Meet Our Plant Based Team
Transforming Degenerative Systems into Regenerative Systems
None of this would be possible without the fantastic board members, selfless team and partners.
Born in 1970, husband and wife Mike Young and Denise Young specialize in Human HealthSpan and Longevity. The pair operate the independent aPlantBasedDiet.org 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies on your tax deductible donations. Please consider helping to ensure a lasting legacy of Health Optimization via your gift of cash, real estate, or other property here: https://aplantbaseddiet.org/give/
If you have a specific initiative you’d like to contribute to or ideas for new ones please email [email protected]
Mike Young - Founder + CFFO (Chief Foodie + Farming Officer)
Mike Young is the Founder of aPlantBasedDiet.org 501(c)(3) Non-Profit, TriangleGrapeVine.org and FloridaGrapeVine.org. aPlantBasedDiet.org has a website full of food and recipe resources, a YouTube Channel, local community groups, and live in person outdoor festival events up and down the US East Coast. He’s the type of person that’s continually in search of improvement and doing the best he can do with everything. Mike has always been a forward thinker, and this has propelled him into leading a whole foods plant based lifestyle. He believes there’s nothing more important to do today than spread the good news of this lifestyle since everyone and everything benefits! Mike can be found perpetually on social media. Mike is also a Lifestyle Nutritionist @ ForeverYoungNutritionCoaching.com with a passion for human health.
Author of the vBook “Live to 150” available FREE here: http://LiveTo150.org
You can learn about his health journey here: https://youtu.be/jWFPL4xKMcs
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Denise Young
Treasurer of aPlantBasedDiet.org and Co-Cruise Director of Health Optimization Cruise Denise began her non-profit leadership work as the President of her COA. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Management Information Systems from Penn State University where she completed coursework in Accounting, Statistics and Calculus. She earned a Master’s in Computer and Information Science from Gannon University which included coursework in Graphic Design. While working on her Master’s, Denise taught evening classes at Fortis Institute in Erie Pennsylvania. Denise worked for Erie Insurance for fifteen years, supporting the financial systems of the Controller Division. Denise has supported financial systems as a Senior Product Analyst for Freddie Mac since 2014, leading initiatives that help keep families in their homes. Denise began her Plant-based journey after Mike encouraged her to read The China Study in 2017. Denise lost her beloved Aunt and Grandmother to diabetes and watched several family members go through cancer treatments. She’s committed to educating people about a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t exploit animals and is better for the environment. Since switching to a Healthy Vegan Food (trademark) diet, Denise has lost 20 pounds, resumed running, and weighs the same as she did in the eighth grade!
Mark Rosen
Board Member
TEAM of DIRECTORS
MARCUS WATTS
Director of Fitness & Health
Lifestyle & Fitness Coach with a speciality in helping busy professionals with high stress levels overhaul their lifestyles on a limited schedule. After a near death scare with two unexplained blood clots, and pulmonary embolism I was inspired to grow my knowledge in plant based wellness. Since turning away from doctors, and healing in 16 month my vision is to help educate, and inspire on the possibilities of living both PLANT BASED and STRONG!
DR. RONALD KNAUS
Director of Aging Gracefully With Gusto
Dr. Ronald Knaus is a psychiatrist in Saint Petersburg, Florida. He received his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
Shara "ShaR4" Dee
Director of Music
Shara’s interest in music began at an early age by having both parents as music teachers; her mother a pianist and music teacher, her father a songwriter and guitarist. With training in piano and music theory, she began composing songs at the age of 13, performing live on the piano at different events throughout her teenage years. Shara fell in love with the plant-based movement in 2016 after seeing videos of animal agriculture thanks to Mercy For Animals. She stopped eating meat right then and there and then learned about the dairy and egg industries. In 2017, she declared that she would be vegan from then on. She started a blog and Facebook page called Vegan Living Today and is currently working on a Vegan Cookbook, along with helping coordinate Vegan Festivals.
