Cocinando Pa’ La Revolución!

MISSION

To make plant-based living accessible to Global Majority women and gender-expansive people while empowering them to embrace foodways rooted in ancestral traditions.

VISION

We dream of a world where Global Majority women and gender-expansive people embrace plant-based living as a powerful expression of our ancestral knowledge.

VALUES

  • We consider new and uncommon possibilities and strategies.

    Rather than moving with a conventionally oppressive mindset, we welcome the opinions and voices of the entire collective, equally.

  • We maintain clear and open communication with our entire community about context and decisions.

    Instead of hiding our concerns, we move with intention to address issues, together by welcoming and giving direct feedback by way of feedback surveys and virtual town halls.

  • We are a compassionate, inclusive community that welcomes all from the global majority, empowering them to explore the plant-based movement while fostering a space where everyone feels seen, valued, and free from judgment.

    Rather than shaming people who do not eat vegan, we celebrate their progress toward making more plant-based choices.

  • We provide resources, events and inclusive safe spaces that ensure our Global Majority and gender-expansive community members–regardless of ability, background, or socio-economic status– have the access and support they need to successfully engage within the plant-based movement.

    We strive to have language accessibility at our events and aim to hold events in spaces that are accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.

  • We acknowledge pathways towards decolonization through our deep-rooted relationship to the land and the impacts of colonization. We reconnect with ancestral wisdom, reclaiming and integrating ancestral and Indigenous knowledge through our food choices, storytelling, and community work. By cultivating gratitude for the people, land, ancestors, and animals, we transform the way we approach our food while sharing knowledge to foster growth and understanding.

    When we share resources and recipes, we prioritize their cultural history and relevance to our community.

  • We consider the impacts that social and environmental injustices have on Global Majority communities and are dedicated to empowering them by amplifying marginalized voices, spreading awareness of other movements, and elevating our stories and experiences. We create spaces where everyone can thrive, uplift one another, and grow together.

    We build supportive relationships with advocates for various causes through intentional collaborations such as IE’s Amplifier program and BIPOC meetups and conferences such as AVA, in partnership with APEX Advocacy and Unity Collective.

Our Chapters

  • DC

  • Philly

  • New York

  • Chicago

  • Orlando

  • Bay Area

  • Los Angeles

  • Richmond

Leadership Team

  • Estefania Orozco | Executive Director

    She/Her

    Estefania is a proud Colombiana and Philly resident. She is passionate about community building, gardening, film photography and all things sustainability. Her plant-based journey started in 2013 in response to the environmental impact and animal abuse crisis caused by the food industry and has been slowly transitioning to veganism over the last few months. Estefania has been a chapter organizer and coordinator as well as Operations Director. She now serves as the Executive Director for Veggie Mijas.

    On her time off you can find her sipping herbal teas with a book in hand, or at the community garden tending to the plantitas.

    @down.for.earth

  • Simone Hassan-Bey | Recruitment & Retention Director

    She/Her

    Simone is driven by amplifying authentic social good. She launched a scholarship to date awarded to 15+ undergraduates who demonstrate resilience and service to BIPOC communities. She leads a social + environmental justice collective, releases creativity as an art archivist, and deepens purpose by championing international clean water projects. Simone is grounded by the spirit of Ubuntu, “I Am Because We Are,” her love of languages, and convening historically excluded communities for healing and transformative impact.

    Simone leads people strategy at Veggie Mijas centering food justice from Los Angeles to India.

  • Marcy Arroyo | Communications Director

    She/Her

    Marcy is passionate about sustainability, eco-consciousness, and overall striving to live a mindfulness lifestyle. Marcy started her vegan journey as an experiment during the pandemic lockdown to see how far it would go with reducing meat consumption and has been vegan ever since. She strives to spread awareness of a lifestyle that is not only centered on a vegan diet but benefits your own mind-body-soul and does little to no harm to our earth.

    As the Communications Director, Marcy takes charge in all things creativity, amplifying our work and delivering it in a fun and engaging way.

