Founders and Advisers

Dr. Faraz brings over a decade of experience in animal activism, leading animal rights student groups, and mentoring student activists . He has years of academic and industrial background in biomedical and environmental research, alternative proteins, and alternatives to animal testing. He also brings in years of experience in human rights activism.

Dr. Faraz Harsini has been a vegan and an animal advocate for over a decade. He is a biomedical scientist, an organizer for Anonymous for the Voiceless in Austin and Houston, and also the founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP). He is also a mentor at Challenge 22 and Animal Activism Mentorship (AAM).

Faraz holds a BSc in chemical engineering where he focused on process design, biofuel research, and nanobiotechnology. He completed his MSc studies in biotechnology in Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Cancer Center and proceeded to obtain his PhD in Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics at TTUHSC.

During his MS and PhD, he was the President and officer of his animal rights student organization. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his scientific and advocacy achievements, including an NIH award and a Student Leadership award for his vegan advocacy at his university. He was also awarded the PETA campus representative of the year during his doctoral studies.

He closely collaborates with PETA, Physicians Committee (PCRM), and other nonprofits to advocate for alternatives to animal testing and against any form of exploitation of animals.

As an immigrant, first generation college student, and member of LGBTQ community, he speaks at colleges where he shares his experience with various forms of oppression and how they tie into the oppression of animals.

Daraius draws upon over a decade of experience in successful business management and shares his organizational, analytical, and animal advocacy skills with ASAP.

Daraius earned his marketing MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Masters of Engineering Management at Northwestern University. His undergraduate degree is in Accounting and Finance from Indiana University.

Daraius Dubash currently helps promote social reformer Acharya Prashant’s message of Vedanta around the world. These teachings include animal rights, environmental stewardship, women’s rights, and unlearning many of the things which hobble us in the search for greatness.

Before that, Daraius led a travel points website in the US. The site helped millions of people experience Big Travel with Small Money by using airline and hotel loyalty points. This work brought families together and allowed couples and friends to experience amazing trips they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford.

Daraius enjoys uncovering Truth, expanding freedom for all living beings, and promoting animal rights, human equality, and veganism (the belief that animals shouldn’t be exploited by humans).

Previously, Daraius worked in marketing and managed Brand Equity for a $1 Billion Global Pet Food Brand at Colgate Palmolive.

Sonny adds extensive experience in helping university dining halls to go plant-based through his position at HSUS. He has expertise in working with thousands of students and animal advocates in universities in regards to working with dining halls. He has organized many events including city-wide veg-fairs to promote veganism.

From being on the ground talking directly to people about all the critical reasons animals should not be used, to working with the world's largest foodservice companies at the corporate level, Sonny draws from a history of working and volunteering with animal rights organizations nationwide to execute game plans to replace the animals on menus and promote veganism in an effective way. 

Creating menu changes at a large scale and making the vegan option the go to choice for consumers is his top priority. Having the opportunity to work directly with 100s of college, university, military, K12, and healthcare locations Sonny has created menu changes nationwide that reaches over a million people everyday. With this expertise he is continually assisting students clubs, animal rights and environmental organizations in reaching their goals. 

Sonny has over 20 years in business ownership and team building. Over the years, his attention has switched from business to animal advocacy, co-founding the Corpus Christi VegFest, and working for the Humane Society of the United States’ Farm Animal Protection Team.

Paul has extensive experience in effective animal advocacy, street outreach, and many other forms of activism. He also helps ASAP with graphic design and PR work.

Paul Wong is a Malaysian animal rights advocate living in New York City. His work in this capacity takes the form of street outreach, direct action and photojournalism with organizations including Anonymous for the Voiceless, Vegan Activist Alliance, The Save Movement and PETA.

When not speaking or agitating for the animals, he spends time thinking of ways to improve his advocacy – while biking down concrete canyons, ping ponging with strangers or perfecting his buoyancy on dive trips.

In his spare time, Paul is a graphic designer which he finds useful for honing his problem-solving and communication skills. He has brought this skill set to bear for clients such as The Good Food Institute, Agriculture Fairness Alliance and the Malaysian Vegan Society.

Dr. Mills brings years of experience in nutrition education and combating food injustice to ASAP.

Milton Mills, MD, practices urgent care medicine in the Washington DC area. As an internal medicine physician, he specializes in diagnosing and treating cross-system illnesses that may affect multiple organ systems. He was the featured physician in Netflix’s hit documentary “What the Health” and “The Invisible Vegan.”

