Founder and President

Margarita Restrepo

The founder and editor-in-chief of the award winning publication Naked Food magazine, founder of the International Association of Reversive Medicine, and the founder of WFPB.ORG, a non-profit organization that empowers human and planetary health through a plant-based lifestyle.  Margarita is the author of the evidence-based Universal Guideline for Human and Planetary Health available in over 5 different languages, and the author of four whole food, plant-based Culinary Medicine cookbooks. She has brought the plant-based movement into the limelight in the United States, Canada, and Latin America through a stylish and practical approach to cohesive / wholistic education pioneering human and planetary health and sustainability as a whole.

Chief Compliance Officer

David Albrecht

David Albrecht is an accomplished and well respected senior executive with great experience as a team leader, managing multi-disciplinary teams.  The co-owner of multiple vegan businesses, David is also an expert on tax law and compliance, and worked for several years as an analyst for the IRS. 

Director of Operations

Sig Hernandez

Sigfrido Hernández developed a passion for the animals, the land and the ocean but it wasn’t until later in life that he understood the powerful connection between food choices, human and environmental health, and the tragic fate of billions of animals. In 2006 he co-founded The Food Pharmacy to help educate the community on the best nutritional and lifestyle choices for a sustainable and healthy future for all species. His expertise is in project management, work process development, scheduling and productivity improvements. Sig holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland and an Environmental Engineering course work from the University of Florida.

Michele Lastella

Michele Lastella is a filmmaker and sustainability expert, co-author of Naked Food Magazine’s Master Plants Cookbook. He is the founder of Sustainable Media, a multimedia company focused on uncovering information through investigative research. Michele is a Reiki Master and a producer of biodynamic wine and olives. Michele is working to bring the whole food, plant-based message to Italian speakers and is the director of WFPB.ORG Europe. He is a graduate from the National Academy Of Dramatic Art in Italy, a theater and film writer, and a professor at the New York Film Academy.

WFPB Certification

Toni Abbruzzese

Toni is the Certification Director for WFPB.ORG.  She has spent her entire 22-year career in the fields of product development, marketing, supply chain and operations of consumer packaged goods, particularly cosmetics, skin care and nutrition products. She is the principal of Inventive Product Group, a firm that takes concepts and ideas into finished products through positioning and product development. Toni holds a degree in Business with an emphasis on Marketing and International Business from California State University. She has also earned a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

Content Editor

Denise DeSerio

Denise DeSerio is the Senior Copy Editor for Naked Food Magazine. She also assists with editing Naked Food’s media and cookbooks including the Master Plants Cookbook. Denise is an avid proponent of the plant-based lifestyle and has served as Executive Director of her local animal rights group. She has an Associate Degree in Commercial Art and also contributes her knowledge and experience with restaurant menu-writing and her love of cooking good, healthful food.

Naked Food Español & Fulfillment Director

Augusto Restrepo

Augusto is a retired chemical engineer. He is the copy editor for Naked Food en Español and he is an expert in Spanish translation and grammar.Augusto’s grandfather actually participated in the building of the original Spanish Dictionary from the Royal Academy of Language in Spain.  Augusto is also the Fulfillment Director for both Naked Food magazine and WFPB.ORG.

Marketing

Lyda Durango

Lyda is a PR, Marketing, and Communications professional with an expertise in event marketing, digital marketing, social media, tactical and strategic planning, and media relations. She is an animal advocate and activist for animal rights, and the founder of a digital magazine focused on animal protection. Her vision of marketing and advertising is that they should be utilized to further planetary health and compassion toward all beings.

Stephanie Richardson

Stephanie has served as the Horticulturist and Landscape Designer for the City of Midland, Michigan for over thirteen years.  In addition, she oversees the city’s largest community gardens, ensuring that they remain organic and sustainable.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University.  Stephanie is passionate about protecting wildlife and natural spaces, and serves on the board of her local conservancy. She has also spent many years engaged in volunteerism throughout the community.

Stephanie’s passions are rooted in organic gardening and regenerative horticulture. This has led her to operate her own consulting, education and landscape business, Urban Gardener.  Through her business she helps individuals and businesses create and maintain sustainable landscapes and edible wellness gardens.  Stephanie’s personal mission is to grow healthy in mind, body and spirit and to cultivate a state of wellbeing with the hope of leading and inspiring others along the way.

In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys exploring nature, foraging and learning about wild edibles and medicinal plants, hiking, kayaking, traveling and meeting new people.  She is a loving mother, wife and amateur chef who helps her family live a plant-based lifestyle.  Through her own personal health journey, Stephanie has acquired a wealth of knowledge and a deep understanding of the value of a plant-based diet and looks forward to sharing these benefits with others.

Content and Team Organizer

Teresa Olea

Teresa Heitmiller Olea, aka “Mrs. Olea” taught elementary school for 30 years, with the last 20 being in Special Education. She graduated from CSU Sacramento with a bachelors in Liberal Studies, Teaching Credential, and a Masters in Special Education. She’s been cooking and baking since she was in elementary school and it remains her passion.

Teresa has been WFPB since 2011. Loving animals and working for their best care is a beautiful bonus of this lifestyle.  Teresa is married to Derek and they have two grown children. 

WFPB.ORG UK

Mahesh Shah, MD.

Dr. Shah is a General Practitioner and nutritional therapist based in London and the Director of Reversive Medicine for WFPB.ORG in the UK. He studied at the Hull York Medical School (Yorkshire, England) and gained his qualification with the Royal College of General Practitioners in 2015. He attained his nutrition qualification with the College of Naturopathic Medicine. He is a passionate whole food, plant-based nutrition advocate, providing talks and education for health professionals and the general public.

