Host

Linda Middlesworth, aka the VeganMentor, has been living as an ethical plant-based vegan for over 35 years. At age 79, among Linda’s many accomplishments are: creating the Sacramento Vegan Society in 2008 which boasts 5,200 members and obtaining her certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition in 2018.

Linda is incredibly passionate about physical activity and is an aerobics instructor for CA Family Fitness, where she has taught cardio and weight training classes for the last 20 years. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through AFFA and an event organizer for Get Healthy Sacramento.

Linda is the founder of Go Healthy Live!, a series of virtual summits designed to reach people around the globe with healthy, plant-exclusive teaching. The series, Go Healthy LIVE, Go Compassionate LIVE and Go Sustainable LIVE, features doctors and leaders in health, animal advocacy and climate change.

Linda is also the co-owner (with her son Darren Middlesworth) of v-dog.com, a vegan dog food business that she and her late husband, David, launched in 2005 so dogs could benefit from a healthy, cruelty-free and environmentally friendly dog food. V-dog recently garnered international recognition as one of the Top 3 Best Specialty Dog Food Companies. Linda remains an active animal rights activist for PETA, DXE, Sacramento Animal Rights, Sacramento Animal Save, and Sacramento Health Save.

Linda was appointed to the Medical Advisory Board as Community Liaison for CNS, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in 2023.

Markus has been a dedicated environmental and animal activist for the past 6 years. He is currently the Head of Educational Outreach for the award-winning documentary “Eating Our Way to Extinction”.

Markus is also a regular volunteer for All Souls Animal Rescue, helping to care for horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, and chickens at this animal sanctuary located in Cool, California. Markus was a volunteer firefighter for 13 years and was a Silicon Valley executive.

Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop is the Executive Director of World Preservation Foundation. He worked until mid-2010 as Principal Scientist with the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Resources Management Remote Sensing Centre, where he witnessed 4% of the world's deforestation for over 20 years.

Following 37 years with the federal and state government, Gerard is now engaged in communicating environmental issues such as deforestation, land degradation and biodiversity loss, and is full of optimism that together humanity and our natural environment have a bright future.

Since 2015 he has been working as an advisor to the Zero Emissions Byron project.

Pete Reimann is a passionate animal rights activist with an unwavering dedication to making a difference. Pete's transformative journey began four years ago when he experienced a moment of awakening, transitioning to veganism after being deeply moved by a powerful video.

Since that pivotal instance, Pete's commitment to the cause has grown exponentially. Leveraging his skills as a seasoned public speaker, Pete has collaborated with prestigious groups such as PETA, DXE, SAVE, and Million Dollar Vegan, effectively using his voice to amplify the urgent message of animal rights.

Yet Pete's impact goes well beyond the podium. His role as a mentor at Animal Activism Mentorship has empowered numerous individuals to embark on their own advocacy journeys. With a remarkable personal record of rescuing over 100 animals, Pete truly embodies hands-on dedication to the cause.

As the founder of the 'Red Pill Pete' YouTube channel, he initiates thought-provoking conversations that challenge perspectives on animal rights. His influence extends across the nation as he leads impactful pressure campaigns, sparking transformative change and nurturing compassion for animals.

In a world that often lacks empathy, Pete Reimann emerges as a resolute advocate, giving voice to the voiceless and tirelessly paving the way for a kinder and more compassionate future.

Dr. Columbus Batiste is a board-certified Interventional Cardiologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine. From 2008 until 2020 he served as Chief of Cardiology. Over the years Dr. Batiste has been recognized for his work in the community and abroad by multiple organizations.

In 2010, Dr. Batiste sought to break-the-cycle of prescriptions and procedures as the sole management of chronic disease and began promoting a long-term solution for his patients through nutrition, stress reduction, and exercise. As a result, in 2011 Dr. Batiste established the Integrative Cardiovascular Disease Program (based at Kaiser Permanente). This program sought to prevent the re-occurrence of major adverse cardiac events in patients who were diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease by focusing on lifestyle modification. In 2016 Dr. Batiste led a group that collaborated with Samsung Technologies and developed a virtual cardiac rehabilitation program utilizing a Samsung wearable. Since its launch the program, which applies the principles of lifestyle, has treated nearly 10,000 patients.

Dr. Batiste’s mission is to share information so that “each-one can teach-one” about the benefits of plant-based nutrition, daily exercise, and stress reduction and therefore, provide everyone with the opportunity to take control of their health. This mission and his passion for the community has led to the formation of a non-profit organization called the Healthy Heart Nation, which provides education through lectures, newsletters, social and digital media.

President and Co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, Gene Baur has been hailed as “the conscience of the food movement” by Time magazine. Since the mid-1980s, he has worked to raise awareness about factory farming abuses and promoted a just and compassionate food system.

A pioneer in undercover investigations and animal rescue, Gene has visited hundreds of farms, stockyards, and slaughterhouses, documenting the deplorable conditions. His pictures and videos exposing cruelty have aired around the world, educating millions, and his rescue work inspired an international farm sanctuary movement.

Gene was instrumental in passing the first U.S. laws prohibiting cruel farming practices, and his work has been covered by major media organizations. He is the author of two bestsellers, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food (Simon and Schuster, 2008) and Living the Farm Sanctuary Life (Rodale, 2015). Gene has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.