Speakers
David Pannell,
Founder - Vegan Business Tribe
Presentation title:
"Introduction to the vegan and plant-based sector in 2023"
Short description:
The vegan and plant-based marketplace has exploded into the mainstream over the past twelve months. The obvious side of this is the wide range of vegan foods now available, with many supermarkets now having their own in-house plant-based brands. But at the same time, veganism is expanding into almost every sector with investors now starting to look for opportunities beyond just burgers and plant-milk.
David Pannell has advised some of the world's biggest food brands on the vegan marketplace. In this presentation, he will update you on the explosive growth of the vegan sector and explain what is fueling it. He will also bring you right up to date on the latest developments and opportunities in plant-based, from the rise of the vegan children's marketplace through to vegan pet-care and vegan service industries.
Biography:
David Pannell is a vegan business expert and the presenter of the Vegan Business Tribe Podcast. With his wife Lisa, David launched Vegan Business Tribe in 2020 which has grown into a community of hundreds of vegan business owners from around the world.
David has advised high-street brands and global manufacturers to help them better understand the vegan marketplace and is a regular speaker on understanding the plant-based consumer. In his previous life, David was a specialist sector ambassador and regional board member for the Chartered Institute of Marketing, as well as running his own marketing and business growth agency for over 12 years. David is also the official UK agent for The Vegan Society‘s Vegan Trademark scheme.
Additional information:
Elysabeth Alfano, CEO, VegTech™ Invest
Presentation title:
"Plant-based Innovation Investing in the Public Markets: Building a Strong ETF"
Short description:
Venture capital is what many think of when they think of investing in a new sector. However, VegTech™ Invest has created an ETF (NYSE: EATV) in the public markets that seeks to capture the growth and impact of the Plant-based Innovation (plant-based foods, fermented proteins and cultivated meat) sector. Focused on investing along the supply chain of the Plant-based Innovation industry, CEO Elysabeth Alfano will take us through the subsectors that constitute the ETF and how the sector is misunderstood in the press and actually evolving. For more information, visit https://EATVetf.com
Biography:
Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, the Advisor to the Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, EATV and the creator of the non-tracking Plant-based Innovation & Alternative Proteins benchmark index, EATVi.
Elysabeth is an expert in investing in food systems transformation and speaks internationally on the intersection of investing, sustainability, and our global food supply system. She recently spoke at the U.N. Global Leaders Compact Summit, the United Nations Climate Change Summit, COP27, Yale University and several Bloomberg Intelligence events.
A graduate of Northwestern University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Elysabeth consults and advises, through her company Plant Powered Consulting, C-Suite Executives on the sustainable food industry landscape, direction and whitespaces.
Lastly, Elysabeth hosts the Plantbased Business Hour, a podcast which features the CEOs and business leaders in the industry. The Plantbased Business Hour is considered “The Gold Standard” for those who want to understand, participate in, and capitalize on the growing Plant-based Innovation sector. She contributes to ESG Clarity, Vegconomist and FinTechTV on a regular basis. Linkedin here.
Additional information:
Jai Street,
Owner / Independent Financial Adviser - Mindful Wealth
Presentation title:
"How to put your money where your heart is"
Short description:
Mindful Wealth is Vegan founded, part of Vegan Business Tribe® and a member of the Organisation of Responsible Businesses. Through his work with Mindful Wealth, Jai has gained extensive knowledge about sustainability and established an extensive network of likeminded business owners and individuals.
Jai actively extends the impact of his work, by working with projects such as the global returns project and donating to causes including veganuary and animal sanctuaries.
He has become a sought-after speaker, sharing his insights with audiences at both in person and virtual events, conferences, and podcasts across the country. Jai's engaging and thought-provoking talks inspire his listeners to think critically about their own lifestyle choices and make positive changes that benefit both themselves and the planet.
Whether through his speeches, or his work with Mindful Wealth, Jai is a true champion of sustainable living. He has built a reputation as a knowledgeable and inspiring voice within the vegan and sustainable community, and his contributions have made a real difference in the lives of many.
