Founder and President

Margarita Restrepo

Margarita is the founder and editor-in-chief of the award-winning plant-based nutrition magazine, Naked Food. She is a recipe developer, Naked Food Chef, author of the Naked Food Cookbook, and co-author of the Master Plants cookbook. Margarita is a visionary, altruist, and activist for humanity and planet Earth.  She envisioned WFPB.ORG in 2013, as part of her plan of action to change the status-quo.  Her goal is to join together human and environmental health into a self-sustainable approach to living. Margarita holds a double major in Design and Marketing and is certified in plant-based nutrition.

Chief Financial Officer

Glenn Cusano

Glenn has vast experience in the areas of leadership as well as financial and operational planning, analysis, and performance. An experienced airline finance and commercial leader, Glenn is also the Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasury for JetBlue Airlines.  Mr. Cusano is a certified public accountant and a graduate of Quinnipiac College.

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. 

Chief Development Officer

Juan Pablo Rincón

Juan Pablo is a passionate and determined entrepreneur with a successful track record in international trade and business development. His Hong Kong-based company sources and distributes raw materials for the fashion industry.  With over 10 years of experience, he excels in strategic planning and negotiation skills for businesses all over the world. 

Juan is also passionate for plant-based nutrition, animal welfare, and sustainable living.

Chief Marketing Officer

Joe Heller

Joe Heller is a thought leader in marketing and branding strategy purposely advocating for enterprises with humanitarian objectives. As a growth strategist, Joe’s expert and diverse background allow him to advise startups and on-going enterprises on how to expand the reach of conscious offerings to evolve into an E3 [efficient, effective and excellent] enterprise while strengthening tribal consumer influence.

Purposely didactic with the objective to enable this ‘living enterprise’ as a change agent for the greater good to create a new more compassionate worldview. Joe is a humanitarian entrepreneur and strategic advisor, angel investor, activist, and Plant-based lifestyle advocate.

Chief Media Officer & WFPB.ORG Europe

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.

Advisor

T. Colin Campbell, PhD.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, is a scientist known worldwide by many as the “father of science” of the fast-growing nutritional plant-based movement thanks to being one of the pioneers in education and research in nutrition. His legacy, The China Study, is one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on health and nutrition. Through his immense work, Dr. Campbell has inspired thousands of leaders and patients around the world to change their lifestyles and implement clinical and public health programs to not only prevent but successfully reverse chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis among others.

T. Colin Campbell PhD., is the Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, author of over 300 research papers, co-author of Whole: Rethinking The Science Of Nutrition, and the international best-seller The China Study. 

Advisor

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, MD.

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, MD., is a trained surgeon from the Cleveland Clinic and the St. George’s Hospital in London, author of the book Prevent & Reverse Hearth Disease, and director of the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

Advisor

John McDougall, MD.

John McDougall, MD., is a board-certified internist, author of 11 national best-selling books including The Starch Solution, host of the television show “McDougall M.D.,” and medical director of the 10-day, live-in McDougall Program.

Advisor

Dean Ornish, MD.

Dean Ornish MD is the president and founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, as well as Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.  Dr. Ornish is the author of six books, all national bestsellers.  He is a revolutionary thought leader in healthcare and medicine, proving through 35 years of research studies that comprehensive lifestyle changes can improve chronic conditions and transform lives.

Advisor

Michael Greger, MD.

A founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues.  He has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, testified before Congress, appeared on The Dr. Oz Show and The Colbert Report, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous “meat defamation” trial. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently Dr. Greger serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. Hundreds of his nutrition videos are freely available at NutritionFacts.org, with new videos and articles uploaded every day.

Advisor

Pamela Popper, ND., PhD.

Dr. Pam Popper is a naturopath, an internationally recognized expert on nutrition, medicine and health, and the Executive Director of The Wellness Forum. Dr. Popper is the author of several books; her most recent is Solving America’s Healthcare Crisis.   She is the Founder of The Wellness Forum Foundation, which offers programming in schools designed to improve children’s health through better nutrition.

Dr. Pam Popper is a straight-talking professional who is not afraid to criticize national health organizations, government agencies, medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies, agricultural organizations and manufacturing companies, many of whom have agendas and priorities that interfere with distributing truthful information and promoting public health.

Advisor

Michael Klaper, MD

Michael A. Klaper, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He received postgraduate training in internal medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, and orthopedics at University of British Columbia teaching hospitals in Vancouver and obstetrics at the University of California at San Francisco. He has practiced acute care medicine in Hawaii, Canada, California, Florida and New Zealand.

