Team / Directors

Dawn Moncrief is the founder and president of A Well-Fed World, a plant-based hunger relief, food security, and climate advocacy organization advancing the benefits of plant-based foods and farming in the U.S. and around the world. She is a graduate of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership and holds two master’s degrees from The George Washington University: one in International Relations, the other in Women's Studies – both with a focus on economic development. For more than two decades, her work has highlighted the ways in which the consumption and production of animal-sourced foods increase economic disparities and exacerbate global hunger, especially for women and girls. She also draws attention to the devastating impact of animal agriculture as a major driver of natural resource depletion and climate destruction. Dawn is the U.S. Board Chair of ProVeg International and Beyond Carnism, and a Board Director with Malnutrition Matters, Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) International, Youth Climate Save, and A Just World. She is also a co-chair of the Food and Climate Alliance. She has presented throughout the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Africa. Her publications include contributions in: Food Justice: A Primer, The Reducetarian Solution, and Circles of Compassion.

David Herring's formal education on health and wellness includes a B.S. in pre-med Biology and Chemistry from Seton Hall University and an M.S. in Community Nutrition and Food Science from Cornell University. He has actively promoted healthy people and a healthy planet through his work as a full-time nutritionist. He has also been involved with the Vegetarian Society of DC as a Board Director from 2005-2010, the editor of VSDC News, and the director and instructor of the 2007 Eat Smart Program.

Dr. Tushar Mehta is an M.D. who practices family, emergency, and addiction medicine in Toronto, Canada. His volunteering includes medical work in India and Haiti. He also helps environmental, animal, and social justice organizations, including Project CANOE (supporting at-risk youth), and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (serving on an anti-whaling expedition in Antarctica). Dr. Mehta's research interests include the medical and nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet, and the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment and global food security. His Plant-Based Data website is an important research hub for students, journalists, and NGOs.

Lasse Bruun is the UN Foundation’s Director for Climate and Food and a senior advisor to FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization). He is an advocacy expert on food systems, energy transition, sustainable agriculture and social justice, with twenty years of experience in leadership, policy, advocacy and movement building.Prior to joining the UN Foundation, Lasse built 50by40, a global NGO bringing together 70 organizations across 45 countries. Within this role, Lasse enabled close global collaboration between multiple stakeholders, pushed sustainable livestock to the forefront of the food systems debate and brought about meaningful collaboration and exchange between Global North and Global South movements.With a background in rhetoric and political science, Lasse has curated high-level international dialogues and campaigns in more than 20 countries, enabling an exchange of ideas between sectors, movements and powerholders. In 2021, Lasse was appointed the global civil society lead on sustainable consumption for the UN Food System Summit Action and co-led the summit’s work on food systems management. Lasse runs a small agroecological vegetable farm.

Kerstin Plehwe is President & CEO of Physicians Association for Nutrition – PAN International, a global medical organization focusing on health and nutrition. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, popular keynote speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, and visionary changemaker. Kerstin holds a degree in Integrated Nutrition and Communication. Her mission is to help people and organizations save lives through diet change and to transform the global healthcare system. She champions the life-changing power of plant-based foods as the most underestimated instrument in public health as of today.

Genesis Butler is an 18 year old Afro Indigenous climate and animal rights activist who began her activism at the age of 6. She became one of the youngest people to give a TEDx talk when she gave a talk entitled “A Ten Year Old’s Vision for Healing the Planet”, which was inspired by her great uncle, Cesar Chavez.

Also at the age of 10, Genesis founded “Genesis for Animals,” an organization that raises money for sanctuaries and rescues that provide animals with permanent homes. In 2019, Marvel and Disney named Genesis a real life superhero for her animal advocacy.  In 2020, Genesis founded “Youth Climate Save” which is the first global youth-led climate movement to focus on the connection between animal agriculture and climate change. There are now over 50 chapters around the globe, most of which are located in regions most affected by climate change. Genesis is also the lead plaintiff in Genesis V. EPA. Genesis and 17 other plaintiffs from California are suing the EPA for intentionally allowing discriminatory life-threatening climate pollution, which is emitted by the fossil fuel sources of greenhouse gases it regulates, harming children’s health and welfare.

Melanie Hiller is a longtime human rights and animal advocate passionate about the interconnections of these movements. She holds a degree in Justice & Social Inquiry from Arizona State University. Melanie previously worked as a research program coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and her background is in marketing, project evaluation, and program management. Her diverse and extensive volunteer work includes: facilitating of transgender patient care trainings for medical providers, repairing hurricane-damaged homes and community spaces, and assisting visitors at her local national park.

Ashley Capps holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The recipient of a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, she works as a writer, editor, and researcher specializing in farmed animal protection and vegan advocacy. In addition to leading A Well-Fed World's Humane Facts initiatives, Ashley is the founder of the education and advocacy campaigns Milk Hurts and Mothers Against Dairy. Ashley uses her vegan cheesemaking skills to promote the great taste of and social benefits of plant-based food choices.

Elizabeth is a visual artist and community organizer who believes in the power of art to promote personal and societal healing. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied psychology at Rollins College. In addition to a variety of curated events and outdoor festivals, her works have been chosen for city upliftment projects. She also enjoys working in community food gardens directly; as well as, supporting plant-based feeding and farming projects more broadly through grant-making as a means of improving health, well-being, and food sovereignty.