Plant Chat: Sarah Gross Feoli & Nira Paliwoda, U.S. Veg Corp

Sharon Palmer RD

Published on November 1, 2017

I am so excited to introduce you to Sarah Gross Feoli and Nira Paliwoda, the founders of U.S. Veg Corp. U.S. Veg Corp is an event production and marketing brand focused on the growing vegetarian and green markets. Both active members in the East and West Coasts’ plant-based movements, Sarah and Nira met through a friend and immediately discovered their shared passions. The anchor of their company is the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, a 2-day event that drew such an overwhelming number of attendees in its inaugural year that it had to turn people away. In addition to festivals in New York City, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale, U.S. Veg Corp provides offline and online opportunities throughout the year that target a passionate audience interested in a vegetarian and eco-friendly lifestyle. Read on to hear more about how this power-duo started their burgeoning business and continues to gracefully navigate the changing vegetarian landscape. A vegetarian food festival might be coming to a city near you!

What inspired the two of you to start U.S. Veg Corp in 2010?

Back then it was shockingly frustrating to find credible information about plant-based products and the lifestyle in general. We had to travel to places like Boston or Chicago to experience it. That didn’t make any sense to us, since New York City is supposed to have the best of everything! Even more frustrating was the lack of events with proper production value that were veg-friendly. Not just in NYC, but in other regions of the country, so we started within our own backyard with the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival. The event was, and continues to be, specifically geared toward plant-based education, with plans of expansion into other territories. Everything snowballed from there, in a good way.

What was the initial reaction to your new company? Did you encounter many challenges?

We received such wonderful support from our initial sponsors and vendors who understood our vision from the start, most of which we are still working with today. The biggest challenge we faced with the first event, and continue to face as a live event producer, is not being able to predict the attendance numbers. New York City especially is a last minute type of town with so many things going on simultaneously. We try our best to guesstimate, but there isn’t a crystal ball or foolproof formula. Our first year, we had people waiting outside for hours, with the line to get in stretching over many city blocks. And unfortunately some never did get in. So we just continue with the philosophy of trying to make the very best event we possibly can with hopes that people will choose to come to our event over the other choices out there. That involves a lot of work, research, and fostering of relationships to stay ahead of the competition.

How did the two of you meet?

Nira: I was throwing a fundraiser at Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY through my other production company, Two Shes Productions, and had asked my friend, now Sarah’s husband, to attend. He brought Sarah and the rest is history.

Do you notice any interesting differences between the east and west coast events?

Besides highlighting local vendors to each region, we also try to incorporate the different cultures into each event. For example, our Arizona event includes more activities and vendors focused on sustainability, fitness, and health and wellness, which are big interests in the overall community. In California, we go Hollywood and include a film screening, live music, comedians, mentalists, and top professionals in the entertainment industry sharing their experiences. California knows a lot more about veganism, which is a little old-hat to many Angelinos. We enjoy drawing in a new crowd that would never consider going vegan on their own. We’re happy to be the friendly and informational setting where people can eat and ask questions. In New York City, we tap into the hustle and bustle of the city and feature the largest number of plant-based vendors and experts under one Manhattan roof. New York is the most fast-paced, supercharged atmosphere. People are loud and confident in their plant-based preferences. They kind of demand the best, and we’re happy to oblige.

What’s next for U.S. Veg Corp?

We may hit new metropolitan areas with our large-scale festivals, or we may focus on bringing back our vegan alcohol festival. We staged the Better Booze Fest on the East Coast for a couple of years, and it might be time to do it again. We do sponsor the Brooklyn version of the Vegan Drinks monthly event. We also put on vegan food competitions every now and then–so we might want to ramp that up in new locations.

What are your best tips for those interested in trying a plant-based lifestyle?

Start slow. Don’t go vegan overnight–it will be too overwhelming. Try different plant-based products and restaurants and see what you like. Incorporate those things you like into your diet and eventually you’ll find that each meal will become more plant-based as your cravings change. Enjoy the new community that opens up when you become vegan. You’ll suddenly feel at ease at a farm sanctuary, and ecstatic to find a vegan restaurant (or just to see the word “vegan” on a menu). Soon you’ll be counting down the days to the next veg meet-up, lecture, or festival!

What are some of your favorite plant-based foods and companies?

Sarah: Field Roast, Sweet Earth, Justin’s Peanut Butter, Rescue Chocolate (full disclosure, it’s my company!)

Nira: Hippeas, DF Maven’s, Beyond Sushi in NYC, Terri in NYC

Could you share a recipe with us?

Sarah: I recently made this vegan version of the Latin American stew called sancocho. It’s savory, hearty, and satisfies even the most adamant meat eater!