Community Spotlight

What It Really Takes to Build a Global Vegan Community

Fresh off the energy of the New York tour, Vegans Explore founder Sean A. Russell records a much quieter, more candid check-in on where the platform actually stands.

Vegans Explore Podcast

Episode 46 · Dec 16, 2025 · 15 min

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Building the Basement Work

Rather than chasing more content, Sean says the priority now is capitalizing on nearly a decade of existing material and building the platform's foundational resources: event listings, restaurant directories, and city-level information, starting with New York and Atlanta ahead of future tour stops.

A New PR Partnership and an Honest Reckoning With Volunteers

Vegans Explore has signed with a PR firm focused on landing sponsorships. Sean is also direct about what has not worked: relying on volunteers, which he says burns out quickly once initial excitement fades. The long-term plan is paid community managers in each city, functioning as local "mayors" who manage business relationships, events, and resources with real support from the platform.

New PR partnership is focused on securing sponsorships
Volunteer-only staffing has been tried multiple times and consistently breaks down
Free membership survey remains open through January 10, ahead of the January 11 launch

Sean is candid about feeling the weight of the mission in this moment, but frames it as part of the process rather than a signal to slow down: the goal remains building the world's largest vegan community, one city at a time.