Why is the Vegan Women's Summit Upholding the Patriarchy?

Sponsorship from Miyoko's Creamery is a slap in the face to the iconic founder

The Vegan Women’s Summit, which starts on Thursday (I am not linking to it purposefully), is an annual event started a few years ago by a white woman named Jennifer Stojkovic who claims to be lifting up women founders. 

Miyoko Schinner has been a featured speaker at the event since its inception, which is not surprising given Miyoko’s iconic status in the vegan movement. But more importantly, her participation legitimized the event when nobody had heard of Jennifer Stojkovic. Miyoko has continued to bring value to it each year. This year, Miyoko was billed as “co-host” and “conference chair” and was prominently featured in the event’s press release in February. In other words, Miyoko is a major draw.

As I wrote about previously, Miyoko was fired as CEO and later sued by her board. To say things have gone south between Miyoko and her own company is an understatement. So it came as a shock to see that the company is a sponsor of the Vegan Women’s Summit. How can Jennifer Stojkovic take sponsorship money, and feature this company prominently at an event that Miyoko helped make a success? And this event is supposed to be about lifting up vegan women founders? 

Apparently Miyoko’s Creamery will be hosting a “VIP lounge” and is proudly sharing this image they created on their social media pages, to deceptively make the brand look like a bigger sponsor than they are. (When I saw it, I thought the company was a presenting sponsor, but they are in fact a lower level sponsor.)

The phrase “slap in the face” does not do this sort of betrayal justice. Miyoko will now have to endure the pain of seeing her former company on full display at this event. I am sure there will be numerous attendees who will mistakenly believe that Miyoko is still CEO of the company given its presence there. Moreover, the company gets to bask in the glow of Miyoko speaking at the event, adding insult to injury.

Anybody involved with this event in any capacity should be questioning this disgusting hypocrisy and demand that the company not be on display at this event. Here is the list of the event’s “host committee”:

Mari Mitrani MD, PhD | Alicia Robb | Stephanie Lind | Sameera Tata | JJ Kass | Tracy Vogt | Jennifer Gargiulo | Jane Velez Mitchell | Vidya Maharaj | Valerie Slone | Milica Radovic | Riana Lynn | Shannon Cosentino-Roush | JennyLee Molina | Alexis Fox | Mawa McQueen

If you know any of these folks, please reach out to them about this. Also, if you are a sponsor or a speaker, you should also speak up about this injustice. 

I have written before about how white women need to speak out and support all women. I have also had my own experience being betrayed by white women who I thought were my friends and close colleagues. But of all the ways to not support women (and especially a woman of color) this example is among the worst I have seen. The Vegan Women’s Summit has officially become a tool of the patriarchy.