CHARM

I met with Omri Paz from his brand new office in New York City to discuss his recent expansion into the United States, the animal rights movement, and how his super successful organization is serving the vegan communities around the world.

How was veganism introduced to you?

At the age of 29, after eating meat all of my life, I came across the YouTube video titled “Best Speech You Will Ever Hear,” by Gary Yourofsky. His lecture talked about factory farming, and I became vegan that same day.

Did you have any vegan family members or friends to inspire and support you?

After I became vegan, all of my family members became vegan as well. My dad is vegetarian, but for him, it’s a big achievement. My best friend still eats meat but very seldom. Luckily for me, I am surrounded by mostly vegans, so I have a very supportive environment.

What was the animal rights movement like when you decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle?

When I started (2012), the vegan movement in Israel had just begun. There were fewer than one  percent vegans, no vegan restaurants, and almost no vegan options in the supermarket. It was honestly difficult being vegan in those days. 

Had you any previous experience establishing a vegan non-profit?

Honestly, I didn’t have any relevant experience in establishing a vegan non-profit. I was a law student at the time. I had no experience in graphic design, marketing, sales, social media, or technology. I had no connections or resources. I was motivated by the graphic videos that I saw and decided to dedicate my life to get to a vegan world. The knowledge that factory farming is the biggest injustice in history and that I believe I can create an impact as an individual was my motivation.

Did you have help, and who was there to support you?

Honestly, during the first three or four years, I didn’t have any help from anyone besides my girlfriend at the time who was very supportive. My family (mostly my mom) was also helpful at the beginning.

What is an average day for you?

I wake up at 7:30, read the newspaper, work out for 20 minutes, and take a shower. I go to the office with my dog. We walk by the park, which is majestic. At the office, I usually spend my time in meetings and planning projects or executing projects. I typically finish work around 8 pm and walk back home with my dog.

With so many people trying to make their mark on society, what do you attribute your success to?

Hard work and doing what I believe is right, striving to learn new things and improving myself just a little bit more every day.

What do you believe is the reason for Israel’s large vegan population?

The Gary Yourofsky speech started the vegan boom in Israel in 2012, but since then, we have had big success due to the hard work of activists and vegan nonprofit organizations. Since we are a small country, it’s easier to have a message spread fast through the population. Also, the diet here is relatively vegan since it’s a Mediterranean diet.

How can the United States learn from Israel’s vegan population increase?

Do not be afraid to invest in dietary change. Most of the activism in the States is welfare focused.

In your opinion, how will the world’s vegan population reach critical mass?

By working on making veganism accessible and by raising awareness. Obviously, food tech companies and cultivated products will help tremendously. 

Can you describe 3 major benchmarks in your story that are responsible for where you are today?

1. Watching the Gary Yourofsky speech. This was the first time I was exposed to this subject. I made a strong physical connection to the dairy industry video. Seeing that really got me.
2. Doing many large-scale events made me professional in what I do. 
3. Creating the 3-step model to make Vegan Friendly self-sustainable in countries we operate in.

What is your 3-Step Model?

First, we create a community through social media, our app, and the website. Second, we approach vegan friendly or close to vegan-friendly businesses in the area to be more vegan-friendly. This is done by adding more vegan options, making their workplaces more accessible, as well as labeling your products. Lastly, after the relationships are established, we work with them to create benefits and customer discounts for their customer base.

When a person joins our organization with a monthly donation they receive those benefits. The recurring donations pay for our campaigns which we launch every couple of months. We also offer a team of consultants to show businesses how to become more vegan-friendly and suggest resource options they can use to acquire vegan products.

How do you convince businesses to join your program?

We solicit all types of businesses, not only restaurants. We work with hotels, clothing stores, wedding halls, etc.

By doing annual surveys…using platforms like Survey Monkey, our experts create questionnaires that have attracted upwards of 50,000 participants in one month. Participants enter to win prizes by answering the questions. We then use this data to benefit the businesses we work with.

Who does Vegan Friendly consist of?

Our organization is made up of 52 full-time employees – 40 people in Israel, 7 people in the UK, and now 5 people in the U.S. We also have hundreds of volunteers. Our volunteers are great, but you can’t rely on them in the long run. You need full-time staff. You want people to have one main thing to focus on in their job.