Team / Partners

Dawn Moncrief is the founder, president, and CEO of A Well-Fed World, an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. 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. She has presented throughout the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Africa. Her publications include contributions in: Food Justice: A Primer, Striking at the Roots, Circles of Compassion, and The Reducetarian Solution. She is a partner/advisor to the International Fund for Africa and Awail Veganic Education Center. She is also a co-chair of the Food and Climate Alliance, the board chair for Beyond Carnism, and the board chair for the U.S. branch of ProVeg International.

D. Maurice 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.

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 welfare and vegan advocacy. In addition to leading AWFW'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.

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.

Anteneh Roba is a board certified emergency medicine physician. He is president and co-founder of the International Fund for Africa (IFA), a nonprofit organization and a registered NGO in Ethiopia dedicated to helping both human and nonhuman animals in Africa. Through IFA, Anteneh improves healthcare for children in Ethiopia and to makes medical care accessible to the people of rural Ethiopia. He works tirelessly to improve the welfare of homeless animals and "working animals" in Ethiopia. He promotes the adoption of a plant-based diet across the African continent. Dr. Roba frequently lectures on the health benefits of a plant-based diet and on human and nonhuman animal issues affecting Africa.

Seble Nebiyeloul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Allied Health and a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration. With Anteneh Roba, she co-founded the International Fund for Africa, a nonprofit devoted to helping both human and nonhuman animals in Africa. Through her work with IFA, Seble strives to develop equitable, effective health-care programs for medically underserved populations in Ethiopia. She also promotes a plant-based diet, noting: "Possessing a natural fondness for nonhuman animals and understanding that they suffer, too, and that the mistreatment of nonhuman animals is linked to human suffering, I have been a vegan for [many] years."

Eugene Cooke is an internationally recognized food justice activist and urban farmer utilizing veganic growing methods. His organization, Grow Where You Are transforms urban spaces in underserved neighborhoods by creating community food gardens and vegetable farms. Eugene has created of urban farms and food gardens for cities, schools, and households. He has also planted 400+ fruit trees throughout the U.S., as well as in Jamaica, Haiti and Kenya, where he trained local residents in veganic growing methods. Eugene promotes ecological restoration and demonstrates how we can grow abundant food without exploiting animals, harming the environment, or depleting ecosystems.

JoVonna Johnson-Cooke is owner and co-founder of MaituFoods, a vegan meal delivery service and nutrition education hub. She holds a B.A. in Psychology. She works to develop culturally appropriate and accessible educational materials that highlight the benefit of healthy nutrition through a vegan diet. The MaituFoods' Mother's Meal Program provides women, especially those with modest means, with the knowledge and guidance to achieve a healthy pregnancy and optimal postpartum recovery. The mission of MaituFoods is to honor the art of food rituals and to serve humanity in a way that promotes the least harm and the most good for people, animals, and the environment. As co-founder of Grow Where You Are, she works with a dynamic team of people committed to local food sovereignty by assisting individuals and communities in creating sustainable plant-based local food systems.