Brad Talbott
Co-Director of Animal Rights
Brad Talbott is an avid musician and Fort Myers Organizer for the international Anonymous for the Voiceless movement. Brad has helped organize public art demonstrations along with others around the state of Florida in order to educate the public about the positive effects a plant based diet can have on your health, the environment, and the animals we share this planet with. He has had experience with hosting musical events as President of music club at Florida Gulf Coast University in addition to hosting and assisting local open mic nights throughout the community.
Justin Clark
Co-Director of Animal Rights
Justin is the co-founder of the Fort Myers Anonymous for the Voiceless Chapter. Anonymous for the Voiceless is an organization that hosts public demonstrations in which its members show the public videos of factory farming conditions and have conversations with the public about the subject of animal rights. Justin has been helping members of the public reach a vegan conclusion in their thought process about animals since November of 2017. In order to increase his effectiveness in creating a kinder world for animals, Justin has attended numerous academic trainings and lectures spanning across the subjects of societal change, individual behavioral change, animal ethics, and nutrition. In addition, he spends much of his free time studying debates, ethics, environmental science, and nutrition that relates to animal agriculture.
Shannon Blair
Director of Parenting and Activism
Shannon’s journey toward animal liberation really got going Thanksgiving Day, 1996, when she was just 9 years old. After she saw footage showing what happens to animals in order for them to end up on our plates, she never ate another animal again and immediately became an activist, stickering packages and holding demos outside of supermarkets. After about 2 decades of eating a vegetarian diet, Shannon was made aware of the atrocities occurring in the dairy industry — she had never heard this information before. She also watched Cowspiracy on Netflix and then made the decision to transition to a Vegan Lifestyle overnight. Shortly after, she found out how horrendous the egg industry is, another one she had been supporting during all that time as a vegetarian. Shannon now understood why those “crazy vegans” weren’t eating cheese or eggs — they weren’t so crazy after all. She got right back into activism — this time with more knowledge, more reasons, and an incredible amount of inspiration from her son, VeganEvan (who decided to go vegan the same day, even though she tried talking him out of it)! Shannon is fighting for the animals and for Evan’s future. She quit her job in 2017 to advocate, educate, and activate full-time. Shannon and Evan travel all over doing outreach & actions for the animals. They are in the process of starting up a new non-profit organization, the Animal Liberation Action Squad. Shannon is a Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator.
Chadwin Taylor
Autism Advocate
Chadwin Taylor has experienced a dramatic weight loss journey and discovered that his son has autism — both which have led him to a vegan lifestyle. Although he claims to be no guru in the world of fitness, special needs or vegan nutrition, Chadwin offers a humble perspective on taking personal responsibility over the lives we live and the world we shape. One choice at a time, he has reshaped his relationship with food, with animals, with Mother Earth and has learned his most valuable lesson from his 6 year old son — unconditional love.
Vegan Evan
Youth Ambassador
VeganEvan is a passionate and talented young animal advocate committed to creating a healthy, compassionate, and regenerative world. He is President & Spokesperson for Animal Hero Kids and also a spokesperson for the Solutionary Species movement. VeganEvan has spoken in front of large audiences at several major events throughout the country including the What the Health-Cowspiracy Conference, Central Florida Earth Day, the Animal Liberation Conference, Tampa Bay VegFest, the National Animal Rights Conference, Asheville Vegan Fest, VegFest Oahu, and many more!! He has been awarded the Russell Simmons Creative Animal Hero Kids Award, and in 2016, he earned PETA’s Cutest Vegan Kid award. More recently he was awarded the Shining World Leadership Award for Compassion from the Supreme Master Ching Hai Association. VeganEvan is a voice for the animals everywhere he goes! He enjoys leafleting, protesting, doing marches, Open Rescue, disruptions, and making videos and rap songs! Evan also participates in Anonymous for the Voiceless Cubes of Truth and Vigils with the Save Movement wherever he travels. Most of all, he loves visiting all of his rescued friends at the sanctuaries where they are happy, safe and free from harm.
