Meet our Influencers
Influencers
Our Influencers
Amanda Grace Benitez is a Panamanian American actress born and raised in Los Angeles where she currently resides. Amanda has been plant-based her entire life. In the winter of 2021, she launches her fashion line "PRAER," a vegan clothing line made of recycled and organic materials and inspired by her Panamanian culture. Additionally, Amanda has a robust acting career, starring in movies and shows on Netflix, Hulu, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network, amongst others.
Anna Maiche is an actress and animal rights/environmental activist. Growing up in the Caribbean, Anna’s love for the ocean began at a young age. Her father showed her the beauty of marine life by taking her to the ocean every weekend, pointing out all the life that surrounded them. Her mother showed her the importance of compassion towards animals by rescuing every cat or dog in distress. Anna finds that incorporating sustainable practices into her life is one of the easiest ways to protect the Earth and its inhabitants. She follows a vegetarian diet and is an advocate for sustainable fashion. Anna’s hope for the future is that we can create an environment that is safe for all beings.
Marilyn Hucek is an emerging American-Chilean pop artist and singer-songwriter. During the stay-at-home order of 2020, Marilyn’s father, who has Alzheimer’s, contracted coronavirus while at a retirement home. To cope with her inability to visit him, Marilyn turned to songwriting and gave life to a special song she dedicated to her father--a song that soon became her debut single. Since then, Marilyn has released several singles and an EP which collectively received tens of thousands of streams on Spotify. Marilyn is passionate about health, the environment, and animals. She is an advocate for sustainable fashion and maintains a plant-based diet.
With 25+ years of martial arts training and a third-degree black belt in karate, Layla Luciano is known for her intense mobility and strength and conditioning workouts in both her group fitness classes and with her personal clients. Layla strives to give her clients the strength and energy to be the best version of themselves to improve their mind, body, and spirit. Layla is on a mission to show the world the power of plants as a vegan athlete and herbalist in training.
Jessica Salazar is a former fashion professor and Texas State University coach, where she was a student-athlete coaching youth sports. Jessica later studied fashion with a focus on sustainability. She believes that compassion towards animals is an important issue both in the fashion industry and in the choices we make every day. As a vegan and animal welfare activist, Jessica coordinates vegan-friendly events that support animal shelters, local brands, and ethical goods, where a portion of the proceeds are donated to local animal rescues. Jessica has spoken at Vegan Fashion Week and San Antonio VegFest about her passion for animal welfare and cruelty-free living.
Michaela Podolsky grew up surrounded by fashion and makeup and was always interested in beauty and color. After battling with her insecurities for years, Michaela took it upon herself to learn everything she could about skincare. She now teaches her followers the importance of being comfortable in their own skin and overcoming their fears. She’s been featured in The Cut, Gotham, Glamour, Allure, InStyle, and many more.
Candice Walker is the recipe creator, photographer, and food blogger behind Proportional Plate – a food blog dedicated to sharing Persian, Jewish, and fusion recipes inspired by her mixed heritage and travels. Plus, she is a matcha tea fiend and cooks with it anytime she can! Candice has been interviewed on podcasts like the AllRecipes Homemade Podcast, and Eat Blog Talk, and has been named one of Perez Hilton's 'Who's Who' that you need to know.
Christina Colondres is passionate about two things more than any other: travel and nature. She has worked with numerous brands and tourism boards to help develop more sustainable global travel options. Christina believes in protecting our planet and advocates for for green energy, sustainable lifestyle changes, and conservation projects. She has a Masters in Conservation Biology focused on Animal Behavior & Welfare, and has studied various species to help improve their welfare. Christina is currently using her scientific background and gift for communications to lead social media campaigns and stakeholder engagement with numerous organizations. She is excited to be a World Animal Protection Influencer and use her personal platform to advocate for improved global animal welfare.
Charlise Rookwood is the founder of VeganSoulicious and creator and host of The Black Vegan Cooking Show. Being of Jamaican and Mauritian descent, Charlise takes pride in veganizing the foods she was raised eating. Charlise has also spent over 20 years in the music industry as a singer/songwriter, regularly visits schools where she teaches kids about plant-based cooking, and runs a plant-based catering company that supplies vegan baked goods to NYC cafés. Her mission is to help everyone live a healthier, cleaner life, and help communities of color eat healthy, plant-based meals without losing the flavors they enjoy. Charlise believes that we have a moral imperative to choose and advocate for plant-based diets for the health of our planet and the well-being and survival of generations to come.
Through Tariq Spears’ zoology studies in college, his passion and knowledge for animal welfare expanded. Seven years ago, he transformed his lifestyle and adopted a vegan diet because he “refused to contribute to the mass suffering of animals.” When Roman, his cat of eight years, sadly passed away, Tariq looked within himself to see how deeply connected our ecosystem is to all of us--and that he had to change if he wanted a future. Tariq plans to use his zoological and business background to help elevate our mission and be a better advocate for animals.
