classes
MSV-Zoom
Winter/Spring 2021
Sundays Feb. 21, Feb. 28 & Mar. 7
Sat. & Sun. Mar. 13-14
Sun. Mar. 21
Sat. & Sun. Apr. 10-11
Tuition: $1195
MSV-Zoom
Summer 2021
Sat. & Sun. Aug. 21-22
Sat. & Sun. Aug. 28-29
Sat. & Sun. Sept. 11-12
Sat. & Sun. Sept. 18-19
Tuition: $1195
MSV-Elite
Autumn 2021
In person in NYC:
Our iconic
6-day intensive
Oct 22-27
Tuition: $1995
Since our inception in 2012, we’ve realized that the training we provide is relevant not only for one-on-one coaching, group classes, and outreach, but to vegan entrepreneurs of every stripe. In addition to coaching and teaching, our graduates are running vegan companies, shops, and restaurants, on staff at animal rights and health-promotion organizations, writing books, podcasting, and using their VLCE credential as part of a pre-existing profession in healthcare, nutrition, fitness, yoga, etc.
And there's more: the connections you make here are priceless. Our classes are kept small so that you can get to know your fellow students and our respected instructors. Whether you come to New York for an MSV Elite program, or you do MSV-Zoom, you will be connected via our private Facebook group not only with members of your class, but with other alumni who share interests, background, or locale with you. The networking opportunities are unparalleled.
Video by: Steven Speliotis, Speliotis Video, New York City
Here's what Forbes.com has to say about us:
Some of Our Graduates
We have some 490 graduates from 31 countries on 6 continents. Here are a few of them:
Some Ways Our Grads are Veganizing the World
- JL Fields, Fast & Easy Vegan Cookbook
- Michael Suchman, Iconic Recipes for a Taste of the Big Apple
- Dianne Wenz, Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook
- Sande Nosonowitz, Oblivious: A Vegan Memoir
- Jackie Demeri-Costello, Animooves
- Carol Cymerint, The Answer Is Vegan
Testimonials
What You'll Learn
- Fundamentals of vegan nutrition
- Nutrition throughout the life cycle
- Diet in the prevention and reversal of disease
- History of the vegetarian and vegan movements
- Overview of animal rights and animal law
- Environmental implications of animal agriculture
- Animal use and abuse in fashion, and vegan alternatives
- How to do a food demo
- Techniques of vegan lifestyle coaching and counseling
- Working with mixed (vegan/non-vegan) and transitional families
- Public speaking for vegan educators and entrepreneurs
- Building your brand, and marketing for success
- Finding your niche in today’s vegan business scene
- Client attraction and business development
- Digital marketing for VLCEs
Joshua Katcher
Marty Davey, MS, RD
Robert Ostfeld, MD
Chef Fran Costigan
Doc G (Fred Beasly II)
JL Fields
MSVA Instructors
Your instructors include major voices in the vegan/plant-based world. Among them are:
- Robert Ostfeld, MD, cardiologist, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
- Joshua Katcher, fashion designer, BraveGentleman
- Chef Fran Costigan, noted pastry chef, author, Vegan Chocolate
- Doc G (Fred Beasley II), director, NYC Hip Hop Is Green
- JL Fields, VLCE, author and consultant
- Marty Davey, MS, RD, registered dietitian, University of South Carolina
- Mariann Sullivan, JD, NYU Law School professor, cofounder Our Hen House
- David Benzaquen, CEO, Ocean Hugger Foods; director emeritus, Plant-Based Solutions
- Tatiana Forero-Puerta, philosophy professor, author Yoga for the Wounded Heart
- Martin Rowe, publisher, Lantern Books, fellow, Brighter Green Environmental Action Tank
- John Joseph, Ironman triathlete and lead singer, The CroMags
- Sharon Nazarian, BigCityVegan.com
FAQ
MSV-Zoom takes place over 4 weekends, approximately 10 a.m. to 4:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time.
MSV-Elite goes from midday on Friday until midday on Wednesday, 5 and a half jam-packed, information-packed, and adventure-packed days.
Being a dietary vegan over 18 who satisfactorily completes the application, reads or listens to the 6 required books (list sent upon acceptance), and listens to 21 hours of the Main Street Vegan podcast qualifies you for the course.
MSV-Zoom is $1195. MSV-Elite is $1995. We invoice via Square and accept all credit cards. Please apply only if you are serious about attending and you have the means to cover your tuition.
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 to the MSV-Elite program, 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.
Each class is discretely scheduled to accommodate instructor availability. Generally speaking, for MSV-Elite, you’ll be in class from approximately 2:00 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30p.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. MSV-Zoom goes from 10 to 4:30 U.S. Eastern Time.
There are terrific classes out there and MSVA celebrates all our colleagues in their important work. Among MSVA's shining features are: (1) We cover every aspect of vegan living, equipping you with well-rounded expertise; (2) We inspire you to actively use your VLCE to change this world for the better; (3) You’re free to disseminate these ideas in your own way; (4) If you wish to stay connected through the Main Street Vegan private Academy Facebook group, private mailings, graduate projects and other events, we're here for you for the duration; (5) Although we offer an in-depth master class for graduates every two years, no continuing education is required to keep you a VLCE in good standing; and (6) If you opt for the MSV-Elite program, in person in New York City, you'll be treating yourself to a once-in-a-lifetime experience you'll remember forever and that just might change your life.
The MSV-Zoom program is live online. The MSV-Elite is in person only and requires that you spend 6 days in New York City. Satisfactory completion of either course option leads to the VLCE (Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator) certification.
Founder and Director Victoria Moran
Victoria Moran is a force of nature. At 14, armed with credentials from a teen magazine, she attended her first Beatles press conference. She’s been surprising herself ever since.
Victoria went vegan in 1983; overcame a binge-eating disorder; in 1985 wrote Compassion the Ultimate Ethic, the first book about vegan philosophy and practice to come from an actual publisher; raised a vegan daughter (aerialist and stunt performer, Adair Moran); wrote 12 additional books and has another on the way; and appeared twice on Oprah.
Her books including Main Street Vegan, Creating a Charmed Life, Shelter for the Spirit, and The Love-Powered Diet have been praised by Neal Barnard, MD, Ellen Degeneres, musician Moby, filmmaker Michael Moore, Dean Ornish, MD, Marianne Williamson, and former President Bill Clinton.
Victoria hosts the award-winning Main Street Vegan Podcast, was voted Peta’s Sexiest [Female] Vegan Over 50 in 2016, and she is lead producer of the 2019 documentary, A Prayer for Compassion, available on Vimeo and Amazon Prime.
Location for the MSV-Elite course:
Upper Manhattan, New York City
Upcoming Classes
MSV-Zoom
Winter/Spring 2021
Sundays Feb. 21, Feb. 28 & Mar. 7
Sat. & Sun. Mar. 13-14
Sun. Mar. 21
Sat. & Sun. Apr. 10-11
MSV-Zoom
Summer 2021
Sat. & Sun. Aug. 21-22
Sat. & Sun. Aug. 28-29
Sat. & Sun. Sept. 11-12
Sat. & Sun. Sept. 18-19
MSV-Elite
Autumn 2021
In person in NYC:
Our iconic
6-day intensive
Oct 22-27
Important notes:
- This course is designed to help you guide others to thrive with a vegan lifestyle. While you will receive at least 4.5 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 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.
- This is a certification program in which individuals 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.