Dr. Shah is dedicated to helping people transform their lives through good health and inner happiness. He feels deeply connected and dedicated to the wellbeing of our wonderful planet Earth, and sees human and planetary health as being interconnected – one cannot be without the other. Thus by looking after both, humanity can live in harmony with the environment and build a cleaner and brighter future for all.

Angela Gipson

Angela is a qualified Nutritional Therapist with a diploma in Nutritional Therapy from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM), she is registered with the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapies (BANT), which is the professional body for nutritional therapists.   She is also a member of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).  She is also a mental health instructor and a qualified Sleep Trainer. She successfully helps several clients suffering with anxiety and sleep problems.

Angela is also a fitness instructor who is always been fascinated by nutrition and the impact it has on the body.  It was only after losing her otherwise fit and healthy parents to cancer that she wanted to investigate in depth the role nutrition plays in our physical and mental health.  She became a vegetarian at age 20 and became vegan in 2016.  She works in a prep school as a school matron and trains the school staff in first aid and mental health.

Chris Pollard

Chris is a Marine Engineer by trade.  He currently works in the offshore marine industry as a freelance contractor on subsea construction ships operating in a variety of mechanical engineering roles. A job Chris loves as he is his own boss and gets to travel all over the world, meeting lots of people of different nationalities, and having lots of adventures.

Chris has lived a plant based lifestyle for almost five years now after watching a documentary on alternative healing and suddenly became very fascinated with it. Chris hopes to retire from the career he loves however in the near future to work full time within his passion, which is plant based nutrition. Chris has some project ideas which he is working on which will bring plant based education, and access to fresh plant based foods to the local community in his hometown in the United Kingdom. He believes the positive change will be welcomed with long lasting good vibrations.

He is honored to be part of WFPB and is very excited to bring his passion to the team in the UK and around the world.

Eleni Kirtsya

Eleni is a professional software developer with a great passion toward traveling, exploring different cultures and cooking.  She is committed to yoga and meditation, and educating the new generations on values, principles such as empathy in order to create a better world. She believes veganism is the way through which humans can coexist with our fellow Earthlings at peace and maintain the wellbeing of our Earth and ourselves.

Gizem Kilinc

Gizem is an Optometry student. She has been plant-based for 5 years now and have never felt more energized and vibrant! She initially turned plant-based for her health and had only wanted to try it out for 30 days. She loved it so much that decided to do it for life. During that month, she learnt about animal cruelty and the environmental impact of animal agriculture and decided to no longer consume animal products. Following a whole food, plant-based diet has allowed her to effortlessly lose weight, and has significantly helped improve her psoriasis, which she have struggled with since early childhood.  It has also helped her improve her mental health and physical wellbeing. She also runs a YouTube channel where she documents her journey towards a healthy lifestyle through weight loss and healthful recipes while having an ethical stance against the abuse of animals.

Having been overweight for most of her life, she is extremely passionate about leading a healthy life by eating whole and nutritious foods.  She wants to challenge the idea that healthy, whole foods are bland and boring and hopes to inspire others to improve their health and live a long, vibrant life.

WFPB.ORG Colombia

Diana Esguerra, MD.

Diana Inés Esguerra, MD., is the Reversive Medicine Director for WFPB.ORG Colombia.  She is a surgeon from the National University of Colombia, specialized in Emergency and Intensive Care, as well as alternative therapies. She has dedicated herself to clinical practice with therapeutic success for more than 20 years, having as fundamental basis whole food, plant-based nutrition for the prevention and reversal of chronic diseases. Dr. Esguerra is an expert in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and quantum medicine, among others. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Colombian Vegetarian Society and of the Association of Medical Researchers in Alternative Therapies (ASMIT).

Culinary Medicine (Colombia Director)

Chef Niyireth Gil

Niyireth is the Director of Culinary Medicine in Colombia for WFPB.ORG.  She is also a recipe developer of authentic WFPB Latin American cuisine for Naked Food Magazine.  She is an internationally-trained chef with extensive experience in whole food, plant-based baking as well in culinary-related aromatherapy and reflexology. She is also an expert in culinary sustainability including recycling, green product management, and composting.

She is a cooking instructor in community kitchens helping children, seniors, and animals while educating everyone about ethical and coherent consumption of food and products. Niyireth is adamant about serving others as the main purpose of life by promoting positive learning around the world.

Juliana Sussmann

Juliana has professional degrees in Public Communication, Advertising, and Journalism. Bazzinga, her adopted dog, changed her life; it was love at first sight. It was at that time that she felt that helping others will be her purpose. She has volunteered with different animal organizations as well as with Techo’s education process for vulnerable communities. Every time she visited Ciudad Bolivar, a very vulnerable community in Bogota, she brought back a dog for recovery and adoption.

Juliana works in the  development of digital strategies for brands with purpose such as plant-based, cruelty-free, and vegan. She wants to inspire others to consider ther impact in this planet to achieve a more conscious and compassionate world.

Culinary Medicine (Young Children Leader)

Chef Liev Orozco

Liev is the leader in Culinary Medicine for young children for WFPB.ORG in Spanish and is been named the youngest chef in the world. At 4 years old, Liev cooks and develops his own recipes thanks to the influence of his equally conscious, plant-based, and vegan mother.

Liev knows all the fruits and vegetables by name and his favorite are raisins, mangosteen, and sprouts. Liev goes to kindergarden and lives in Bogota, Colombia.