Ibtisam Brown (she/her) is volunteering as Food Vendor Coordinator for this year’s Twin Cities Veg Fest. She enjoyed working with the vendors last year and signed up again.

When she was new to the Twin Cities six years ago she attended the Festival and got hooked! “I was looking for ways to connect to the local vegan community and loved how inclusive and empathetic the members of CAA were,” she shared.

We asked her some questions so that we can get to know her better:

What is your role on the TCVF committee? 

Food Vendor Coordinator

How long have you been volunteering for CAA and for the TCVF? 

I volunteered for TCVF last year in the same role!

How did you discover Compassionate Action for Animals and what made you decide to get involved? 

I moved to Minnesota about 6 years ago and heard about CAA through attending Twin Cities Veg Fest. I was looking for ways to connect to the local vegan community and loved how inclusive and empathetic the members of CAA were!

What in particular attracted you to the TCVF Committee and your role with it? 

Discovering and sharing vegan food with friends is one of my favorite things to do. In my role as Food Vendor Coordinator, I get to do that on a much larger scale.

What do you love most about volunteering? 

I love connecting with all of the wonderful vendors – from the start of their application all the way up to the day of the festival.

What inspires you to eat plant-based and/or take action for animals? 

The animals and the state of the planet. 

When you are not helping out with CAA stuff, what do you like to do? 

I like to clean my apartment, workout, and go to stand up comedy shows.