The AVA summit, a four-day gathering in Los Angeles, sparked bold collaborations, unveiled powerful art, and charted a roadmap for a future without animal exploitation

2025 LA AVA Summit panel audience

Los Angeles, July 3rd, 2025 — In the spring of 2025, Los Angeles pulsed with the energy of more than 800 vegans, all animal activists, gathered together for the North American edition of the Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit. These changemakers arrived from dozens of countries, united by a singular vision: to end animal exploitation and replace it with sustainable, ethical systems that respect all sentient life. The AVA Summit is an international conference series focusing on systemic change, particularly in food systems. The conference inspires organizations to collaborate on strategies toward one shared vision. In the next few months, AVA will run similar conferences in Kenya, India, and Argentina. The LA 2025 summit was held at the LAX Marriott hotel. UnchainedTV participated in the event with a team of volunteers manning a booth that showcased the network’s vegan cooking shows and documentaries. UnchainedTV also produced this mini-doc about the event.

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AVA: A Tapestry of Voices and Solutions

Speakers at the 2025 North America AVA Summit

What made this summit stand out was the sheer diversity of ideas under one roof. Over 170 speakers led sessions on topics ranging from grassroots community organizing to leveraging big data and AI to promote vegan food systems.

The packed opening ceremony was headlined by visionaries who are shaping the future of animal advocacy and sustainable food. Julia Reinelt, Executive Director of AVA International, hosted the session with remarks from Leah Garcés (Mercy For Animals), Jasmijn de Boo (ProVeg International), David Meyer (Food System Innovations), and Ethan Brown (Beyond Meat). There was also a lively, and often humorous, discussion panel moderated by Constance Li (AI for Animals) with Lewis Bollard (Open Philanthropy) and Wayne Hsiung (The Simple Heart Initiative).

Renowned advocate Tracye McQuirter, Founder and CEO of By Any Greens Necessary, closed the summit together with Hilary Pickles from Find Me Running, and AVA’s Reinelt.

Climate experts unpacked the devastating link between industrial animal agriculture and deforestation, offering policy roadmaps to transition to regenerative, plant-based agriculture. Meanwhile, panels on food justice tackled the challenge of making healthy, animal-free food accessible to underserved communities — a vital conversation as vegan products hit more grocery shelves globally.

Click here to explore the 2025 North America speaker lineup

Art, Activism, and Shared Purpose

New painting by Gretchen Ryan unveiled at the 2025 LA AVA Summit

Beyond the lecture halls, the atmosphere was alive with networking and creative expression. A standout moment was the unveiling of an extraordinary new painting depicting more than 150 animals, symbolizing the quadrillions whose voices remain unheard.

Interactive workshops taught activists how to craft compelling campaigns, handle media interviews, and respond to misinformation. Young leaders, especially Gen Z advocates, dominated sessions on social media and influencer power — emphasizing the digital strategies needed to reach new audiences who may never have thought twice about animal farming.

Attendees also tackled tough questions: How can the movement stay inclusive? How do we address backlash?  How do we build alliances with environmental and social justice groups? How do we avoid burnout?

Many delegates left reinvigorated, with concrete plans to launch new initiatives, from plant-based food drives to new lobbying campaigns targeting lawmakers. As the summit wrapped, there was a clear takeaway: strategy must go hand in hand with unity. We are stronger together.

For details on upcoming summits or to get involved, visit: AVA Summit.

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