The Faunalytics team shares your heartfelt desire to help animals. Each of us also brings an unwavering commitment to finding the best ways for advocates to save lives and reduce suffering.
Staff
Jo Anderson (she/her), PhD, Research Director
Jo Anderson is an advocate for animals and empirical research. She has many years of experience with a wide range of social science research methods and topics, as well as advanced training in statistical analysis. Jo became Faunalytics' Research Director in 2017 and since then has led and supervised studies of attitudes and behavior pertaining to animals and veganism, advocate retention, donations, lobbying efforts, and many other topics. Her other roles include serving as the co-leader of the RECAP (Research to End Consumption of Animal Products) researcher collective, a member of the Brooks Institute's Animal Law & Science working group, an ad hoc research advisor to ProVeg and Food System Innovations, and an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). Jo has a PhD in social psychology from the University of Waterloo and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University. Jo's spare-time interests include sewing, reading, finding accidentally-vegan junk food, doting over cats, and being generally indoorsy.
Coni Arévalo (she/her), Research Associate
Coni Arévalo comes from a background in wildlife conservation and management. She has long been passionate about protecting the world’s biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and is dedicated to protecting and standing up for all the animal lives that can’t do so in our human-dominated world. Coni has conducted research on anthropogenic influences on urban birds in Chile, human-carnivore conflicts in Mesoamerica, and the role of protected areas throughout Latin America. She holds a BA in German Studies and Biological Sciences from Cornell University and an MSc in Natural Resources from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Coni’s hobbies include baking, knitting, spending time in the beautiful Colorado outdoors, finding new shows to watch, and cuddling with her rescue cat Roo and rescue dog Snoopy.
Brooke Haggerty (she/her), Executive Director
Brooke Haggerty has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has dedicated her career to animal protection. She stepped into the leadership role with Faunalytics in January 2020 after serving as our operations manager for over a year. Previously, she served as the executive director and later as a board member for the Foundation for Animal Care and Education, and also worked as a humane educator and later as a campaigns director for the Animal Protection and Rescue League. Brooke is a former board member and programming chair for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego, currently serves on the board for HandsOn San Diego promoting community volunteerism, and actively volunteers with her alma mater's student mentorship program. In 2022, she was named one of "40 Top Business Leaders Under 40" by the San Diego Business Journal. Brooke has an MA in Human Behavior, a BA in English, and certifications in Marketing and Nonprofit Management. In her free time, she enjoys classic literature and the great outdoors.
karol orzechowski (he/him), Content Director
karol orzechowski is an animal advocate with a passion for blending activism and art. In addition to producing numerous short films on various animal issues, karol is the director of Maximum Tolerated Dose, a full-length documentary about the psychological toll of vivisection on both animals and humans. He completed a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and an MA in Communications and Culture at York University, writing theses on nationalism and the Atlantic seal hunt, and Canadian rodeo culture, respectively. When he's not working for Faunalytics, karol is usually planning, hosting, or performing events in his local arts scene, or playing with Raoul the rescue dog.
Andrea Polanco (she/her), PhD, Research Scientist
Andrea Polanco has always been fascinated by animal behavior (including that of humans). She wanted to learn more about the emotional lives of other animals after completing a BA in psychology from Ryerson University. As a result, she holds a MSc and PhD in animal welfare science from the University of Guelph, and her research on abnormal behaviors as indicators of affective states has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Andrea also became a vocal animal activist during her PhD, where she previously organized demos and slaughterhouse vigils. Her advocacy led her to discovering Faunalytics, where she served as a volunteer science writer prior to her Research Scientist position. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys relaxing with her cat companion Zupa (Polish for ‘soup’).
Jenna Riedi (she/her), Communications Manager
Jenna Riedi is a devoted life-long animal advocate and is passionate about protecting and advancing the lives of animals around the world. She has worked and volunteered for nonprofit organizations for over 20 years, with a focus on marketing and fundraising. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BA in History, Religious Studies, and Classical Studies and from UW-Milwaukee with an MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and is currently studying to earn an MS in Library Information Sciences from the University of Wisconsin as well as a certificate in Shelter Medicine from the University of Florida. Jenna spends her downtime with her trio of companion animals (Navi, Mielikki, and Starbuck), and also enjoys reading, singing, and hiking.
