Networking with other vegan businesses is easy—you just need to know where to look!

Listen to this post on the Plant Based Briefing podcast here.

Just as I’m getting more inquiries from vegan and spiritual authors (no, I am NOT a vegan publisher!), more folks are asking me how I started my biz and where they can network with others who are vegan and run businesses. This is amazing!

I wrote a post in 2020 on ways solo vegan service providers can find vegan clients when I was just 9 months into running my business. A year and a half later, much has changed and there are even more places to network. Here’s the list, and if there are more to add, I’ll update this post.

Beyond Animal

Beyond Animal is where investors and vegan businesses meet. Includes a directory, job board, events, and investment opportunities. Headquartered in Switzerland.

Glasswall Syndicate

An American nonprofit 501 C 6 association that only supports startups that are removing animals from their supply chain, Glasswall Syndicate charges membership dues to investors—never startups. Vegan business owners looking to meet investors can add their information for free through their portal and network with investors.

It hosts events regularly; while some are exclusive for investors and startups that are part of their pitch events, others welcome other vegan startups.

Vegan Business Networking/Nation

**Update November 2024: With a Facebook and LinkedIn group totalling 5000+ members (see links in the next section below), Vegan Business Networking—hosted by Sam Roblett—offer a membership to Vegan Business Nation, which includes meetups, presentation-style events with experts, and different avenues to connect with other vegan biz owners, all online.

Vegan Business Tribe

Vegan Business Tribe is a community of over 1,000 vegan business owners across the globe who are on a mission to change the face of business to create a fairer, cruelty-free world for both animals and people. Co-founded and operated by David Pannell in the UK, this community offers online networking events, business clinics (masterminds), courses, a Slack workspace, and a podcast.

Its Tribe Live events take place at VegfestUK in November.

Vegan Entrepreneurs Network

Founded by Mirjam Walser in Berlin, Germany, Vegan Entrepreneurs Network is a supportive network of vegan entrepreneurs all over Europe and the US. Communities are currently in Zurich, Berlin, the Netherlands, Paris, London, Vienna, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco and are events-focused.

Update March 2024: Mirjam now runs Vegan Business School, a 4-month intensive program to turn your unique idea into a business.

Vegan Leaders in Corporate Management

Updated October 2024! Vegan Leaders in Corporate Management is a global community for vegans working in corporate management and business functions. Join them to create a world where sustainability and plant-based options in the workplace are the norm, not the exception. (I wish I found out about this sooner!) They also have a LinkedIn group.

Vegan Mainstream

Vegan Mainstream provides a full spectrum of free and paid services to support both new and established vegan business owners and entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Florida by Stephanie Redcross-West, Vegan Mainstream also offers 1:1 coaching, a job board, a podcast called Pivot!, several Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and a Slack workspace.

Vegan Women Summit

Vegan Women Summit (VWS) is shaping the future by empowering the next generation of compassionate leaders. It’s a global events and media organization dedicated to empowering women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. It’s run both online and in-person events and I love its weekly newsletter, entitled Women Founder Wednesday. My LinkedIn game has seriously improved as a result of it, and it was a great source of contributors for my forthcoming marketing book.

Vegan Entrepreneurs Group (VEG) Networking Canada

VEG Networking Canada was founded in 2020 by Helen Siwak and Justin Manning and began as a local, invite-only, Vancouver-based networking meetup. In June 2021, I took over Helen’s role as co-host and we expanded our membership across Canada. We are now ~30 Canadian members strong and meet bi-weekly on Zoom.

Members are vegan and have the opportunity to be interviewed. We also interview guests who run or work in vegan businesses in Canada, which you can view on our YouTube channel. Prospective members can apply here. Email or DM me on social media to be featured as a guest.

VEGPRENEUR

VEGPRENEUR is a leading global community of 1600+ entrepreneurs and investors building sustainable plant-based businesses in food, fashion, wellness, packaging, beauty, tech, and farming. Founded by Noah Hyams in New York, VEGPRENEUR also offers a job board, Facebook group, online and offline events, and investment opportunities.

Vevolution

Vevolution is where the world’s aspiring entrepreneurs, emerging startups, and investors come together; it’s technology with heart. Based in London, UK, it hosts podcasts and events and its platform includes a directory, job board, and investment opportunities, including a partnership with Vegan Investors Network.

Vegan Business Circle

Updated November 2024: Based in Budapest, Hungary, Vegan Business Circle came on the scene in 2022. Similar to VEGPRENEUR in the US, it hosts in-person events for not just vegan entrepreneurs, but those working in the plant-based food and distribution sector. Events are in Hungary for now, but the business plans to expand to chapters across Europe.

See if you can spot yours truly in the photo from VIVAS’s December 2021 meetup!

Other ways to network

Directories & apps

While these organizations do not produce events, they can be great places to list your business where other vegans will find you, and where you can connect online with other vegans.

abillion is a social media app where anyone can discover the best vegan, sustainable, and ethical food, beauty, and fashion products.

HappyCow is a global online directory and app for vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Includes a store for brands selling on Amazon US and an ambassador program.

VeganDirectory connects vegans looking for products or services of vegan businesses that offer them.

Vegan Fix is a directory listing restaurants, shops, and other businesses.

Vegan Linked is a directory that lists businesses and events.

Vegan Profile is an all-in-one social networking platform dedicated to the vegan community. It’s the place to make vegan friends, connect, learn & share the vegan way of life.

vKind is the largest US-based vegan search platform that makes choosing compassion just as easy as the alternative. Includes an app, blog, recipes, guides, events and listings, and ad opportunities. It also just kicked off its rad YouTube channel in 2022.

Social networks

Here is a short list of global Facebook and LinkedIn groups you can join. Be sure to read their guidelines before posting, and also look for ones in your area.

Advertise your vegan business (Facebook)
World Vegan Market (Facebook)
Vegan Business (LinkedIn)
Vegan Business Networking (Facebook)
Vegan Business Networking (LinkedIn)
Vegan Businesses (Facebook)
Vegan Friendly (LinkedIn)
Vegan Mainstream (LinkedIn)
Vegan Professional Network (Facebook)
Vegan Professionals (Facebook)
Vegan Professionals (LinkedIn)
VEGPRENEUR (Facebook)

Matt Falcone at Louis Capet XXVI has created and managed an impressive list of over 125 vegan Facebook groups in the USA, Central America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South Asia, India and Russia totalling over 100K members. Please note there is no business promotion in these groups, but they may still be a great way to meet vegans in your area. (Click here to learn how to advertise in the groups.)

You’ll find relevant clubs on Clubhouse too: The Vegan Entrepreneur, Vegan Mainstream, and Vegan Visibility are just a few.

Local events and meetups

Many major cities have their own vegan meetups, festivals, expos, and even camp-outs where you can meet vegan businesses and other vegans. Look on Meetup.com for meetups in your area. I’ve been able to explore restaurants I wouldn’t have otherwise visited had it not been for a vegan meetup in Vancouver!

Networking tip: Just as you would not ask someone to marry you on the first date, remember not to try to sell when you first meet someone, unless you are a vendor at an event. Meet in person, connect online, and nurture the relationship!

Have you found success with finding clients or customers at any other vegan-focused business networks that aren’t listed here? Contact me!

Last update: November 2024

Header photo: Tosha Lobsinger