For 26 years, SEED Founder Alison Burgos has been producing, organizing and promoting large scale events and destination weekends across the country drawing crowds of 30,000 people annually.

In 2008, while based in Miami along with SEED co-founder Michele Gabor, Alison was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and became confined to a wheelchair for several years before undergoing knee replacement surgery followed by months of physical rehabilitation.

Becoming more conscious of what she put into her body, she began consuming more fruits and vegetables, until adopting the plant-based diet she eats today. Realizing that changing her diet had put the spring back in her step, Alison and Michele saw the opportunity to teach others how to eat their way to better health.

As foodies and highly aware of the burdgeoning culinary scene in Miami, they realized that with Alison’s extensive experience as an event producer that organizing the first of its kind plant-based food and wine festival was the best way to educate and enlighten others. Since 2008, they have led the best plant-based festival in the country held annually in Miami drawing loyal fans and participants from across the globe.

After moving to Austin, Tara Notvest fell in love with the local vegan community and saw the need for SEED’s one of a kind experience here. She looks forward to taking the reins and growing the legacy of the brand to a new city in its 10th year.