Episode 461, original air date January 5th, 2022, on Unity Online Radio. Listen now at UOR, on your favorite podcast app.
Matthew Glover made starting the year vegan a popular resolution; now he’s in the faux chicken biz and seeding many a vegan biz through Veg Capital. And just so you’ll love him as much as I do, he wrote this: “I get excited about sparing animals from suffering. That’s why I get out of bed every morning.”
And Annick Ireland has a fashion sense just about as pure as her lofty vegan ethics. She’s put together Immaculate Vegan, a fashionista’s dream hub for brilliantly curated vegan shoes, bags, clothing, and accessories.
More about our guests:
Matthew Glover is a business activist focused on removing animals from the food system. He is currently working on three main projects:
Veganuary – alongside his wife Jane Land, we came up with the idea and launched in January 2014. The campaign has grown from 3,300 in the first year to nearly 600,000 people signing up to the website in January 2021. They now serve as trustees on the Board, and provide advice to the growing team of vegan changemakers.
Veg Capital – Providing early-stage capital to companies striving to replace the use of animals in the food system. We are a specialist private venture fund that primarily provides early-stage Angel, Seed, and Series A funding, with investments typically ranging from £100,000 to £250,000. We invest primarily in companies developing meat, dairy, eggs and seafood replacements with plant-based ingredients. Feel free to send your pitch deck at: https://app.zapflow.com/webentry/vegcapital
VFC® – He is building a Vegan Fried Chick*n brand, as chickens are the most abused land animals on the planet. Activism lies at the heart of our mission, and they have big ambitions to turn VFC into a global food company.
Where can you find him?
Website: https://veganuary.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareveganuary/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Veganuary/
Imaculate Vegan and Annick Ireland – Fashion That’s As Good As It Looks
Immaculate Vegan is spearheading the vegan fashion revolution, and building a sophisticated curation of over 100 of the best ethical and sustainable brands in the world, expanding their offering to also encompass athleisure, swimwear, and jewellery.
Every single beautiful product showcased on the Immaculate Vegan website is vegan – so no need for vegan filters or searches. They insist on zero cruelty to animals; processes and materials that don’t damage the environment; and paying and treating workers fairly and respectfully.
We search the world for brands that share our values, that really are about living ethically and sustainability – without the greenwashing. We set high standards, and every product we sell has to pass our test of both aesthetics and ethics – beautifully designed and well made, but also meeting the following criteria:
- Materials – all items must be 100% vegan, using the most sustainable materials possible. For example, vegan leathers that are PVC free and use as much plant-based or recycled materials as possible; clothing made from sustainable sources such as organic cotton, linen, hemp, Tencel, bamboo silk, plastic-free buttons.
- Manufacturing – we select brands that use a manufacturing process that is as sustainable as possible. For example, factories that use solar power, closed loop technology (where everything is recycled), with strict controls on emissions, and minimal water usage.
- Ethical labour – brands that work with suppliers to ensure workers are paid a living wage, are treated fairly and ethically, and work in a safe and hygienic environment. Transparency across the supply chain is also key.
The business has seen incredible organic growth since it launched late 2019 with sales increasing every month – and yearly comparison sales now equating to a 400% rise during peak periods, showing the public’s increased desire to source and purchase from brands with a conscience and sustainable business practices. They have built a global customer base, with
very strong sales throughout the UK, Europe and the US, and have also recently completed their first round of external investment, of £400k, which is funding the next stage of the business.
Where can you find them?
Website: https://ImmaculateVegan.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immaculatevegan/
Twitter: @ImmaculateVegan
Complement — supplements made by vegans — Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier the No-Meat Athlete, and Joel Kahn, MD — for vegans to enhance your already excellent diet. Check them out at https://lovecomplement.com, and put MAINSTREET in the discount box to save yourself some money.