DR. NICK BORJA
Director of Lifestyle Medicine/Consulting Physician
Dr. Nick Borja was born and raised in Miami and graduated from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. He trained in general surgery at Parkland Hospital and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern. Dr. Borja now focuses on helping to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases through evidence-based lifestyle modification. His preventive medicine practice guides clients towards an active, plant-based lifestyle to reach their best health. To that end, Dr. Borja offers one-on-one counseling, plant-based cooking demonstrations, and other interactive events for the community. To learn more, please visit nickborjamd.com
PAUL MURPHY
Sarasota Area Director
Paul Murphy is the Founder and Organizer of the Sarasota Vegan Society. This group is for community-building in the greater Sarasota area for the global vegan movement. Vegansism, the goal of which, is not to make everyone vegan, but to end speciesism. Even though veganism is for the animals, it has many benefits. Paul feels these include: being for the planet (Environment), to end climate change; for compassion, to end hunger; for empathy, to end poverty; for our health, to end sickness and disease; for love, to end racism; for world peace, to end wars; and for spiritual development, to end ignorance. Paul is involved with numerous organizations relating to having passion of life, appreciation of nature and well-being for all. His group has monthly events at local vegan-only restaurants, outings in nature (hikes, beach walks and kayak tours) with vegan picnics, vegan and nature-oriented documentary screenings, vegan activism, and various environmentally related issues impacting wildlife.
Food and Nutrition Advisors
CeCe Chen
CeCe Chen, a native of New Hampshire, is a mother, wife, helicopter pilot and certified health coach specializing in plant-based nutrition. CeCe earned her certification in Plant-Based Nutrition at the Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell under Dr. T. Colin Campbell, as well as certification in Health Coaching at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
She is the managing director of PlantPure communities Plant Pod Transform Health & Fitness. In addition to being a plant-based nutrition advocate, she also received her Barre certification at Exhale in New York City. She is the owner of The Wandering Moose Coffee and Gift Shop and Vertical Ventures Aviation located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
CeCe specializes in supporting individuals to make positive changes to lifestyle and nutrition based on a whole foods plant based diet and regular fitness. She coaches individual, group, and corporate clients through fitness sessions, workshops, cooking classes, and grocery shopping tours.
CeCe resides with her husband, Andrew, and their two children, Haley and Dillon, in Sugar Hill, NH.
Beth Perera
I am positively crazy about plant-based nutrition, and my goal is to share what I’ve learned with every living soul who eats. This is not always a popular path on which to walk, but I know this is right for me and for the planet. One of my happiest moments on this journey was reading an article in a large, well-respected medical journal, asking physicians to recommend a plant-based diet to all patients.(1) Beth 2017 in blue apron holding book.
I ate everything for the first 47 years of my life, and like so many others, until I had a health crisis, I was not motivated to change anything. I consider myself one of the lucky ones, because I had the opportunity to make some changes. I had painful arthritis-like symptoms in my feet to the point where I could not comfortably wear shoes. Living in Vermont, I knew shoes were not optional, at least not in the winter! Arthritis “ran in my family,” with older relatives having knees and hips replaced. I was far too young for these aches and pains, so I started reading. What I discovered changed my life. I did some online reading, and then picked up the book Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I discovered that arthritis did not run in my family; cheese ran in the family! I eliminated dairy products, and within seven months, my feet were back to normal. I was elated! Then I was angry… angry that this was not common knowledge. I purged my kitchen of all animal products and went on a binge… an educational binge. Read more here https://positivelyplants.com/
Rohini Bajekal
Rohini Bajekal is a nutritionist (MA Oxon, MSc Nutrition and Food Sciences, Dip IBLM/ BSLM) and an International Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional. She provides evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle advice to her clients, focusing on a whole food plant-based approach. A keen recipe developer, Rohini is passionate about making delicious, affordable and healthy plant-based meals. She is a Cookery Teacher at Made in Hackney, the UK’s only plant-based local community cookery school and charity.
As a women’s health advocate, Rohini is Brand Manager for Women for Women’s Health (WfWh), a voluntary service set up to empower women of all ages to make lifestyle choices that will help improve their own health as well as that of their families. Find out more about Rohini and her work at www.rohinibajekal.com or follow her on Instagram for daily nutrition tips. You can also reach her via email at [email protected].
