Vegan Directory Founder Kiana Melvin on Building Plant Plate Map

Discover how vegan directory founder Kiana Melvin is transforming how people find plant-based restaurants, vegan businesses, and cruelty-free brands across America.

In this episode of Climate and Cuisine, host Jane DeMarines (Executive Director of Climate Diet) sits down with Kiana Melvin, the 26-year-old CEO and founder of Plant Plate Map — a nationwide vegan directory with over 1,700 listings, including 1,500+ vegan restaurants, plant-based food trucks, vegan caterers, private chefs, and cruelty-free businesses.

Kiana shares her vegan journey from pescatarian to vegetarian to fully vegan during COVID, why so many vegan restaurants are closing, and how her ad-free directory helps users filter by gluten-free, women-owned, and vegan-owned businesses. We also dig into the climate impact of animal agriculture, deforestation, and why plant-based eating matters more than ever in 2026.

🌱 Visit Plant Plate Map: www.plantplatemap.com 

🌎 Learn more about Climate Diet: https://climatediet.org/ 

If you're looking for vegan food near you, want to support vegan-owned businesses, or are curious about plant-based living, this conversation is for you.