Far more fulfilling to him is his current practice, focusing on health-promoting food and lifestyle choices to help people prevent the need for hospitalization and surgery. He has authored numerous articles on plant-based nutrition and is authoring a book on using plant-based medicine to arrest and reverse disease.

A long-time radio host and a pilot, Dr. Klaper has served as nutrition advisor to NASA’s programs for space colonists on the Moon and Mars and on the Nutrition Task Force of the American Medical Students Association.

Dr. Klaper has been featured in several films focused on health and sustainable living, including the award winning “Diet For A New America”, “What the Health”, and “Cowspiracy.”

To improve his own health, and to minimize suffering of sentient beings, Dr. Klaper adopted a plant-based diet in 1981. He makes the latest information on health and nutrition available through his website, DoctorKlaper.com, where visitors can find the numerous videos and DVDs he has produced, as well subscribe to his free newsletter, “Medicine Capsule.”

Advisor

Will Tuttle, PhD.

Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary educator and musician, is the author of the international best-seller, The World Peace Diet. A former Zen monk and recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award, he is cofounder of The Worldwide Prayer Circle for Animals and is a vegan since 1980.

Advisor

Ann Crile Esselstyn

Ann Crile Esselstyn is a relentlessly energetic and creative advocate for the plant-based, whole-food way of life. She is the author of the recipe section of Dr. Esselstyn’s bestselling book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and co-author of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook with her daughter, Jane.

 Ann never stops looking for ways to bring that important agenda to delicious life, devising ever more practical and powerful ways to shop, cook, and engage even the most reluctant eaters in the plant-perfect diet.  She is a graduate of Smith College and holds a Masters in Education from Wheelock College. Ann taught English and History for 27 years at Laurel School in Cleveland, Ohio, where she received the Hostatler Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Advisor

Doug Lisle, PhD.

Doug Lisle, PhD., is the Director of Research for The TrueNorth Health Center, and the psychologist for the McDougall Wellness Program. He is also the pioneer psychologist of Esteem Dynamics.

Advisor

Kathy Freston

Kathy Freston is a bestselling author with a focus on healthy eating and conscious living.  She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lean, Veganist, Quantum Wellness, The Book of Veganish and her latest, Clean Protein. A media favorite, Kathy has appeared frequently on national television, including Ellen, The Dr.Oz Show, Charlie Rose, Good Morning America, The Talk, The Martha Stewart Show, Extra and Oprah.

Advisor

John Robbins

John Robbins is the awarded author of nine bestsellers that have been translated into 26 languages.  His books include The Food Revolution, Diet For A New America, and most recently, No Happy Cows: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Food Revolution.

Advisor

Nelson Campbell

Nelson Campbell founded PlantPure, Inc. and its nonprofit arm, PlantPure Communities, to lead a grassroots movement to promote the health benefits of plant-based nutrition. He is the Executive Producer, Director, and Co-Writer of the documentary film PlantPure Nation, and the pioneer of the Healing America campaign. 

Advisor

Evelisse Capo, Pharm D.

Dr. Capó is a certified instructor for PCRM’s Food for Life and CHIP (Complete Heath Improvement) programs. Dr. Capó collaborated with the GEICO Workplace Nutrition Study coordinated by the Washington Center for Clinical Research.  She practices as a health and nutrition coach in her consulting practice The Food Pharmacy located in Sarasota, FL. Dr. Capó also practices as an Instructor and Spanish Outreach Coordinator for the T. Colin Campbell for Nutrition Studies. She has been able to accomplish these endeavors with the love and support of her husband and four plant-strong children.

Advisor

Ted Crawford, MD.

Ted Crawford was born, raised, and educated in Iowa and used to take five prescription medications for his own array of health issues. After adopting a plant-based lifestyle and reversing his health problems seven years ago, he began advocating this way of living to his patients. Dr. Crawford is a board certified family practice physician who believes that most of our health problems are caused by what we choose to put into our bodies. He also believes that even if you have been treating your body horribly for years, you can reverse most, if not all, of the deleterious effects you have caused by poor lifestyle choices. Dr. Crawford practices family medicine in Tucson, AZ. He is featured in the film “Eating You Alive”.

Advisor

Jane Esselstyn, RN.

Advisor

Paul Chatlin

In May of 2013, Paul was diagnosed with Heart Disease. His cardiologist gave him two options: bypass surgery or try “Plant Based Nutrition” (PBN). After meeting with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, he decided to try “Plant Based Nutrition”. After just 3 weeks his angina disappeared. His cholesterol levels dropped from 350 to 100 and he lost 65 pounds in one year.  Paul promised himself that when he felt better he would put together a support group to help others in our community, so he contacted Dr. Joel Kahn who agreed to assist him on the journey.

