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Become a Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator (VLCE)

How do you want to make a difference? Do you see yourself coaching individuals to Vegan success? Speaking and teaching for live and online audiences? Starting a Vegan business? Working with an established Vegan company or non-profit? Or expanding the effectiveness of your outreach and influence as we grow toward a Vegan world?

At Main Street Vegan Academy, we know that equipping you for the task ahead demands a personalized, professional, in-depth experience. Because this is what it takes, this is what we offer -- live via Zoom. Our commitment is to the provide excellence in plant-based training and Vegan education, and support our graduates’ progress going forward.

The Program

Autumn Intake 

Start Date: September 9th 2023

Course Fee: $1295

Payment Plans Available

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In addition to coaching and teaching, our graduates are running plant-based companies, Vegan shops, food trucks and restaurants, they are on staff at animal rights and health-promotion organizations, writing books, podcasting, and using their VLCE credential as part of a pre-existing profession in healthcare, nutrition, fitness, yoga, etc.

And there's more: the connections you make here are priceless. Our Vegan classes are kept small so that you can get to know your fellow students and our respected instructors. After your course, you will be connected via our private Facebook group not only with members of your class, but with other alumni who share interests, backgrounds, or locale with you. The networking opportunities are unparalleled.

Here's what Forbes.com has to say about us:

“This program inspires entrepreneurs and seeds Vegan business endeavors of every sort. The curriculum is solid, the faculty top-notch, and the immersion experience and after-graduation support incomparable.” 

Katrina Fox

Forbes.com

What You'll Learn

The core curriculum of the Main Street Vegan Academy program follows. In addition, there are mini-classes such as "How to Conduct a Supermarket Tour" and "Elements of Ayurveda"; panels in which prior MSVA grads share what they're doing with their certification; coaching practice time; lighthearted games of VegTrivia; and "decompression chats," small group sessions for sharing and appropriating everything that is being learned.

Vegan Principles

  • History of the vegetarian and Vegan movements
  • Overview of animal rights and animal law
  • Fundamentals of plant-based nutrition
  • Nutrition throughout the life cycle
  • Diet in the prevention and reversal of disease
  • Environmental implications of animal agriculture
  • A Vegan perspective of racial disparties in the food system
  • Animal use and abuse in fashion, and Vegan alternatives

Communication Principles

  • The Art of the Food Demo
  • Techniques of Vegan lifestyle coaching and counseling
  • Working with mixed (Vegan/non-Vegan) and transitional families
  • Presentation skills for Vegan educators and entrepreneurs
  • Using online video to enhance your brand or your activism

Business Principles

  • Building your brand, and marketing for success
  • Finding your niche in today’s Vegan business scene
  • Client attraction and business development
  • Digital marketing for VLCEs
Enroll Now

Meet Our Instructors

Joshua Katcher, BraveGentleman designer and author of the book Fashion Animals, teaches the dynamic and in-depth class about the use of animals for clothing throughout history, contemporary alternatives, and Vegan fashion.

MSVA Instructors

Your instructors include major voices in the Vegan/plant-based world. Among them are:

  • Chef Fran Costigan, noted pastry chef, author, Vegan Chocolate
  • Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, professor, University of San Diego, author and speak on food justice
  • Marty Davey, MS, RD, registered dietitian, University of South Carolina
  • JL Fields, MVLCE, author of multiple cookbooks including The Vegan Air Fryer, plant-based culinary consultant
  • Jennifer Gannett, JD, VLCE, longtime animal rights advocate and Vegan mom
  • Joshua Katcher, fashion designer, BraveGentleman
  • Joel Kahn, MD, "America's Holistic Heart Doc," practicing cardiologist in the Detroit area, professor, Wayne Stat University Medical School
  • Milton Mills, MD, critical care physician, medical director U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • Victoria Moran, CHHC, RYT, author, podcaster, founder Main Street Vegan Academy
  • Martin Rowe, founder emeritus Lantern Books, director, Culture and Animals Foundation, fellow, Brighter Green Environmental Action Tank
  • Stephanie Redcross West, founder and president of Vegan Mainstream
  • Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan, JD, cofounders of Our Hen House
  • Vince Tucker, MVLCE, Lifestyle Medicine Coach
  • Dianne Wenz, CHHC, VLCE, holistic health coach and Vegan lifestyle coach and educator, author Truly Healthy Vegan Cooking
  • And for the very first time for our October 2022 class, the ever dynamic Chef AJ!
JL Fields, VLCE