Dr. Mills earned his medical degree at Stanford University School of Medicine, and completed an Internal Medicine residency at Georgetown University Hospital. He has published several research journal articles dealing with racial bias in federal nutrition policy.

Dr. Mills has served previously as Associate Director of Preventive Medicine and as a member of the National Advisory Board for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). He was a major contributor to position papers presented to USDA regarding Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and has been the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit that asks for warning labels on milk.

“Medical research shows conclusively that a plant-based diet reduces chronic disease risk, so that’s something I absolutely encourage my patients to move toward,” says Dr. Mills.

Dr. Mills talks to audiences around the country as well, speaking at hospitals, churches, and community centers.

Dr. Mills notes that the scientific research literature shows plant-based diets support better overall immune system function, and during his work with HIV-positive and AIDS patients at clinics, he observed that those who eat plant based had increased energy and higher T-cell counts.  

Dr. Sparsha Saha, a distinguished Harvard lecturer and accomplished political scientist, shares her invaluable knowledge and expertise in environmental policy, gender studies, political psychology, race and ethnicity, and behavioral change with ASAP.

Dr. Sparsha Saha is a Lecturer at the Department of Government in Harvard University and the sole empirical political scientist specializing in meat politics.

With a BA in Political Science and Government from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA and PhD in Political Science and Government from Harvard University, she brings a wealth of expertise to her field.

Her research, focused on political behavior, examines how voters respond to meat-related issues using experimental methods.

Dr. Saha's work has been or will be featured in Political Behavior, Journal of Social and Political Psychology (forthcoming), and Frontiers in Nutrition (accepted). She has been covered by New York Times, Fortune, Fast Company, Yahoo Finance, Harvard Gazette, among others.

In 2022, she was honored as Harvard's South Asian Woman of the Year. In 2023, Dr. Saha introduced the pioneering Great Food Transformation Course, exploring the nexus of politics, food systems, and sustainability.

As a cardiologist, Dr. Aggarwal shares her unique experience in medical education, nutrition research and transitioning menus in dining halls and hospitals to plant-based with ASAP.

Monica Aggarwal, MD, FACC, is an adjunct Associate Professor in Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Florida and University of Central Florida. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, where she is a member of the nutrition council working on nutrition policies for the nation. She has instituted a new plant-based menu at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital which is receiving national attention.

At University of Florida, she was the Director of Medical Education for Cardiology and the Director of Integrative Cardiology and Prevention and was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine. She directed education for medical residents and cardiology fellows, with a focus on prevention, nutrition, and lifestyle and led multiple initiatives including developing a 100% plant-based menu for cardiac and vascular patients.

Dr. Aggarwal has 5 board certifications in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology, and Clinical Lipidology. After receiving her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, she completed a residency in internal medicine at Tufts University Hospital in Boston, MA. and completed a cardiology fellowship at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD.

She currently conducts research on the impact of nutrition in chronic illness at University of Florida and sees patients in Orlando, Florida at AdventHealth. She also serves as the Chief Medical officer of the not-for profit, 4Roots Farm, which is looking at how to improve food quality to improve human health.

As a veterinarian and long-time advocate, Dr. Health shares her experience in supporting students and scholars, especially veterinary students and other animal professionals.

Crystal Health, DVM, is a general practice and shelter veterinarian. Compelled by the animal agriculture industry’s campaign to destroy her reputation, she founded Our Honor, a nonprofit that supports veterinary students, veterinarians and other animal professionals in speaking their conscience and working for the best interest of others no matter their species. She is also on the founding committee of Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown.

A graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Heath has worked in the veterinary field since the age of 16. She also has a degree in Animal Science with an Equine Specialty from UC Davis.

She grew up in rural Northern California on a small farm with horses, chickens, and goats as well as dogs, cats, tortoises, iguanas and snakes. Prior to becoming a vegan and animal advocate she was vice president of her local 4-H club and an accomplished equestrian competing in dressage, 3-day eventing, endurance and reining.

As a lawyer and legislator, Alene brings her extensive experience in civilly enforcing existing laws to protect animals and sue the lawbreakers.

Alene Anello is the Founder of Legal Impact for Chickens, a litigation nonprofit that fights factory-farm cruelty. Alene is a long-time animal advocate with degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Alene clerked for a federal judge, and then started litigating for animals. She is licensed to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia, and California.

Before founding Legal Impact for Chickens, Alene worked at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and The Good Food Institute.