In February of 2014, he held his first Plant Based Nutrition Support Group (PBNSG) meeting and 123 people attended! Today PBNSG has 5400 members and over 70 volunteers. They have started many outreach programs and has relationships with the owners of 30 local restaurants. PBNSG has completed working on curriculum change with Medical Students at Wayne State, Eastern Michigan, Oakland University, Michigan State Universities and the University of Michigan medical school. It has also classes for local doctors to learn about the benefits of nutrition before pills or procedures called Doctors Teaching Doctors. PBNSG has over 30 small groups around the state.

In 2018 PBNSG will be holding over 46 health and culinary education classes and just finished an 80+ page manual called “Healthier Together” which helps people around the world start their own Plant Based Nutrition Support Group.

Advisor

Antonio Soler, MD.

Dr. Antonio Soler is a general practitioner with more than 10 years of clinical experience in General Medicine and Urgent Care, Occupational Medicine and Plant-based Medicine and Nutrition. He completed his Doctorate in Medicine at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. He is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners of the United States and is an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Today he is an active doctor at True North Health Center, and after helping in the healing of hundreds of patients, he is totally committed and dedicated to helping his patients improve and recover in the most effective way that exists according to scientific evidence.

Advisor

Monica Aggarwal, MD.

Board certified in cardiology, echocardiography and nuclear cardiology, assistant professor of medicine in the University of Florida Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), where she is a member of the nutrition council working on nutrition policies for the nation.  Dr. Aggarwal is also the author of the book “Finding Balance: Empower Yourself with Tools to Combat Stress and Illness,” which outlines 10 prescriptions to help guide people to better health.

Advisor

Ocean Robbins

Ocean Robbins is co-founder & CEO of the 450,000 member Food Revolution Network. He has hosted more than 800,000 people in his online Food Revolution Summits, and he’s facilitated organized and facilitated hundreds of live seminars, gatherings and events for more than 200,000 leaders from 65 nations. Ocean serves as adjunct professor for Chapman University, and is a recipient of the national Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service, the Freedom’s Flame Award, the Harmon Wilkinson Award, and many other honors. He is author of The Power of Partnership, and co-author of Voices of the Food Revolution and Choices For Our Future. 

Advisor

Saray Stancic, MD.

Saray Stancic, MD., is a board certified physician and the founder of Stancic Health and Wellness, LLC where she practices Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Stancic is currently producing a documentary film, Code Blue: Redefining the Practice of Medicine, which will highlight the practice of Lifestyle Medicine to prevent, treat, and manage chronic illnesses. In doing so, she has been traveling coast-to-coast over the past several months, interviewing prominent leaders in Lifestyle Medicine.

Advisor

Ana Negrón, MD.

Board certified in family medicine, Ana M. Negrón, M.D. has made cooking an integral part of her practice. By transitioning her patients to a whole food plant-based diet she helps reduce inflammation at the root of their illness.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Negrón has a solo nutrition practice near Philadelphia.  She volunteers at a free clinic for the uninsured, and teaches young physicians how a whole foods plant-based diet can prevent, help treat, and even reverse chronic disease.  Sunstone Press published her recent book, Nourishing the Body and Recovering Health: The Positive Science of Food—an antidote to our reliance on pharmaceuticals.

Product & Certification Director

Toni Abbruzzese

Toni 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.

Copy Editor & Mailing Director

Augusto Restrepo

Augusto is a retired chemical engineer.  He currently teaches Spanish-language for foreigners and he is a copy editor for Naked Food magazine.  Augusto’s grandfather actually participated in the building of the Spanish Dictionary from the Royal Academy of Language in Spain.  He is an expert in Spanish translation and grammar.  Augusto is also the Mailing Operations Director for both Naked Food magazine and WFPB.ORG.

WFPB.ORG Latin America

Adriana Cortés de Waterman, MD.

Adriana Cortés de Waterman, MD., MIPH, has a medical degree from Javeriana University in Colombia and holds a Master in International Public Health (honors) from the University of Sydney in Australia. After working in medical research in the University of Sydney managing epidemiological projects, she found her real passion in nutrition when she faced and helped successfully to revert the degenerative arthritis with Sjögren syndrome that her mother was diagnosed with. Adriana is working to bring the whole food, plant-based message to Spanish speakers around the world and she is the director of WFPB.ORG Latin America. She is the official Spanish translator to the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies website.