Pona Tran (she/her), Operations Associate
Pona joined Faunalytics with a belief in data-driven animal advocacy and a desire to do more to protect the precious animals with whom we share our planet. She holds a BA in Arts Management from the University of Toronto, and has worked at a number of arts organizations throughout her career. Pona also teaches English, and occasionally speaks at language and culture conferences on topics such as heritage and identity. Pona enjoys orchestral music, reading, sun protection, and pampering Selena, her feline family member.
Liz Wheeler (she/her), Philanthropy Officer
Liz Wheeler is a passionate animal advocate who is dedicated to improving the lives of animals across the globe. In the past five years, her enthusiasm for connecting people and animals together has led her to a career as a professional fundraiser. She has completed a certificate in Animal Welfare from Thompson Rivers University and a certification in Anthrozoology at the University of Windsor. Liz is the founder of Secondhand Stories, a non-profit bookshop that has raised and donated $25k for her local farm animal sanctuary and she is the President of the VegOttawa Association board. When she’s not busy advocating for animals, she enjoys spending time with her 7 rescue cats and newly rescued hens and roosters.
Zach Wulderk (he/they), Research Scientist
After years of advocating for animals outside of work, Zach Wulderk decided to make his passion for animals his career. He has a background in economics and political science, graduating from Wesleyan University with a BA in Government, and worked for several years in both economic consulting and economic development before joining the Faunalytics team. Zach is a self-professed R nerd and is always looking for new applications for his favorite software. Outside of work, Zach is often playing music with his band, trying out new vegan recipes, or taking too many pictures of his rescue dog, Barney, and rescue cat, Zucchini.
Board
Caryn Ginsberg, Board President
Caryn Ginsberg provides insight and infographics that help animal protection and other progressive organizations move more people to action. Founder of Priority Visions, she has more than two decades of experience helping nonprofits and businesses set strategy to accomplish their goals. Her nonprofit clients have included Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Rescue League of Boston, the ASPCA, the Fund for Animals, Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare (conference), the Humane Society of the United States and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Caryn taught marketing in the MBA program at Johns Hopkins University and for Humane Society University. She earned her AB in economics and math from Dartmouth College summa cum laude and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her interests include birding, Disney, weightlifting and the latest vegan foods and restaurants.
Che Green, Board Treasurer
Che Green is the founder of Faunalytics, as well a former analyst, investment banker, and research manager with experience developing and implementing research projects of all kinds. Che has worked and volunteered for a wide range of animal advocacy groups at both the local grassroots and national levels. He is a consultant for animal-friendly businesses and charitable foundations. Che has a BA in business administration with a concentration in finance. He started Faunalytics in 2000 to empower animal advocates through research, and served as its Executive Director for nearly 20 years. In 2020, he co-founded Moonshot Collaborative, a company dedicated to providing market research and consumer insights on plant-based consumers for food innovators and disruptors. When not working, Che spends his time mountain biking, petting cats, gardening, and following his favorite football (soccer) teams.
Sharie Lesniak, Board Secretary
Sharie Lesniak honed her skills in corporate advertising—having enticed consumers to buy everything from Gap clothes to Nissan cars to Absolut Vodka—but came to realize her talents could help animal advocates more effectively sell their message. Sharie spent a decade at Born Free USA as the Creative Director focusing on developing campaigns that convinced consumers to think more humanely and engage in more animal-friendly behaviors. Seeing how integral a healthy earth is for animals (and humans), Sharie jumped back into the corporate world to help aid multifamily communities across the U.S. increase recycling and reduce waste. As the Creative Director at Valet Living, Sharie also helps enable more apartments to provide homes where people can comfortably live with their dogs and cats. Sharie has a BBA from Western Michigan University. If not working on one of her side hustles (warning people about the dangers of hot cars through My Dog is Cool, or putting the “wag” in swag with Shelter Swag), you can find her riding her skateboard or OneWheel, traveling and kayaking or chillin’ at home with her wife and two crazy rescued cats.