CYD NOTTER
Cyd Notter is a graduate of the Center for Nutrition Studies, a certified instructor for The Starch Solution and other dietary courses, a past newspaper columnist, and the founder/author of The “Plan A” Diet. She offers a variety of health and cooking classes, provides nutritional coaching on both individual and corporate levels, speaks to local groups, and has worked with school district employees and a hospital’s fitness center. Her book, titled The “Plan A” Diet, released in October, 2019.
Natalie Bianchi - Gen Z Advisor
I am a born in 2004 member of Generation Z and I am a 17 year old vegan! I am a senior at Liverpool High School with plans to pursue a degree in Environmental Policy as my next educational step. I have been vegan for almost three years, and vegetarian for over seven years while living in a house of omnivores. I am especially invested in the health and environmental aspects of veganism, and have done two major research projects regarding the impact of veganism in both of those areas. As far as my life outside of academics and veganism, I am involved with many activities around my community and school! I founded a Campus Action Network for the National Organization for Women, am involved with the YMCA Youth and Government program at the state and national level, have been a Girl Scout for over six years, founded a Book Club at my school, am the president of our school’s Spanish Club! When I have time to spare, I love to read, thrift, and try new vegan restaurants with my friends! I am so glad to be able to contribute to the vegan movement in whatever way I can, as it is something I am so passionate about.
John Markadakis - Raw Food Advisor
Consultants
Dr. Michael Klaper
Consulting Physician
Michael A. Klaper, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He received postgraduate training in internal medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, and orthopedics at University of British Columbia teaching hospitals in Vancouver and obstetrics at the University of California at San Francisco. He has practiced acute care medicine in Hawaii, Canada, California, Florida and New Zealand and for the past 35 years us been focusing upon health-promoting food and lifestyle choices to help prevent the need for hospitalization and surgery.
A long-time radio host and a pilot, Dr. Klaper has served as nutrition advisor to NASA’s programs for space colonists on the Moon and Mars. He makes the latest information on health and nutrition available through his website, DoctorKlaper.com, where visitors can find the latest nutrition information through his numerous articles and videos, subscribe to his free newsletter, “Medicine Capsule” and support his “Moving Medicine Forward” Initiative to get applied nutrition taught in medical schools.
Dr. Nitu Bajekal
Consulting Physician
Dr Nitu Bajekal, MD is a Senior Consultant ObGyn in the UK with over 30 years of clinical experience. She is a Fellow of the Royal College and recipient of the Indian President’s Gold medal.
She is one of the first US board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physicians in the UK. She has written the women’s health module for the first UK University based plant based nutrition course.
She is the founder of Women for Women’s Health, a voluntary service set up to educate, energise and empower women to make lifestyle choices to help improve their own and their families’ health.
Dr Bajekal is passionate about educating women, providing reliable medical and lifestyle information for the general public, doctors, workplaces and schools.
She is a committed vegan, personally benefiting from this lifestyle.
Dr. Rajiv Bajekal
Consulting Physician
Mr Rajiv Bajekal is an experienced Orthopaedic Surgeon with an interest in spinal surgery.
He was appointed Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in 1998 and has been working in London at the Royal Free London NHS foundation Trust since 2002. He has published widely and lectures Nationally and Internationally besides being a Senior examiner for the FRCS Orthopaedics.
In 2016 he had some personal health problems and had put on a lot of weight with time in the UK. He and his wife researched diet and nutrition and he embarked on a way of living a healthier life with compassion and care for the environment. In the process, he lost 25 kg of weight, reversed his prediabetes and found a new zest for helping patients live a healthier life,
He decided to study lifestyle medicine as a lot of the disorders affecting people nowadays are lifestyle related and he and his wife (Consultant Gynaecologist) both studied and passed the Diploma examination in Lifestyle Medicine conducted by the American board of lifestyle medicine, He and his wife Nitu are now certified lifestyle medicine practitioners with a Diploma from the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine- by far his proudest achievement.
Lifesyle medicine is a relatively new approach to the management of chronic diseases as a result of widespread recognition that conditions such as Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes etc. are totally preventable and can be reversed or ‘cured’ by changes in lifestyle, because they are in fact caused largely by lifestyle especially dietary excesses.