Education Director

Claudia Diaz

Claudia is the founder and visionary behind the Montessori British School (MBS), a prestigious, highly regarded, and most important schools in Colombia. She is also an innovator for a state-of-the-art academic curriculum that goes beyond academic content. Claudia is a whole plant-based eater who understands the importance of nutrition in action. She actively develops programs aimed at improving student’s eating habits through education. Claudia earned a professional degree in Architecture from Universidad Javeriana, a Master’s in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Master’s in Education from the University of Alabama, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Kellogg’s Business Executive Program.

She was also part of the Singularity Program that takes place in Silicon Valley for Exponential Technology; she has enrolled in culinary courses at “El Gato Dumas”; has studied Sustainable Agriculture at the National Gourmet Institute of New York, and high definition photography and filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. She is a certified Coach from the ICT (International Coaching Community), and was admitted for a Fellowship at Columbia University for the Klingenstein Heads Program. Claudia is also the recipient of one of the country’s most prestigious awards, the “La Cruz José Acevedo y Gomez,” given to outstanding human beings that contribute to the development of society in a meaningful way.

Project Director

Sigfrido 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.

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.

WFPB.ORG Australia

Mark Doneddu

Mark has had extensive experience researching vegetarian health issues as well as the environmental impacts of a healthy vegetarian diet. As the President of Vegetarian Victoria, he regularly develops and presents talks regarding vegetarian issues, including the sustainability of a meat-free diet.  Mark is the Event Manager for World Vegan Day and regular guest speaker for organizations such as student groups and university clubs. Mark is the representing leader of WFPB.ORG in Australia. 

Communications & PR

Jackie Norman

Jackie Norman has been a popular money saving and lifestyle expert in New Zealand’s media for more than a decade and has appeared on current affairs shows such as Campbell Live, Breakfast, GoodMorning and Central News. A long time weekly columnist for That’s Life! magazine, she has also been featured in several print media.  Jackie has been a regular contributor on Coast radio and has been interviewed on ABC, 3BO, Radio Live, National Radio, More FM, Flava and Bay FM.   Also formerly known as resident blogger Penny Wise from Australian money saving website, Simple Savings, Jackie is the co-author of The $21 Challenge with Fiona Lippey, published in 2009.

Social Media

Marlana Mazmac

Marlana Mazmac is a graduate in Psychology from Rider University.  She is vegan for the animals and student of whole plant based nutrition. She is also a residential realtor and partner at Pacific Star Real Estate in Southern California.

Sustainability Director

Kris Weller, JD, PhD.

After many years of researching, teaching, and advocating on behalf of disenfranchised humans and other animals, Kris came to the realization that being the change she wants to see in the world starts with fully embracing the WFPB lifestyle as a means of self- and other-care. She’s excited to be helping make it easier for others to take this step for themselves, those they love, and the planet.

IT Director

Matthew Sikora

Matthew Sikora is a passionate vegan educator since 2011. While teaching Computer Science at the United States Naval Academy, he created a club called “The Green Classroom” which focused on sustainable living and veganism. Matthew recently moved to Mississippi and was elected to serve on the board of Jackson, Mississippi’s Rainbow All Organic Food Co-op in 2016. Matthew has been in Computer Science and Information Technology for the past 13 years. He enjoys regular vegan tabling at street fairs and giving talks at schools.  

Content & Media

Margot Freitag

Merchandise Director

Leah Majeski

Leah Majeski is a graduate of The University of Alabama where she earned a degree in Marketing and Communications while playing for UA’s softball team all four years. Since graduating in 2007 she has continued to be involved with softball as a coach and mentor. In 2012 she changed her life to live WFPB for the environment and the animals and has never looked back. Leah has built a promotional product marketing company from the ground up and is dedicated to changing the world one organic sustainable product at a time. She believes every business can get the products they need to best promote their brand while not doing harm to the planet and all its living beings.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” ~ Maya Angelou

Spanish Content

Marta Ferraz Valles

Marta Ferraz-Valles is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the founder of Y Nut Nutrition Services, a nutrition private practice located in Gainesville, Florida that offers nutrition counseling and coaching, personalized meal plans, and interactive grocery tours. Marta is passionate about whole food plant-based nutrition and loves helping her clients make sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle changes.

Renae Long

Sustainability

Kathryn Pollard

Kathy Pollard, MS., is co-founder of SustainableDiet.com, a diet support and transition program, and a  a former instructor for the T. Colin Campbell CNS certification course in plant-based nutrition. Presently she is adjunct faculty for the University of New England graduate program in applied nutrition. Her upcoming book, Climate Party! is about the connection between food choices and climate change.