MEET the PRESENTERS!
Mareya Ibrahim-Jones is an award-winning chef, nutritionist, inventor, author, and television personality dedicated to helping people build strength, vitality, and confidence through real food. With more than three decades in the health and wellness industry—including hosting national TV shows, competing on Next Level Chef season 5 with Gordon Ramsay, and speaking on stages across the country—she has inspired millions to rethink what healthy living looks like. As the creator of the FIT Framework and host of The Real Dish podcast, Mareya empowers women, especially those over 40, to embrace their power era by focusing on muscle, metabolic health, longevity, and sustainable nutrition. Her practical, science-backed approach proves that eating well isn’t about restriction—it’s about building a stronger life.
Chef Andre Rush is a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant and celebrity chef, best known for his impressive 24-inch biceps and his tenure as a White House chef for four presidential administrations. He is also a dedicated mental health advocate who famously performs 2,222 push-ups a day to raise awareness for veteran suicide prevention
Kai Greene is a renowned American professional bodybuilder, artist, and actor. Nicknamed “The Predator” and “The People’s Champ,” he is celebrated for his immense muscularity, incredible leg development, and highly artistic posing routines. Kai’s eating philosophy centers on massive food volume and unwavering discipline, featuring up to 7 pounds of chicken, six to eight meals daily, and 4,000 calories per sitting. He emphasizes rapid-absorbing proteins like egg whites and has even explored plant-based and premium organic diets. He is famous for his dedication to his diet. By buying in bulk, maximizing cheap protein sources, and seasoning simply, you can reach your macronutrient goals without breaking the bank.
Courtney Sanderson is a fitness influencer with 1 million followers. She is a multi-talented Gymnast, Bodybuilder & Foodie! She is known for her YouTube series where she shares tips on bulking, training, and the foods she eats to support her journey including meal prep and baking with supplements.
Vegpreneur, The Global Community for Founders and Investors Building Plant-Based Businesses.
James Wilks is an English former professional mixed martial artist, elite combat instructor, and documentary filmmaker. Fighting in the welterweight division, he is best known for winning Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom in 2009 and producing the highly successful Netflix documentary The Game Changers about a UFC fighter’s world being turned upside down when he discovers an elite group of world-renowned athletes and scientists who prove that everything he had been taught about protein was a lie.
Vegan Bodybuilders
Giacomo Marchese is an actively competing champion vegan bodybuilder, powerlifter, coach, and co-founder of VeganProteins Online Coaching, where together with their team, they have helped over 2,500 clients build muscle, improve their relationship with food, and transform their lives without compromising their ethics. A vegan for over 22 years, Giacomo’s journey began with his own body image struggles and unhealthy relationship with food. As he saw his family’s health worsen, he decided to make a change and to become a shining example of what’s possible on a plant-based diet.
Giacomo is also a founding member of Team PlantBuilt, the largest team of vegan strength athletes in the world, and a core athlete with the Vegan Strong Team, traveling the country to educate and inspire through live events and outreach. Through his work, Giacomo challenges stereotypes about veganism, fitness, and body image, combining science-based strategies with compassionate coaching to empower others to take control of their health in a sustainable way.
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Dani Taylor is a champion vegan bodybuilder, coach, and co-founder of VeganProteins Online Coaching, where they have helped over 2,500 clients build muscle, improve their relationship with food, and transform their lives without compromising their ethics. A vegan for over 25 years, Dani’s journey began in her teens when, after growing up on a diet of processed foods and reaching 210 pounds by age 17, she discovered veganism and strength training. She went on to lose 90 pounds, become a figure competition champion, and dedicate her life to showing others what’s possible on a plant-based diet.
Dani is also a founding member of Team PlantBuilt, the largest team of vegan strength athletes in the world, and a core athlete with the Vegan Strong Team, traveling the country to educate and inspire through live events and outreach. Through her work, Dani challenges stereotypes about veganism, fitness, and body image, combining science-based strategies with compassionate coaching to empower others to take control of their health in a sustainable way.
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Vinnie Crapello is a member of the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Team, a USPA ULTRA Nationals champion powerlifter with multiple state records, 17 years of strict ethical veganism, 5 years vegetarian before that, 7 years as a fitness instructor, and even some time as a luchador. The limit does not exist when it comes to making delicious and nutritious vegan food to help fuel for daily life, workouts, or making gains and shattering expectations. Where do vegan get their protein? Guess you’ll have to come find out.
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Alice Robeson is a pro women’s bodybuilder. She’s won 2 pro cards in 2024 and went on to compete at the natural bodybuilding world championships — all powered by plants. She is a lifetime-natural athlete, and only competes in drug-tested bodybuilding federations. Vegan since 2018, she’s built her entire athletic career on a plant‑based diet, which helps her manage ulcerative colitis and compete at an elite level. She’s also a strongwoman athlete, fresh off her first strongman competition this January.
Her goals are to step on stage again in 2027 at the natural bodybuilding world championships. She hopes to focus on her strongwoman career in 2028.
Alice is a sponsored athlete with the Vegan Strong Plant Built Team. Off stage, Alice is a full‑time coach with Vegan Proteins, where she’s coaching hundreds of vegans, helping them lose weight, build strength, and compete in strength sports.
She also is a self-published ebook author of Athlete’s Guide to Go Vegan. Her book includes most of her favorite high-protein vegan recipes. You can find her book for sale at veganproteins.com.
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Meet US in Vegan Strong Booth # 325
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Esther Mangeno-Padilla (in Vegan Strong Booth only) is an elite hybrid athlete, competitive Strongwoman, and certified fitness, yoga and nutrition coach. Driven by functional performance and heavy lifting, she specializes in bridging the gap between peak endurance and high level power development. As a dedicated plant-based competitor, Esther uses her platform to prove that elite strength and athletic excellence are fully fueled by a vegan and holistic lifestyle.
Suzie Mangeno is a Registered Nurse, CrossFit athlete, and two-time CrossFit Semifinalist who has been proudly vegan since 2018. After experiencing firsthand how a plant-based lifestyle improved her health, enhanced her recovery, and supported her performance, she became passionate about helping others discover the benefits of incorporating more plant-based foods into their lives. She believes that proper nutrition is a powerful tool for optimizing both everyday wellness and athletic performance.
Through years of training and competition, Suzie has shown that strength, endurance, and resilience can be built on plants. Whether she’s preparing for competition, recovering from training, or creating nutritious meals, her goal is to make plant-based eating approachable, enjoyable, and performance-focused. She is passionate about helping fellow athletes and active individuals confidently include more plant-based options into their lifestyle without sacrificing flavor, satisfaction, or results.
