DONALD VINCENT, also known as Mr. Hip, is a poet, educator, musician and the author “Convenient Amnesia”, a highly praised collection of groundbreaking poetry illuminating the complex legacy of racism, violence , appropriation, disenfranchisement and the things we'd like to forget, ignore, or disown. He is also the creator, writer, producer and performer of the transformative album Vegan Paradise on the intersections of vegan living, as well as being the founder of le pamplemuse™, a content development platform for spreading awareness of vegan companies. In addition, he is the creator of ‘That’s So Vegan’ video series merging creativity and education on plant-based foods and vegan lifestyles. A contributing writer in the recently released essay collection “Brotha Vegan” (Omowale Adewale editor, Lantern Publishing) and a past Culture and Animals Foundation grant honoree, Donald uses storytelling as an instrument for change and awareness for advancing an understanding of justice and compassion. A former Community Outreach Coordinator for PEN America, he currently teaches English Composition for UCLA’s Writing Programs and Literature at Emerson College Los Angeles, and has been an organizer, contributor and presenter with Compassion Arts since 2016. www.hidonaldvincent.com

AYSHA AKHTAR, M.D., M.P.H., is the Co-founder, President and CEO of the Center for Contemporary Sciences for the replacement of animal testing, and the author of “Our Symphony With Animals” a book that deftly combines medicine, social history and personal experience to examine how deeply the well-being of humans and animals are entwined and how interspecies empathy enriches our well-being.

A double Board-certified neurologist and preventive medicine/public health specialist, as well as a US Veteran and a former Medical Officer at the Food and Drug Administration, she is also a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and a TedxSpeaker who uses her background now in the work of demonstrating how there is a mutual benefit to both humans and animals when animals are protected. Aysha is also an avid gardner and artist, and she donates the proceeds from sales of her paintings to the work of replacing animal testing for creating humane and compassionate solutions. Aysha Akhtar is also this year’s recipient of the Compassion Arts Festival’s 2021 Artist for Ahimsa Award. www.ayshaakhtar.com/

Warmer Waters aka “Whale Rider” mural by EastrandStudios

EASTRAND STUDIOS is a collaborative project of Alise and Jack Eastgate, partners in life and art, specializing in live painting, design, and public art.

Alise and Jack Eastgate are Oakland-based collaborative visual artists - Alise is from Louisiana and Jack is from the Fiji Islands – they found creative inspiration and one another in Oakland. Alise and Jack have exhibited in numerous solo and group shows and have live-painted at events and festivals throughout California and the Fiji Islands, as well as creating public art in Naitasiri, Fiji and in Oakland, California. Merging their combined artistry in fine arts, mural painting, graphics, illustration and design, they create unique and distinctive, beautiful and compelling visual works for a wide range of projects, including nonprofit programs that reflect their life vision. Their work draws from the creative traditions of the African diaspora, the lush tropical landscapes of Fiji and the South Pacific Islands, and the contemporary styles of Oakland. Using these sources of inspiration and the power of their combined artistry, Alise and Jack create paintings that are aligned with a just and kind world they imagine and aspire to create. www.eastrandstudios.com

Jack & Alise Eastgate

JACK EASTGATE is a Fiji-born graphic designer, illustrator, live painter, art educator, and muralist. A multidisciplinary creative, his work embraces a balance between creative and analytical qualities and employs the techniques of sacred geometry and the inspiration of nature. His design career took a turn when he jumped into the world of environmental wayfinding graphics with a variety of projects; from digital to analog interactive signs to gigantic 600 foot digital murals, working with clients like Disney, Universal Studios and many more. www.jackeastgate.com

ALISE EASTGATE is a painter, designer, illustrator, and muralist who uses her work to explore our connections to nature and the right of all living beings to live, love and be free. She has exhibited work in solo and group shows, and live-painted at events and festivals throughout California and the Fiji Islands. She is also an exhibitor in the virtual group exhibit, The Fifth Trust. Her biggest creative project is being a mama and raising a conscious, compassionate little human. When she’s not nurturing her family, art or garden, she utilizes her other superpowers to innovate and streamline nonprofit operations. All of her work seeks to envision and create a more just and peaceful world. www.aliseeastgate.com

SENTIENT MEDIA is a nonprofit journalism organization that seeks to create transparency around the use of animals in our daily lives—from food to companionship to laboratory test subjects. Sentient Media specializes in reporting, training programs for emerging writers, partnerships with news outlets, and strategic digital marketing.

A uniquely important and invaluable resource for information about animals, animal agriculture, the environment, justice and culture, Sentient Media’s Writers Collective and Social Media Fellowship programs work to encourage, support, and advance the work of people wishing to use their voice for advocacy and change. www.sentientmedia.org

ANA BRADLEY, Sentient Media’s executive director, is a social justice advocate who believes that meaningful content can make the future meaningful, whatever the medium. Her background is in content production and startup consultancy in London where she founded digital agency PYPR.co.uk and worked with global clients and corporations for over a decade to help build dedicated, digital communities. She transitioned to serve the non-profit space in 2018 to work with organizations focused on building gender balance in the tech funder and founder landscapes.

AFTER ANIMALS is a podcast that uncovers trends and stories at the cutting edge of the global post-animal movement. What does a future look like, in which food, fashion and entertainment no longer have to exploit animals to be successful? Each podcast episode shares a remarkable and inspiring story about someone who is forging a more compassionate future for us all. Created by producers/ hosts Ulara Nakagawa and Sharanya Krishna Prasad, After Animals seeks to activate a kinder, more compassionate world through innovation. www.afteranimals.com

ULARA NAKAGAWA is the founder of Elephants in Japan, a global initiative to improve the welfare of captive elephants. She is a communications professional who's worked with organizations including Hootsuite, Care2, Blue Horizon Group, The Economist. A former news editor and journalist, Ulara has written for and inspired coverage in outlets including CNN, BBC, WSJ, National Geographic, Entrepreneur, Business Insider and more.

SHARANYA KRISHNA PRASAD is a veteran nonprofit strategist who has advised U.S. and international organizations, as well as socially-conscious brands on growing their advocacy, fundraising, and consumer bases. Some of her clients have included PETA, HSI, WWF, NRDC, Thrive Market, So Delicious, Earth Balance, and others. As a Board Member of Indians for Civic Action, she advises nonprofits in India. She has been a lifelong vegetarian and vegan for more than 12 years.