Biography:
Jai is an inspiring speaker and influencer within the vegan and sustainable community. With a passion for promoting a mindful and eco-friendly lifestyle, Jai has become a respected figure within the industry and has made it his mission to educate others about the importance of sustainability.
Jai's vegan journey began almost 7 years ago, where he made a quick transition from vegetarian to vegan. Alongside personal conversations, he has taken part in activism and outreach.
He realised that he had a unique opportunity to make a real impact on the world through his work as well as on a personal level. After qualifying as an independent financial adviser, he founded his own company, Mindful Wealth®, which aims to empower individuals to put their money where their heart is®, educating them about the choices they have when planning and investing their money. Choices that can positively impact the environment, health, animals, and society as a whole.
Your money may not be the obvious choice when it comes to making a difference. However, it is one of the most important actions we can take. For most of us, our biggest influence is a as a consumer. There is almost 3 trillion pounds invested in UK pensions alone. Much of this is invested in industries which harm our planet, animal agriculture, fossil fuels and weapons to name a few. Together, we can collectively choose to move our money into kinder, more sustainable companies.
It is also important to establish that there is no longer a compromise with investing sustainably vs the traditional options. It is possible to achieve a stable, well performing diversified portfolio too. Mindful Wealth is fully independent and provides FCA regulated advice via it's network.
Additional information:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindfulwealthuk/
Dan Sherrard-Smith, Founder - MotherTree
Presentation title:
"How to go green and save money: UK's first and only money carbon calculator"
Biography:
MotherTree makes it easy for climate-conscious professionals to go green and save money on all life’s choices.
Before launching MotherTree, I was on the founding team of Look After My Bills, which saved the UK public £127m through energy switching for over 800k households. While there, we achieved the best ever deal on Dragons’ Den.
MotherTree launched last year with the UK's first and only money carbon calculator - giving consumers much needed transparency on the carbon impact of their bank and pension.
Additional information:
Ariane VOYATZAKIS,
Agriculture and Food industry manager - BPI France
Presentation title:
"Supporting vegan innovation in France"
Short description:
Bpifrance, the French public bank, offers a continuum of financial tools for innovation, investment and internationalization.
Our goal is to favour the growth of the French economy by helping entrepreneurs thrive.
We are also the French agency for innovation, delivering massive programs to innovative entrepreneurs.
We mainly support micro-businesses, SMEs and mid-caps but also large companies that are considered important to the interests of France in terms of national economy or employment.
To put it simply: Bpifrance is a financial institution, with private culture, serving the collective interest.
Biography:
Ariane Voyatzakis holds a master’s degree in engineering from Agroparistech and a master’s degree in finance from Sciences Po Paris.
In 2001, she joined Bpifrance as a venture capital investor in life sciences. Since 2005, Ariane has been head of the Agro-food sector within the Innovation Department. She performs technical and financial analysis of innovation projects, is in charge of public relations and publishes an annual report of innovation trends in the sector.
Additional information:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bpifrance/
https://www.facebook.com/bpifrance
https://www.periscope.tv/Bpifrance
Maria STOICA, Sustainability Advisor
Presentation title:
"ESG in the Food and Beverages Industry"
Short description:
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) offers a framework to incorporate sustainability considerations into development plans and strategies. In the food and beverages industry, with regards to production and consumption, there are numerous ESG factors to navigate. We will delve into this space and explore key considerations.
Biography:
Maria Stoica is an environmental and sustainability advisor at one of the financial regulatory bodies in the UK. She serves as a subject-matter expert on environmental and sustainability due diligence for projects and public tenders.
A graduate of Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Maria specialises in ESG assessment and consultancy and has been a staunch advocate for the plant-based sector and the veganism movement. She has provided consultation to alternative protein start-ups and actively participated in the consultation panel for the first Alternative Proteins ESG Reporting Framework for Diversified Companies, initiated by the Good Food Institute and FAIRR. The Diversified Framework is designed for companies that produce a variety of products and are diversifying their product portfolios to include alternative proteins. This encompasses food retailers, manufacturers, and animal protein producers.
Additional information:
GFI & FAIRR ESG measurement and reporting: https://gfi.org/industry/esg-reporting/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=esg-reporting&utm_content=toolkit