Culinary Ambassadors
The Meatless Monday Culinary Ambassadors
Meatless Monday Culinary Ambassadors are professionals dedicated to providing plant-based and vegetarian meal expertise across a variety of specialties. These experts are available for culinary-related opportunities, including recipe development, offering tips and expertise for promotion through social media, PR and traditional media and conferences and events.
Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about how we can work together.
The views, information, or opinions expressed by Meatless Monday Culinary Ambassadors are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily represent those of Meatless Monday, The Monday Campaigns, Grace Communications Foundation or its employees.
Ivan Castro
VeganArtisan.com / LaBartola.com
Specialties: Chef, Media Spokesperson
Ivan Castro is an experienced chef who has been passionate about plant-based cooking for more than 5 years. He completed a four year chef training program at CESSA University in Mexico City and also attended the Natural Gourmet Institute and Plant Lab by Matthew Kenney. Ivan found his passion for cooking at an early age in his hometown of Mexico City. This is where he was inspired by his mother and grandmother who taught him the art of homemade Mexican cooking. He strives to bring both his passion for authentic Mexican flavors and international contemporary cuisine, his commitment to organic and plant-based ingredients, and a creative new twist to his new projects.
He has also launched a series of secret vegan dinners at his house, a project designed around the magic that happens in the kitchen. The idea was such a success that he was inspired to take the idea and open his restaurant, La Bartola, in Toronto. After first becoming a vegetarian, Castro went vegan. Now, through La Bartola, he’s working to help others down the same path.
Facebook: @LaBartolaToronto / Instagram: @LaBartola.Ca / @VeganArtisan
Dan Churchill, Chef
Specialties: Chef, Media Spokesperson, Health/Fitness
Dan Churchill is the Executive Chef at Charley St, a fast casual restaurant in Nolita. He holds a Masters in Exercise Science (strength & conditioning). He was born on the beaches of Sydney, Australia and currently resides in New York City. Dan is the author of three books and has appeared on notable programs such as ABC’s Good Morning America and the TODAY show. He has his own series on the Discovery Network called Feast with Friends, as well as his own production company called The Epic Table. His podcast of the same name focusing on performance, health and food launched in June of 2019.
Facebook: @danthehealthycook / Instagram: @dan_churchill / Twitter: @churchill_dan
Kevin Curry
Specialties: Media Spokesperson, Author, Health/Fitness
Kevin Curry is the founder of FitMenCook, an online community that inspires men and women to eat healthy and stay fit with healthy recipes that in Kevin’s words, “are never, ever boring.” With over 2 million followers around the world, Kevin has become one of today’s most sought-after personalities in nutrition, health and wellness.
In addition to his social media following, Kevin also founded the FitMenCook App, which is popular in over 80 countries. In 2018, Kevin released his first cookbook. Since the launch of FitMenCook in 2012, Kevin has been featured in national online publications such as Forbes, Men’s Health, SELF, and Shape Magazine as well as television appearances on Live! With Kelly and Ryan, Rachael Ray Show, TODAY, Good Morning America, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team and many others. His latest venture is the launch of his own line of spices and wellness teas called The Fit Cook.
Facebook: @FitMenCook / Instagram: @FitMenCook / Twitter: @FitMenCook
Eddie Garza, Chef
Specialties: Chef, Media Spokesperson, Author, Culinary Coach
Eddie Garza is a plant-based chef, cookbook author, and host of “Global Bites with Eddie Garza” on OzTube. Eddie and his work to reform food systems in marginalized communities have been featured by a wide variety of media outlets in the United States and abroad, including CNN, ¡HOLA! TV, The Washington Post, People, Telemundo, Univision and many more. He is also the author of several cookbooks including ¡Salud! Vegan Mexican Cookbook and The 30-Day Vegan Meal Plan for Beginners.
Eddie has cooked for a host of plant-powered stars in the television, film and music industries. He grew up in the Mexican-American border town of Brownsville, Texas, a region plagued by childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Like many of his childhood peers, Eddie struggled with serious weight problems from an early age, maxing out at 310 pounds by the time he was 21 years old. It was when he transitioned to a plant-centric diet that Eddie was able to naturally lose over 150 pounds and reverse his declining health. Eddie is a sought-after speaker, culinary coach, and thought leader on issues related to plant-based health and has lectured and presented at top universities, culinary schools, and major conferences in the US and Latin America.
Facebook: @TheEddieGarza / Instagram: @TheEddieGarza / Twitter: @TheEddieGarza
Robert E. Graham, MD, Chef
Specialties: Health/Nutrition, Medicine, Chef, Media Spokesperson
Dr. Graham is a Harvard trained physician, Board Certified in both Internal and Integrative Medicine and has over 15 years of clinical experience, as well as a Masters of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. In 2018, Dr. Graham became one of less than twenty doctor/chefs worldwide, as he obtained his culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute. Dr. Graham is a “food fighter” and a leader in the field of Integrative/Functional and Holistic Medicine has prescribed “food as medicine” for over 15 years and has taught over 500 healthcare workers, mostly doctors, how to cook whole food, plant-based meals, and created the first edible rooftop garden on a hospital in NYC. His practice, FRESH Med, is an integrative medicine practice where FRESH stands for Food, Relaxation, Exercise, Sleep and Happiness.
