Chef
Tara Punzone is an Italian American from New York who has thrived on a vegan diet for over thirty years. In 2018, Tara opened Pura Vita West Hollywood, the first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant and wine bar in the United States. She is also the winner of the National Award for "Chef of the Year" by
VegOut Magazine.
Gene Stone has written 50 books on a wide variety of subjects, but recently he has concentrated on writing (under his own name, as a co-writer, or as a ghostwriter) about plant-based diets and their relationship to animal protection, health, and the environment. These books include such titles as
Forks Over Knives, 72 Reasons to Be Vegan, How Not to Die, Living the Farm Sanctuary Life, Eat for the Planet, The Engine 2 Diet, and
Animalkind.