Compassionate companies are popping up left and right—and business is booming! More people than ever are switching to a cruelty-free vegan lifestyle, and the demand for animal-friendly products is at an all-time high.
For the latest installment of PETA Prime’s series on compassionate CEOs, we spoke with Monica Klausner, cofounder of Veestro, a gourmet vegan food company that offers meal delivery packages—a service that’s becoming increasingly popular.
Why do you think it’s important to be an all-vegan company?
For those of us at Veestro, having all-vegan meals is really important because we want to show everyone (especially nonvegans) that they’re not sacrificing taste, texture, diversity, or nutrition when they eat only plant-based foods. Plants are delicious, and I think that, sometimes, the only way to understand that is by having a positive experience with vegan food.
Which of your products do you eat the most at home?
Wow, that’s a hard one to answer, because we eat a lot of foods from Veestro at home—my freezer is always full of Veestro meals. But if I had to choose only a few, my favorites would be the Red Curry With Tofu, the Tuscan Calzone, and the Mushroom Stroganoff.
How have consumers embraced your products?
Our customers love our meals, and they’re constantly giving us feedback so that we can expand our offerings. We listen to our customers very closely, because we want to make sure that we’re serving their needs and feeding their happy!
What do you think will be the most exciting vegan food trend in the next year?
I think that meat replacements will continue to blow our minds. The most exciting e-mails I receive come from customers who tell me that they’re blown away by the flavor and texture of our meals (including those with our chick’n, f’sh, and shr’mp). They say that they never thought it would be this easy to be vegan.
How do you share your compassion for animals with those who aren’t so animal-friendly?
I stick to the facts. I find that people are more responsive when they feel that they’re not being judged, so I practice compassion without judgment when I speak about the issues that are important to me.
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to start a vegan business?
The best advice I can give anyone is to go for it. Starting any business is hard, but when you do what you love and you do it with passion and lots of compassion, it fills your life with meaning.
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Check back next month for another inspiring interview with a compassionate CEO.