  • Chris Galindo | Managing Director

    She/Her/Ella

    Chris is a first-generation Mexican and Guatemalan vegan queer femme, born and raised in Los Angeles. With a background in dance, culinary arts, and the natural CPG food industry, she has supported the growth of emerging food brands through sales and operations. Her curiosity about the plant-based lifestyle began at a young age and evolved into her intersectional vegan journey in 2017, sparked by activism around animal abuse, lack of access to nutritious food within her city, and exposure to the environmental and ethical issues tied to mass food production—issues that disproportionately affect low-income immigrant communities like her own.

    Passionate about recreating traditional and culturally relevant dishes through a vegan lens, Chris joined Veggie Mijas in 2021 and now serves as Managing Director. She loves building partnerships with like-minded brands to continue striving for access to culturally relevant plant-based options for our communities, and enjoys traveling with her spouse and pup while indulging in delicious vegan food wherever they go.

  • Rebeca Cintrón-Loáisiga | Education Director

    tiya/ella/she

    Rebeca Cintrón Olivencia-Loáisiga (tiya/ella/she) is a detribalized Borikua anthropologist, educator, and curator working at the intersections of ethnography, anti-colonial education, and exhibition practices.

    Based in the diaspora, her journey toward a plant-based life since 2011 has deepened her commitment to dismantling institutionalized inequalities—particularly in food sovereignty, Indigenous reclamation, and collective healing.

    As Education Director for Veggie Mijas, she cultivates spaces where communities of the Global Majority gather to nourish their roots, resist systemic harm, and feed not just their bodies, but their ancestral futures.

  • Dani Medrano | Coordinator

    She/Her/Ella/Ela

    Dani Medrano is a proud Chicago native with a background in social work and education. She went vegetarian for the animals at the age of 12 and transitioned to veganism after studying philosophy in college. While she remains obsessed with animals, she continues to be vegan for her health and her community. Dani has been an organizer for the Chicago chapter for over 2 years and is passionate about making fresh whole foods accessible to all.

Creative Team

  • Solena Aguilar

    ART DIRECTOR
    They/Them

    Solena is a textile artist foraging for fabric in New York City and creating with their community to bring joy and vibrancy in accessible areas. Solena indulges in different pattern making practices in their work, drawing inspiration from their Nicaraguan ancestry. Their art practice pinpoints hidden patterns that explore the joy of the material world. They hope to speak to diverse groups in ways that evoke passion and action.

  • Destiny DeJesús

    CONTENT CREATOR
    She/Her
    Destiny is our Social Media Coordinator and Creator based in Dallas, Texas and is a passionate plant-based activist. Through her brand, Eat Yo Destiny, she is committed to educating people on budget-friendly veganism. With a focus on food accessibility, Destiny utilizes her platform to guide individuals in finding vegan options in their community, making use of local resources like pantries and community fridges. Additionally, she shares valuable tips on creating nutritious meals with limited pantry ingredients.

Community Organizers

Cristina Figueroa
New York, NY
She/Her/Ella

I believe that impact storytelling can shift perspectives and reimagine futures. Through my work in marketing, content creation, and community events, I use storytelling as a tool for culture shift, connection, and joy. Whether it's a campaign for climate justice or a short-form video about vegan food, I'm committed to narratives that spark curiosity and drive action.

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Reign H
Orlando, Florida
She/They

Mónica Divane
Orlando, Florida
She/Her

Siani Colón
Philadelphia, PA 
They/Them

Kari Sanchez
Chicago, Illinois
She/They

Kari Sanchez (she/they) is a proud Mexicana committed to community care, healing, and food justice. They are a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) professional and a program coordinator for Veggie Mijas Chicago, where they help create accessible, community-driven food initiatives. Kari is a vegan athlete, having completed three marathons, and is embracing their journey as a biker and gym rat. They are also an ambassador for PYNRS, the only Black-owned running apparel brand. As a passionate plant lover, Kari is a herbal apprentice with Urban Growers Collective and is currently expanding their healing practices as an energy healer apprentice and a holistic nutrition coaching certification student. Their passions include cooking (and eating) delicious vegan meals, exploring spiritual wellness practices, going to concerts, cuddling with their cat, and spending time in nature with friends.

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