Facebook: @freshmednyc / Instagram: @freshmednyc / Twitter: @freshmednyc
Ayindé Howell
Specialties: Chef, Media Spokesperson, Author
Ayindé Howell is a lifelong vegan, chef, and food activist advocating against food apartheid and disrupting the food industry to the sound of happy forks hitting the plate. He began selling vegan food with his mother out of the back of their Toyota minivan when he was 13 years old. That experience, plus 20 years as a restaurant chef, evolved into iEatGrass, LLC, a chef-run, taste focused, certified minority-owned, plant-based food manufacturing company. At first, the goal was to carry on the family legacy through a coveted recipe from Grandma Fluker, passed down to Ayindè by his father on a mission to show that you could be plant-based and still enjoy a good old fashioned American meal like Mac & Cheese. The mission has evolved heavily since then, Ayindé now aims to feed delicious and healthy, plant-based food to the world. He is passionate about the environmental impact the food industry has and every vegan meal is one step toward a healthier planet. With a deep focus on underserved communities and BIPOC organizations, Ayindè is committed to changing how people perceive and experience vegan soul food. The more people see themselves represented in a vegan lifestyle, the more they will be willing to participate in it. iEatGrass, LLC. is committed to giving 5% of all revenue to organizations that directly support and uplift BIPOC communities.
His food is available directly on his website, www.ieatgrass.com for nationwide delivery. His original Mac & Yease can also be found at Whole Foods stores in Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona and Hawaii and Costco stores in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico. His Jalapeño Mac & Yease launched at Costco stores in the Los Angeles region in May 2021 and launched at Costco in Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and New Orleans in July 2021.
Facebook: @iEatGrassDotCom / @MacandYease / Instagram: @Ayinde / @MacandYease / @iEatGrassDotCom / YouTube: @iEatGrassDotCom
Susanne Kirlew aka “Kirly-Sue”
Specialties: Author, Media Spokesperson, Vegan Cook
Susanne Kirlew aka “Kirly-Sue” is an award winning published author, vegan social media influencer & TV presenter. Kirly-Sue was named as one of the Top 100 in the Lift Effects Star Awards. Kirly-Sue stars in a vegan cooking show on Amazon Prime called Kirly-Sue’s Global Kitchen, which is currently available in the UK & the USA. Kirly-Sue also has a new plant based cookbook called “Cooking with Kids.” Kirly-Sue has also been a keynote speaker at events in the UK, USA, Singapore, Dubai, Norway and more.
Facebook: @Kirly.Sues.Kitchen / Instagram: @KirlySuesKitchen / Twitter: @KirlySueKitchen
Priyanka Naik, Chef
Specialties: Chef, Media Spokesperson, Author
Priyanka Naik is a self-taught Indian vegan chef, Food Network champion, Quibi Dishmantled Winner, TV Host, and Author. She is a food and TV personality and is the author of THE MODERN TIFFIN out on November 2, 2021 (available for pre-order now). Her globally inspired original recipes, with a focus on sustainability, have been featured on her blog Chef Priyanka, IGTV and are incorporated into her regular speaking appearances. She has been featured on GLAMOUR, Kitchn, The TODAY Show, Bon Appétit, CNN, Forbes, GQ, The Beet, Well + Good, Medium, and more. Priyanka is first-generation, Indian American, raised on Staten Island, New York. Her Indian heritage is very important to her cooking style and lifestyle, so much so that she even learned her native language of Kannada before English and weaves in Indian elements throughout all of her original vegan cooking. She attributes her devotion to her Indian roots and passion for Indian food to her loving and supportive parents.
Facebook: @ChefPriyanka / Instagram: @ChefPriyanka / Twitter: @ChefPriyanka
Peter Sokolski
Muhlenberg College Dining, dining.muhlenberg.edu
Specialties: Foodservice/Catering Chef
Chef Peter Sokolski started cooking at 19 years old. While pursuing a criminal justice degree at Arcadia University as well as Eastern University, he started working at a fresh market and enjoyed the world of cooking. The chef there took Sokolski under his wing, taught him the ins and outs of the kitchen, cooking techniques, and more. From there, he knew his heart belonged in the culinary world. He has held many jobs within the kitchen, including dishwasher, prep cook, and line cook. With no formal training, Sokolski worked his way up and eventually became the Catering Executive Sous Chef at Muhlenberg College. In his free time, he enjoys fitness, soccer, and hanging out with his family. He has an 11 month old daughter, and one on the way!
Facebook: @BergDining / @RedDoorCater / Instagram: @BergDining
Sara Tercero, Chef
Specialties: Chef, Media Spokesperson, Author
Sara Tercero is the Chef behind the popular blog and Instagram BetterFoodGuru and the Author of 30 Days to a Plant-based Diet: A Cookbook and Meal Plan for Beginners. Sara has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives while working as the Chef and Kitchen Manager at Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe. She has built a large community through her blog, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok where she shares easy, healthy, and tasty recipes inspired by global flavors that will make you want to eat your vegetables. Her specialties are vegan Indian inspired dishes, Rainbow Salads and Mediterranean and Mexican Inspired cuisines. It is Sara’s mission to prove that plants are delicious and help others cook and eat their way to health and happiness.
Facebook: @BetterFoodGuru / Instagram: @BetterFoodGuru / Twitter: @BetterFoodGuru
To learn more about the Meatless Monday , contact us at [email protected].