She is co-editor of the book ‘Rethinking Food and Agriculture: New Ways Forward’ and co-founder of the Veterinary Vegan Network and Ethical Globe.

Laila worked in the international development sector from 2003 to 2018 with NGOs, foundations, government ministries and international research institutions. Her work focused on conducting research for rural development projects in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This ranged from planning multi-million dollar projects to assessing their impact on poverty and food security. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and by international organisations including CGIAR and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO). She has lived and worked in the UK, Switzerland, Kenya, Guyana, Malaysia and Ghana.

Laila has a PhD in Development Economics (SOAS), an MSc in Development Management (LSE) and a BSc in Economics and Politics (Bristol). She has a passion for permaculture and natural building. She takes pride in her Muslim heritage and in her spare time she loves to read, meditate and spend time with other animals, including her feline housemate Lucky.

He was a co-founder of Animal Rebellion and previously organised the UK’s Animal Rights Gathering (2017 & 2018).

Professionally Mark has worked as a management consultant and group facilitator specialising in risk mitigation, strategic decision making and project impact. He has worked for many national and international organisations, including HMRC, British Sugar, the NHS, Ministry of HE Indonesia, Ministry of Trade Sweden, and Ministry Of Defence. He was a lecturer in this area at Lancaster University Management School at BSc, MSc and MBA levels between 2001 and 2018. He is a trainer in Systems Thinking and Group Facilitation for his professional body, The Operational Research Society. He has twice been awarded teaching prizes for his work on incorporating diversity into the university syllabus. He has postgraduate training as a Group Analyst (Psychotherapy).

Mark was a founder and director of the multi-award-winning Lancaster Cohousing; and co-founder and director of the UK Cohousing Network 2006-2015, and chair 2013-2015. As a gay man, he has enjoyed organising several of Lancaster’s QueerFeasts, as well as helping organise Lancaster Pride in 2007. In his spare time he enjoys fell running; foraging; cooking; and generally being outdoors.

Pranav’s professional background is in the world of finance and technology. He began his career in investment banking and then transitioned to corporate advisory, business operations and corporate finance for Silicon Valley tech companies. Despite his prior professional focus, he always remained interested and involved in animal rights work, usually as a volunteer. 

Of Indian descent, Pranav was raised in sunny Southern California and now lives in Lancaster, where has morphed into a true Brit and now loves the cold, cloudy, and rainy weather.

Bárbara hails from Brazil, where she studied communication and philosophy. True to her conviction that ideas and discourses have the power to change social reality, she took her studies on Critical Theory up to a PhD. After volunteering on a vegan farm, she decided to dedicate her life to advancing the interests of fellow animals. She soon understood that although the lives of animals raised for consumption are rife with suffering, the issue is direly neglected across the political spectrum—and came to see fighting for animals as a way to fight for social justice.
Bárbara has published several articles in specialized journals and mainstream newspapers, speaks four languages, and has lived in many different countries. In her free time, she enjoys meditating, running, cooking vegan dishes from around the world, and spending time with her baby dog Louis.

David has experience of working and organising within social activist groups, university societies and poetry working groups. He is particularly interested in the role of pre-figurative politics in organising activist spaces, the structure of democratic processes in decentralised organisations and their potential in reaching across cultural, social and political divides.

Originally wanting to join the Royal Marines, David became interested in animal ethics after studying Philosophy at college. This led him to achieve a 1st class undergraduate degree from Lancaster University in Philosophy and a master’s degree with Distinction from Durham University in Philosophy. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing poetry, board games, going to the gym and (eventually) learning Spanish.

Natasha recently completed a Master’s degree in Anthrozoology at the University of Exeter. Her past research has explored the importance of re-centering embodied, emotional knowledge and connections across social justice issues in the animal freedom movement. Throughout her Master’s, Natasha has worked with multiple charities and activist groups, utilising her skills in visual and written communication to spearhead creative projects that effect change. She sees herself as a vegan-feminist and is particularly interested in the creative power of the arts in activism.

In her spare time, Natasha enjoys drawing and painting, creative writing, meditating, and squirrel-watching. She also hopes to start a cycling for wildlife group to create memorials for animals killed on roads.