Vegan Women Summit® (VWS), a media and events organization dedicated to empowering women to build a kinder, more sustainable world, is announcing the return of VWS Pathfinder, the world’s only women founder summit and pitch competition dedicated to plant-based and animal-free innovation on October 29, 2021. The global virtual summit will feature leading CEOs, founders, and investors across the future of food, fashion, beauty, and biotechnology.
Spanning six continents, the summit will feature global headliners including Heather Mills (Founder of Vbites), Miyoko Schinner (CEO of Miyoko’s), Dr. Sandhya Sriram (CEO of Shiok Meats), Daniella Monet (Co-founder of Kinder Beauty), Denise Woodard (CEO of Partake), and two dozen other leading voices and founders across animal-free food, fashion, beauty, and biotechnology, including last year’s VWS Pathfinder winner, Renana Krebs, CEO of Algaeing, a revolutionary startup focused on animal-free textiles and dyes. Focused on breaking barriers, VWS Pathfinder is proud to feature more than 70% women of color speakers.
Headliners across the world shared their support with Heather Mills, Founder of Vbites, stating, “As a veteran founder and investor in the plant-based industry, I’m proud to join VWS Pathfinder to support the rise of women founders around the world. We need solutions across every level of the food system supply chain, and I believe accelerating the growth of mission-driven women-led startups is key to the success of this industry.”
Miyoko Schinner, CEO of Miyoko’s, added, “I am proud to support VWS Pathfinder again this year and accelerate the growth of women building a kinder, more sustainable world. As a founder in the space, I have experienced gender bias and challenges from potential investors first-hand, and hope through platforms like this, we can create a more equitable path forward for rising women entrepreneurs. It is vital that we work together as women founders and leaders to create a truly global movement towards a better food system and beyond.”
“By participating in VWS Pathfinder, I am showing my commitment and support to women founders, right from the idea conception stage to their fundraise. The food space is evolving at the speed of light and if we need diversity in the products we make, we also need diversity in the thought and intelligence that goes into these products,” shared Dr. Sandhya Sriram, CEO of Shiok Meats.
The live pitch competition will once again feature a $50,000 prize package awarded to one lucky women founder with the next big animal-free innovation. The competition is open to pitches from food, fashion, beauty, and biotechnology companies. Five finalists will pitch live in front of a global jury of leading investors including Caroline Cormier of Upfield, Lisa Feria of Stray Dog Capital, Amy Trakinski of VegInvest, Miray Zaki of Planthesis, Stephanie Dorsey of E²JDJ, and Rosie Wardle of Synthesis Capital. The competition and summit is sponsored by champion sponsor Upfield and partner sponsors Arlene, Elohi Strategic Advisors, Planthesis, Stray Dog Capital, True Investor, Veg Capital, and Veg Invest, as well as other leading VC and plant-based companies around the world.
Jury member and sponsor Amy Trakinski, Managing Director of VegInvest, supported the competition and shared, “VegInvest’s portfolio contains an ever-growing list of women-founded, category-defining companies and we’re thrilled to continue partnering with VWS Pathfinder as it amplifies and supports long-overlooked women entrepreneurs.”
Applications for VWS Pathfinder will be accepted from founders around the world through August 27, 2021. Ten semi-finalists will be selected and then narrowed to five finalists, who will be announced by October 15, 2021. Both the selection committee and the final jury panel will consider the market impact, team experience, growth potential, business model, differentiation, and value proposition of each pitch.
For more information about Vegan Women Summit®, visit https://veganwomensummit.com/.
To register for a ticket to VWS Pathfinder or to submit a pitch, visit https://vwspathfinder.com.
About The Vegan Women Summit®
Vegan Women Summit® (VWS) is a global events and media organization created to empower women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. VWS hosts events with the goal to foster a community of strong, ambitious rising leaders working to bring compassion to their careers. VWS is supported by leading CEOs, founders, investors, athletes, & nonprofit leaders from around the world.
