Engage with knowledgeable speakers, presenting topics of health, compassion, and environmental regeneration.
| Speakers | Topics | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Emcee's John Thomas & Thalia Tatham | For the Speakers | |
| Scott Harrington, MD | The Joyful Vegan: Thriving at Every Age | 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM |
| Renee King-Sonnen | Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM |
| Smiriti Banthia, MD | The Cardiovascular Code: Rewiring Heart Health with Plants, Motion, Sleep, and Serenity | 2:00 - 2:45 PM |
| Environmental Panel | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM | |
| Max Chesnes, Environment Reporter Tampa Bay Times | Panel Emcee | |
| Elise Bennett, Sr. Attorney & Director Center for Biological Diversity | Florida Panther Issues | |
| Alyssa Huffman, Esq Law Fellow, Jacobs Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment, and Healthy Gulf | Rice Whale Conservation | |
| James Scott, Chair Suncoast Sierra Club | Florida Black Bear Conservation | |
| Jacinda Shapiro, RN, CDCES, DipACLM | Speaker Coordinator |
John Thomas, The Vegan Bodybuilder
John Thomas AKA TheBodybuildingVegan and Founder of Vegan Squad Coaching! Vegan for 20 years and building vegan communities worldwide
Thalia Tatham, House of Vegano
Thalia Tatham is the visionary behind House of Vegano, a thriving sushi restaurant located at 1990 Central Ave in St. Petersburg, FL. Despite having no formal culinary background, Thalia’s journey into the vegan lifestyle holds a deeply personal significance as well. After adopting a plant-based diet, she experienced a life-changing transformation in her health. Having struggled with lupus symptoms for years, Thalia discovered that going plant-based significantly alleviated her condition, allowing her to lead a healthier and more vibrant life. This profound change in her well-being further fueled her commitment to veganism and inspired her to share the benefits of this lifestyle with others through her culinary creations at House of Vegano. Her success as a vegan sushi chef and the positive impact on her health serve as a testament to the remarkable possibilities that embracing a plant-based diet can offer. Drawing inspiration from her grandfather’s elaborate dinners, she honed her craft to create delectable plant-based sushi dishes that have captivated the taste buds of her customers. Alongside her culinary pursuits, Thalia also serves as an EMT, showcasing her dedication to both the culinary arts and helping others in her community. Her journey exemplifies the power of following one’s passions and creating something extraordinary from the heart.
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 Family Medicine physician and a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He founded Vegan Primary Care (2020–September 2026), integrating conventional medicine with evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle interventions to prevent and manage chronic disease. A whole-food, plant-based vegan since 2012, Dr. Harrington brings personal experience and over 20 years of clinical expertise to his passion for healthy living. He has shared his knowledge through community presentations and appearances on Chef AJ’s YouTube channel, including the Vegan Doc Talk series. His approach is practical, encouraging, and rooted in the belief that healthy living should be sustainable, effective, and 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.
Max Chesnes, Environment Reporter - Tampa Bay Times
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Panel Emcee
I’m Max, a lifelong Floridian and the environment reporter for the Tampa Bay Times. I report on public lands, water quality, wildlife and everything in between. Prior to working for the Times, I covered environmental issues for Treasure Coast Newspapers and the USA Today network, writing about Lake Okeechobee, the Indian River Lagoon and Florida’s wondrous Everglades. I was a 2022 fellow at the University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute and a 2023 journalism fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. I’m a recipient of several environmental writing awards and studied both journalism and sustainability at the University of Florida (Go Gators!). As a licensed drone pilot, I use aerial photography to bring some of Florida’s most beloved wild places to life.
Elise Bennett, Sr. Attorney & Director Center for Biological Diversity
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Florida Panther Issues
Biography:
Elise Bennett (she/her) is the Florida and Caribbean director and a senior attorney at the national, nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity. She advocates for endangered species and wild places in Florida and the Caribbean using science, law, creative media, and people power. Born and raised in Florida, she holds a law degree and a certificate of concentration in environmental law from Stetson University College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy from the University of South Florida.
The Florida panther is an icon, symbolizing Florida’s beautiful natural landscapes and Floridians’ indomitable, fighting spirit. With the help of the Endangered Species Act, and dedicated biologists, advocates, and residents, Florida panthers have managed to succeed in the fight for their lives, narrowly avoiding extinction. But they still have a long road to recovery ahead. This presentation will cover a brief history of Florida panther conservation, an overview of their current status, and what you can do to help support their recovery.
Many thanks, and looking forward!
Alyssa Huffman, Esq. with Healthy Gulf
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Rice Whale Conservation
Biography:
Alyssa Huffman, Esq (she/her/ella) is the Public Interest Law Fellow with the Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson Law School and involved with Healthy Gulf. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Marine Science and Biology from the University of Tampa with a minor in Spanish, and a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law with a concentration in Environmental Law.
James Scott, Chair - Suncoast Sierra Club
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Florida Black Bear Conservation
Bio: James C. Scott is Executive Committee Chair of the Suncoast Sierra Club and former Chapter Chair of Sierra Club Florida. A native Floridian with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from USF St. Petersburg, James has spent over fifteen years advancing environmental policies, programs and projects.
He co-led the campaign that secured St. Petersburg’s commitment to 100% clean energy and managed the 2024 No To 2 campaign. Since 2025, he has worked with conservation organizations across Florida to challenge the state’s unpopular black bear hunt and advocate for science-based wildlife management, habitat protection, and practical solutions to human-bear conflicts.
James co-founded Community Power, a nonprofit focused on community-led resilience and environmental advocacy, and serves as host and editorial producer of Protect Florida, a Sierra Club environmental storytelling initiative.