Engage with knowledgeable speakers, presenting topics of health, compassion, and environmental regeneration.

SpeakersTopicsTime
Scott Harrington, MDThe Joyful Vegan: Thriving at Every Age11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Renee King-SonnenConfessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Smiriti Banthia, MDThe Cardiovascular Code: Rewiring Heart Health with Plants, Motion, Sleep, and Serenity2:00 - 2:45 PM
Environmental Panel3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Jacinda Shapiro, RN, CDCES, DipACLMSpeaker Coordinator

Scott Harrington, MD

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

The Joyful Vegan: Thriving at Every Age

The Joyful Vegan is about feeling great and creating a lifestyle you can enjoy for a lifetime. Dr. Scott Harrington takes a practical journey through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and healthy aging, exploring how thoughtfully planned vegan nutrition can help us thrive at every stage of life. With useful science, relatable examples, common pitfalls, and encouraging solutions, he’ll share practical strategies for making vegan living healthy, joyful, and sustainable for the long term.

Biography:
Scott Harrington, D.O., is a board-certified Family Medicine physician and a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He is the founder of Vegan Primary Care, where he combines conventional medical care with evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle interventions to help patients prevent and manage chronic disease. Dr. Harrington has followed a whole-food, plant-based vegan lifestyle since 2012, bringing both personal experience and clinical insight to his work. He has shared his expertise through community presentations. You may have seen him as a guest on Chef AJ’s YouTube channel, including the “Vegan Doc Talk” series. His approach is practical, encouraging, and grounded in the belief that healthy living should be effective, sustainable, and genuinely enjoyable.

Renee King-Sonnen of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher

In this deeply personal talk, Renee shares the story behind her new book—how love for one cow shattered everything she believed about ranching, food, faith, and family, and led to the birth of a sanctuary and a global message of transformation.

Biography
Renee King-Sonnen, Founder and Executive Director of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, has been at the forefront of animal rights activism internationally ever since she rescued her husband’s Texas herd from slaughter. She tells their story of former Texas cattle ranchers turned vegan at VegFests, conferences, animal rights rallies, and vegan celebrity events. Their story went viral on CBS Evening News in 2016, launching an international following and fanbase that propelled Rowdy Girl into the forefront of the Animal Rights Movement. In 2016, Renee won the VegNews prestigious “Vegan Rookie of the Year” Award. No longer a rookie, her voice can be heard on podcasts, news stories, documentaries, and magazine interviews all over the world. Renee’s journey is the subject of the documentary, Rowdy Girl: The Story of a Texas Cattle Rancher Who Went Vegan, streaming on Apple TV, GuideDoc, and Tubi. It also airs nationwide on PBS. Her debut memoir, Rowdy Girl: Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher, was published by Bloomsbury Publishing on June 25, 2026.

Smriti Banthia, MD

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

The Cardiovascular Code: Rewiring Heart Health with Plants, Motion, Sleep, and Serenity

Can we truly engineer a longer, more vibrant life? In this engaging session, Dr. Banthia—an MIT-trained engineer, electrophysiologist, and founder of the wellness app Onjoi—cracks The Cardiovascular Code to show you how.
True cardiovascular health and longevity extend far beyond the clinic; they are built daily through our lifestyle choices. This talk bridges scientific precision with practical, modern habits, exploring the powerful synergy of four life-changing pillars: plant-based nutrition, intentional movement, stress reduction, and restorative sleep.
Whether you are looking to optimize your personal fitness, reduce your cardiac risk, or unlock sustainable energy, you will walk away with actionable, evidence-based tools to effectively rewire your heart health from the inside out.

Biography:
Dr. Banthia is a unique medical pioneer, serving as a practicing electrophysiologist and the visionary founder of Onjoi, an innovative wellness app. Bridging technology and healthcare, she earned a degree in electrical engineering from MIT before completing her extensive medical training at Indiana University, Harvard, and Northwestern. This powerful blend of engineering precision and clinical expertise drives her passion for modern health solutions.

Outside the clinic, Dr. Banthia is dedicated to lifelong learning and personal wellness. She loves staying active by working out, nurturing plants while gardening, and preparing healthy meals with family. Grounded, energetic, and highly collaborative, she always makes time to unwind and have fun with friends, balancing an impactful professional life with vibrant personal joys.