JL Fields, MVLCE, author of multiple cookbooks including The Vegan Air Fryer, plant-based culinary consultant

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Milton Mills, MD, critical care physician, medical director U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

marty

Marty Davey, MS, RD, registered dietitian, researcher

joshua

Joshua Katcher, fashion designer, BraveGentleman

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Chef Fran Costigan, noted pastry chef, author, Vegan Chocolate

stephanie

Stephanie Redcross-West, Director, Vegan Mainstream, business mentor

What do I get for my $1295 tuition?

Lots more than you pay for! This has been our commitment since the very first MSVA cohort since the launch of the Academy in 2012, and we pride ourselves in living up to this pledge in every class session and ongoing post-grad support. Among the benefits you'll receive by taking the MSVA course are the following:

1. The highly respected Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator (VLCE) certification

2. A solid background in Vegan Principles, Communication Principles, and Business Principles equipping you to confidently share this way of life with others

3. A life-changing live experience in which you'll be interacting with the legendary Victoria Moran and instructors who are major movers and shakers in the Vegan and plant-based worlds

4. The welcome association of other Vegans in your class, many of whom will become lifelong friends

5. The opportunity to share, during the course itself and in post-grad reunion sessions, what's going on with you with fellow Vegans who understand your commitment, your passion, and the struggles of being Vegan in a still omnivore-centric word

6. Unparalleled networking opportunities through regular Zoom reunions (and some in person, too), access to the private Alumni of MSVA Facebook group, and the MSVA Graduate Directory through which you can contact peers in your area and around the world

7. The opportunity to be published online through the Main Street Vegan blog

8. Follow-up support, if you want it, for as long as you want it

In this boutique program, you are not just a number or an email address: you become a member of a dynamic coterie of elite experts on the Vegan lifestyle in all its aspects. Founder and director Victoria Moran frequently writes job and grad school recommendations for MSVA grads, provides blurbs for graduates' books, and advice on their projects. Other faculty members and fellow graduates are also there for networking and support. As an MSVA alum you'll be part of an encouraging family invested in your success and the cause we share.

Some of Our Graduates

Our VLCE Community is currently comprised of nearly 600 certified coaches from 32 countries on 6 continents.

Some Ways Our Grads are Veganizing the World

Authors

Influencers

Entrepreneurs

Practicing Coaches

In The Non-Profit Sector

Testimonials

Vicki Brett-Gach, MVLCE, Michigan

"The Main Street Vegan Academy experience was life-changing. Now I coach individual clients around the country, provide corporate wellness counseling to larger groups, teach culinary classes, work as a personal chef, and I’m currently writing a cookbook.The knowledge, the compassion, the wisdom, the insights, and the expertise that Victoria and her hand-selected instructors share through this program is not only transformative, it is without equal."

Dianne Wenz 1 HR

Dianne Wenz, VLCE, New Jersey

"I can’t fully express my gratitude to Victoria Moran for MSVA. The class was an incredible experience with an amazing lineup of presenters, exactly what I needed to jumpstart my Vegan counselling business."

Elaine Hutchison, VLCE, Washington

"As a Main Street Vegan Academy graduate, I have a suggestion: Charge more! I didn't pay nearly enough for the incredible quality of the presenters. The excitement started the very first day with Victoria Moran's history lecture. Then my brain exploded when I heard Martin Rowe on the environment. A voice in my head said, 'Girl, you are off the porch and running with the big dogs' -- and I haven't stopped."

Naomi Green

Naomi Green, VLCE, Belize

"Seven years ago when I attended MSVA I had no idea how life-changing it would be. It was the catalyst for my successful Vegan coaching business which was the inspiration for the Vegan cooking & adventure retreats I run with my husband, and our latest project, the Vegan retreat center we built in Belize."