Sarah Hanneken, Board Member
Sarah Hanneken is an attorney specializing in animal law, with a focus on laws impacting farmed animals. As Legal Advocacy Counsel at Animal Equality, Sarah pursues strategic impact litigation and legislation to protect the interests of farmed animals through the legal system. Sarah uses her creativity and extensive advocacy experience to develop novel legal strategies specifically designed to shift people’s perceptions of animals raised for food. Prior to joining Animal Equality, Sarah worked in the Litigation Program at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, where she honed her skills as a litigator and activist. Sarah graduated magna cum laude from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, and she received a BA in linguistics from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where she graduated summa cum laude with a minor in biological sciences. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys sewing, gardening, reading, and exploring outside with her rescue dog Lily.
Steve Schuster, Board Member
Vegan-ethics advocate Steve Schuster brings deep marketing expertise to Faunalytics, honed by his many decades of experience in technology marketing. He serves as CEO and chief strategist of Rainier Communications, leading the successful marketing of thousands of hardware, software and service products. Steve selectively serves on advisory boards for numerous startups including VeganNation and Billion Vegans, and he regularly serves as a mentor-in-residence for startup incubators and accelerators around the world. Steve holds BSEE and MBA degrees from Northeastern University, is a published singer/songwriter and recording artist, fitness enthusiast, photographer, and he chairs his local YMCA’s board of governors.
Mandy Weeks-Green, Board Member
Mandy Weeks is an attorney presently working with health care reform and regulation of insurance providers for the state of Washington. She has also served as a legal aid attorney, proving free legal services to low-income individuals and families and as a public defender. Mandy has volunteered for grassroots and national animal advocacy groups as well as providing direct care to animals through a wildlife rehabilitation center and to her companion cat, Ain. Mandy has a BA in political science and a JD.
Research Advisors & Collaborators
Chris Bryant holds a PhD from the University of Bath, and has focused on consumer adoption of cultured meat. He collaborated with Faunalytics on our report investigating naturalness concerns around cultured meat. He is also the Social Science Director for the Cellular Agriculture Society, and co-organizes the Research to End Consumption of Animal Products (RECAP) Group with Faunalytics’ Research Director. He has also worked on research projects with Faunalytics, The Good Food Institute, and Viva!. He earned his BA from the University of Exeter, and his MSc from the University of Bristol.
Jah Ying Chung is a user and market researcher and the co-founder of The Good Growth Co. She has collaborated with Faunalytics on several projects and is a co-leader of the RECAP (Research to End Consumption of Animal Products) group. Her work focuses largely on qualitative and mixed methods research for the animal welfare and alternative protein industry in China. Previously, Jah Ying founded and sold a sponsorship platform serving students across the Asia Pacific, and ran climate change campaigns in China.
Maneesha Deckha is Professor and Lansdowne Chair in Law at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia. She has published in the areas of feminist animal studies, animal law and legalities, law and culture, and bioethics and reproductive law. She is a recipient of multiple national grants and has held the Fulbright Visiting Chair in Law and Society at New York University. She is the author of Animals as Legal Beings: Contesting Anthropocentric Legal Orders (University of Toronto Press, 2021) and directs the Animal Studies Research Initiative at the University of Victoria. She is a graduate of McGill University, the University of Toronto, and Columbia University.
Marina Milyavskaya is an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University and collaborates with Faunalytics on our research about the strategies new veg*ns use to maintain their diets. She conducts research on goal pursuit, motivation, and self-regulation, and is excited to apply her skills and passion to research on dietary change and other animal-friendly behaviors. More details about her research can be found on her lab page.
Jamie Parry is an independent researcher who collaborated with Faunalytics on the project Relative Effectiveness of Different Approaches to Advocacy. He previously worked as a consumer research scientist at The Good Food Institute, conducting research on perceptions of the plant-based food category, and also has experience conducting market research for food and beverage companies. He earned his BA from the University of Sussex and his MSc from the University of Glasgow.
Steven Shepherd is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and International Business at Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business. He researches how various beliefs and ideologies (e.g., political ideology) and social issues (e.g. related to gender, race, and socioeconomic status) relate to issues in marketing and management. He has a PhD is social psychology (University of Waterloo) and completed a post-doctoral research position in marketing at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Gregg Sparkman is a postdoctoral research associate in the Andlinger Center at Princeton University. His research is focused on understanding social change, including the causes and consequences of norms shifting over time on behavior and policy attitudes. He completed his PhD at Stanford University in social psychology, where he investigated how people are influenced by witnessing social change (dynamic norms) and how this can be incorporated into interventions in social, environmental, and political domains, including how to reduce meat consumption. Gregg collaborated with Faunalytics on our “Reduce” Or “Go Veg” study.