There is little doubt that conditions such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiac problems, Eczema, Asthma, Alzheimer’s disease and indeed even a lot of Cancers are related to lifestyle of the patient. Until now, these were often blamed on ‘bad genes’ or unavoidable.
While the ill effects of smoking, overuse of alcohol, stress and lack of sleep are more clearly accepted by patients, they are often sensitive about their diet and most believe they have a ‘healthy diet’, based on what they have read.
Chronic health conditions cannot be managed purely by medication. That is a very naïve way of looking at it. Real change though must come from the patient. A lifestyle medicine practitioner is trained to give guidance, motivate, monitor change and assist the patient in a quest for better health. He and his wife now practice medicine hoslistically- looking at the causes and prevention of chronic illness while at the same time treating problems. They also lecture on lifestyle medicine and prevention of long term ill health.
Carey Ralston
Consulting Chef + Mental Health Advocate
Founder of Hallway Stories. Advocates for feeling good. Believes that when we feel good we experience more in life and when we experience more in life we share more with others and when we share more with others from a place of feeling good then we inspire, empower and become the light!
JAMI DULANEY, MD
Consulting Physician
Dr. Dulaney practices Cardiology and Primary Care in her Wellness Practice in Port Charlotte, Florida. Members of her practice have the opportunity of attending three different nutrition class per week. Through plant based nutrition education, she has had remarkable success in reversing lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and autoimmune diseases. She co-authored the Plant Based Wellness Cookbook, three generations of cooking with the Doctor, the Dietitian, and the Diva that showcases family recipes and those taught in her nutrition class. Dr. Dulaney is also an endurance athlete having completed 7 full Ironman Distance Triathlons, 2 ultramarathons, and over 25 marathons. She enjoys backyard gardening with a passion for tropical fruit trees and vegetables. Dr. Dulaney also is an ethical vegan and a passionate rescuer of German Shepherd Dogs. She is the host of the Jami Dulaney, MD Plant Based Wellness Podcast with over 229 episodes posted weekly.
Ariel Hoover
Environmental Consultant
Ariel Hoover, M.A. is a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, trained in Pittsburgh in 2017 and again in 2019 in Atlanta with climate leaders from around the world, and is co-founder of the Lee County Climate Reality Project. She was an educator in public schools as well as an instructor at Tufts University in Boston in special programs. She considers this work to be the most important of her life.
Gabriel
Affiliated Music Artists
Senator Jaiz
Senator Jaiz is an experimental electronic ambient artist. He is also the composer and audio point person for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in the Digital Media department. Being a steadfast vegan for four years, he uses his music to help spread the word on the wondrous benefits of veganism to our bodies, spirits and the world.
His experimental music is so varied, it does not fit in any single category. He is a product of his influences, which include Jean-Michel Jarre, Gary Numan, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, and let’s just say this list could get pretty long so we will leave it there.
Senator Jaiz’s music is geared for the glorious soundtrack we call life. The elevated quality of his work means it can be a backdrop for your day to day, or even a forefront to help get you through tough times. He is loved by many including gamers, film makers, manga/anime fans, readers, students, and all other dreamers who want something different for their music.
Blue Gators
Watching the Blue Gators play is a musical journey. While some songs may have a similar feel each song is unique. This is a multi-genre band that includes Blues, Classic Rock, Funk, Americana and Latin Fusion in their mix. Joe Scherben brings his love for music to the lineup and you can hear the different influences from his favorite artists including Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Jethro Tull and Eric Clapton. He and his wife Kalena have played together in a number of different groups over the years but with this band they have allowed their creativity to take the stage. Collaborating with Patrick Russell on drums the group creates a familiar but fresh mix of songs that are easy to love.
Treblehawk
Labeled by indie radio stations as, “Tribal Blues”, Treblehawk is so much more. They capture the sound of tears falling in the river, the smile of a dog, the weeping of trees in a forgotten forest, the heartbeat from a mothers belly. Weather it is one of their innumerable original compositions, or their spin of current or past favorite, Treblehawk puts music to the longing in your soul and gives emotion a melody. CLICK HERE to find out more.