Alene is committed to helping chickens to honor the memories of her two beloved avian family members, Conrad and Zeke. You can read Alene's story here!

As an environmental and climate scientist, Nicholas brings in expertise in environmental and economical impacts of agriculture, climate, zoonotic diseases, and regenerative plant-based farming systems.

Nicholas Carter, MSc, is an ecologist and co-founder of PlantBasedData.org, a library of peer-reviewed articles on the environmental, health, economic, and zoonotic disease evidence to shift to plant-based diets.

His research during his master’s degree in environmental practice focused on the global greenhouse gas emissions that are attributed to animal agriculture.

He recently prepared a scientific report on the impacts of agriculture in Canada that included carbon modeling with Navius Research (featured in the National Observer). He also helped launch and leads climate communications for CLIMAtlantic that is part of the largest network of climate data hubs with the Canadian Centre for Climate Services.

His work also focuses on transitioning to plant-based farming systems and he has published on regenerative plant farming practices at A-Well-Fed World.

He is regularly invited as a panelist (such as at Center for Biological Diversity), as a scientific reviewer (best selling book “The Proof is in the Plants”), as a consultant for documentaries such as Milked and Meat the Future, or is interviewed or written for numerous media outlets (The New Republic, Plant Based News, Plant Proof, Sentient Media, etc.).

As a Registered Dietitian and journalist, Carolina is ASAP’s expert in nutrition and helps us to effectively promote plant-based foods in dining halls in universities.

Carolina Schneider, MSc, RD is a registered dietitian specializing in plant-based nutrition who has followed a whole-food, vegan diet for the past 10 years.

Carolina has a master's degree in nutrition and undergraduate degrees in journalism and public relations. She has extensive experience working with food service providers advocating for more vegan options at dining locations in universities.

Carolina is also a nutrition writer and educator, with a mission to help individuals improve their health and well-being by eating better, not less. Carolina is passionate about nutrition science and promotes evidence-based nutrition, with the goal to stop the spread of misinformation in the wellness space.

You can find Carolina's nutrition tips and plant-based recipes at “Carolina The Green RD” on Instagram.

As a regional organizer for Anonymous for the Voiceless and a long-time animal activist and organizer, Paola shares her organizational and effective advocacy skills with ASAP.

Paola Smith, MSc, holds a M.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences . She is currently the regional organizer for all the east coast chapters of Anonymous for the Voiceless in the United States as well as the organizer of the New York City chapter.

She is a long-time animal rights activist and abolitionist who has been taking part in street outreach, vigils, and protests/pressure campaigns for many years.

She has hosted multiple outreach workshops and helps animal rights organizations and activists with photography and video editing work. She also has extensive experience working with universities and organizing events on college campuses!

Yuri brings over two decades of valuable experience in animal advocacy and outreach in over 350 universities, in addition to experience in helping restaurants to offer more plant-based foods.

Yuri Mitzkewich is a Food Events Organizer with the non-profit international group Vegan Outreach. Since the early 2000’s he has been a street activist and traveling animal advocate, organizing public events to engage people with educational opportunities to learn how to begin their transition to a vegan lifestyle.

After years doing volunteer organizing work with groups such as Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, SHAC, ALDF, and PETA, in 2014 Yuri then turned his efforts to working full time with Vegan Outreach, taking a traveling activist position as their Southeastern Outreach Coordinator. In this job he primarily worked traveling to universities and college campuses leafleting and sharing VR factory farm footage, eventually working up to be VO’s organizer for all public outreach activities for the Central US and Canada region.

In his time since joining VO, he has organized university events at over 350 campuses across the country, and introduced over 550,000 students to veganism through his outreach activities.

Now based in the southern Appalachian area of western North Carolina, Yuri organizes Vegan Chef Challenge campaigns in cities across the South, while continuing spreading awareness for Vegan Outreach at major universities and community colleges across the country.

Dr. Karen Davis was a visionary in animal advocacy. As a distinguished author, founder of United Poultry Concerns, and steward of an animal sanctuary, she dedicated her life to defending the voiceless from exploitation.

Karen held a PhD from the University of Maryland-College Park, where she taught for twelve years in the English Department.

At the University of Maryland, Karen founded the Animal Rights Coalition in 1989, and she pioneered a course on the role of animals in the Western philosophical and literary tradition in the University of Maryland Honors Program.

Karen leaves behind a profound legacy. It was an honor to have her serve as an advisor for Allied Scholars, and we aim to carry forward her vision of animal liberation.