Laura Thomas-Walters is a PhD researcher at the University of Kent. She working to improve the design and evaluation of interventions to reduce demand for wildlife products, drawing together research from multiple fields such as public health and international development. She has used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to measure the success of demand reduction campaigns, and has developed a theoretical framework of motivations for wildlife use. She is also exploring how local cultural values can be used to create more effective messages.
Advisors
Stephanie Downs is an entrepreneur turned social activist. In 1999, she founded MarKomm, a marketing firm that would be the first of three businesses she developed. The success of her agency enabled her to step away from the day-to-day operations to put her knowledge to “good” use. In 2009, Downs co-founded FiXiT – a non-profit focused on using creative solutions to bring an end to pet overpopulation, and in 2012 she founded Voolla, an online marketplace that turns volunteered skills into money for charities.
Kellie Heckman combines her experience as a nonprofit executive and scientist to improve the lives of all animals in need. Kellie developed an appreciation for the unique ability of farm sanctuaries to promote compassion while serving as Executive Director of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. She currently serves on the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary Board of Directors, and optimizes operations and maximizes fundraising opportunities for charities as the COO of Insurgent Campaigns. Kellie spends her free time being crafty in vegan-friendly St. Louis with her two rescued Boston terriers and three rescue cats.
Pulin Modi has been organizing around social justice issues for 25 years including professional roles with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Change.org, MoveOn, and ParentsTogether. He has been the lead on digital campaigns signed by millions of people, supported passionate individuals and dedicated nonprofits as they gained massive media coverage, and strategized on (and won) campaigns against some of the biggest brands in the world. He believes organizing should be creative, enjoyable, and equitable.
Michelle is the Chief Talent and Equity Officer at KIPP SoCal Public Schools. In this role, Michelle leads KIPP SoCal’s work in anti-racism, human resources, talent acquisition, credentialing, talent development, and workforce analytics. She has over 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit and social enterprise work, always focused on equity, systemic change, and community-building. Michelle has been an advocate for racial justice, women’s rights, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. She is a founding member of the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale, where she led a grassroots effort for equity in Policing through data analysis. She has also served as Social Justice Director at the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, as chair of the Inclusion Committee for the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council in Glendale USD, pioneering a comprehensive anti-bias initiative, and as founding member of Gender Equity in Animal Rights (GEAR, where she launched the Amplify career sponsorship program for women and gender non-conforming people. Michelle has a Master’s in Biology from Caltech and a Master’s in Business Administration from USC.
Andrew Rowan is the former director of the Tufts University Center for Animals and Public Policy. He also chaired the Department of Environmental Studies at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. Andrew was the founding editor of the International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems, founding editor of Anthrozoos, and scientific administrator for the Fund for the Replacement for Animals in Medical Experiments. Andrew currently serves as president of WellBeing International, a new NGO that focuses on projects that deliver solutions for people, animals, and the environment.
Bernard Unti is Senior Policy Adviser and Special Assistant to the President & CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. He is the author of Protecting All Animals: A Fifty-Year History of The Humane Society of the United States (2004) and other works on animal protection and cruelty to animals as an historical and contemporary concern.
Volunteers
Ambassadors: Natalie Amezcua, Clara Dell, Bruno Link, Ella Wong
Writers & Editors: Ozy Brennan, Trent Davidson, Susan Gabriel, Lukas Jasiunas, Lynda Korimboccus, Suzanne Lieberman, Tania Luna, Thyl Moors, Devatha P Nair, Charly Lynn Phillips, Daniele Pollicino, Beth Snyder, Nick Souter, Lindsey Stowell, Sara Streeter, Kerri Tenniswood, Mona Zahir
Researchers: Joy McLeod, Dung Nguyen, Clara Sanchez Garcia, Jared Winslow
Other Volunteers: Domiziana Ferrari, Steven Mai, Graeme Ross-Munro, Kate Verdalyn Lupango
