What happens when vegan activism, cultural identity, community resilience, and a deep connection to home come together? In this episode of the Main Street Vegan Podcast, Victoria Moran speaks with Anthony Martinez, Executive Director and Programs Director of Casa Vegana, a Puerto Rico-based nonprofit working to strengthen the Island’s vegan movement through education, community-building, and plant-based outreach. Casa Vegana grew out of community relief work following Hurricane María in 2017 ...
Sep 17
52 min
What does it take to create a healthier life, not just for ourselves, but for the animals, the planet, and future generations? In this episode of the Main Street Vegan Podcast, Victoria explores 2 very different, yet deeply connected, ways of putting our values into action. First, Victoria talks with Karen Ranzi, M.A., a vegan and raw food health coach who has been sharing the benefits of raw vegan nutrition since 1998. Karen is an award-winning author of six books, an internationally accla...
Sep 10
1 hr 1 min
What might Catholic spirituality have to say about veganism, compassion, and our relationship with other animals? In this fascinating conversation, Victoria Moran speaks with Fr. Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ, a young Jesuit priest and vegan, about Catholic teachings, contemplative prayer, spirituality, and the possibility of a kinder world. The conversation begins with a deeper exploration of Catholicism and the Jesuit tradition. Fr. Daniel shares insights into contemplative prayer and the teaching...
Sep 3
52 min
What does it take to challenge one of the most deeply entrenched systems of animal suffering and what can each of us do to help end it? In this powerful conversation, Victoria Moran speaks with animal rights advocates Gretchen Primack and Ella Magers, co-founders of the March to Abolish Animal Testing, about their fight to end the use of animals in laboratories. The two are coming together to undertake a 200-mile march calling attention to the millions of animals used in experimentation and t...
Aug 27
52 min
Every vegan is a spokesperson for the movement, whether they want the job or not. The good news is there's a version of that role for exactly who you already are. Felicia Greenfield found hers creating Friends Not Food, a farcical sitcom pilot filmed at a Florida farm sanctuary. A former marketing manager for MLB and the NHL, Felicia knows no single pitch connects with everyone and when she recognized that protests weren't the right method for her, she built something that didn't exist inste...
Aug 20
48 min
Can meaningful progress happen when people who care deeply about animals disagree on the path forward? In this thought-provoking episode, Victoria Moran welcomes veterinarian Dr. Larry Carbone, author of The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals: A Vet's Vision for a More Humane Future. For most of his career, Dr. Carbone has cared for animals used in medical research, placing him at the center of one of the most ethically complex issues in animal advocacy. Victoria approaches this conversation from ...
Aug 13
54 min
What can the American Vegan Society teach us about living compassionately for a lifetime? In this heartwarming conversation, Victoria Moran welcomes Anne Dinshah, CEO of the American Vegan Society, for a discussion about vegan living, community, and carrying forward a remarkable legacy. As the daughter of vegan pioneer Jay Dinshah, Anne has spent a lifetime showing that veganism is not about perfection. Instead, it's about living with kindness, curiosity, and joy. This episode is especially p...
Aug 6
43 min
Can we transform the global food system without asking everyone to give up the foods they love? In this thought-provoking conversation, I welcome Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute, to discuss his book Meat and the future of alternative proteins. Bruce explains why plant-based and cultivated meat could play a vital role in feeding a growing population while reducing the environmental and ethical costs of industrial animal agriculture. Myself and Bruce also share...
Jul 30
59 min
Can a story change hearts more effectively than an argument? Buddhist Blues is an intriguing feature film that tackles life and family with a by-the-way-he's vegan protagonist. Writer/director Glen Merzer takes us into his process and celebrates "accidental activism." In this engaging conversation, Victoria Moran welcomes bestselling author, screenwriter, and filmmaker Glen Merzer to discuss Buddhist Blues, the first feature film he has written and directed. Set in St. Louis in 1993, the fil...
Jul 23
47 min
Can the legal system become one of the most powerful tools for protecting animals? In this compelling conversation, Victoria Moran speaks with attorney and animal law advocate Vanessa Shakib about the growing movement to secure meaningful legal protections for animals. Through strategic litigation and public-interest advocacy, Vanessa is helping reshape the legal landscape for farmed animals and challenging long-standing systems that treat sentient beings as commodities rather than individual...
Jul 16
32 min
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