Sue Sullivan, VLCE, Massachusetts

"I thoroughly enjoyed my Main Street Vegan Academy experience and I strongly recommend this program to any vegan who is striving to increase their own love vibration, and that of our entire planet."

Diana Goldman, VLCE, Massachusetts

"As a relatively new Vegan, I attended MSVA to learn more. Little did I know I would meet such wonderful people, be embraced by a warm and welcoming community, and expand my horizons in such fulfilling and numerous ways. Victoria Moran is a gem and I feel blessed to know her and be part of the vast circle of people touched by her wisdom, generosity, and compassionate spirit."

Upcoming Intake

Autumn 2023 

September 9-10. October 14-15. November 4-5. December 2.

Enroll Now

FAQ

Being a dietary vegan over 18 who satisfactorily completes the application, reads or listens to the 6 required books (list sent upon acceptance), and listens to 21 hours of the Main Street Vegan podcast qualifies you for the course. 

There are terrific classes out there and MSVA celebrates all our colleagues in their important work. Among MSVA's shining features are:

(1) We cover every aspect of Vegan living, equipping you with well-rounded expertise

(2) Your instructors are top luminaries in the Vegan and plant-based arena, and you will have one-on-one access to founder and director Victoria Moran throughout your course.

(3) As an MSVA student and graduate, you become a valuable part of a respected and influential community of Vegan experts and educators. You are a real person to us; we know your interests and we support your vision.

(4) We inspire you to actively use your VLCE to change this world for the better

(5) You're free to disseminate these ideas in your own way

(6) If you wish to stay connected through the Main Street Vegan private Academy Facebook group, private mailings, graduate projects and other events, we're here for you for the duration

(7) Although we offer an in-depth master class for graduates every two years, no continuing education is required to keep your VLCE certification in good standing

Our MD and RD instructors adhere to the principles of a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet and they teach those principles in the VLCE certification course. However, we recognize that the Vegan movement also includes people whose road to health has been via raw food, ayurveda, macrobiotics, or some slant on WFPB such as Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Nutritarianism or Dr. John McDougall's "starch solution."
 
We also know that many Vegans, young people in particular, are not necessarily looking for ways to improve their health, but are interested in Vegan culinary exploration and in products that emulate meat and dairy dishes. While we train coaches who can work with people looking at Veganism as part of a health-promting lifestyle, we celebrate the contribution to a kinder world made by creative chefs and the various commercial products available today. Among our own graduates are those whose business ventures are in Vegan cheeses, yogurt, ice cream, and bakery products, and yet all had WFPB education at the Academy.

Yes, you can select the payment plan on the registration form.

When you graduate from the MSVA program, a 7-day Zoom intensive, you will be certified as a Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator, VLCE. Every few years we offer a Masters level course for those alumni who wish to obtain further instruction, thus MVLCE -- Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator. The Masters programs a in-depth and exciting, but never required. Your VLCE certification is evergreen as long as you remain Vegan.

*1. Main Street Vegan, by Victoria Moran -- the basis for our program; a lively, accepting overview of every aspect of Vegan eating and living. This is our fundamental text and expresses the eclectic approach that we have here at Main Street Vegan Academy
 
*2. The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D and Thomas M. Campbell, MD - the scientific basis for a whole-foods, plant-based diet (There are two editions of this book, one revised and expanded. Feel free to read - or listen on Audible - to either.)
 
*3. Vegan for Life, by Jack Norris, RD, and Virginia Messina, MPH, RD - one of the best works on Vegan nutrition: clear, honest, science-based
 
*4. Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows, by Melanie Joy, PhD - the gist of what makes it okay in our society to have some animals as friends, others as food, and how we can combat this
 
*5. Eat for the Planet, Nil Zacharias and Gene Stone - a pocket-sized easy read on the very complex topic of climate change and global pollution and the animal agriculture connection
 

6. Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business, by Katrina Fox - an introduction to business with Vegans in mind, covering concept, formation, mindset, money, branding, marketing, and making it in business while staying true to your values

 
Those titles preceded by an asterisk are also available as audiobooks from Audible.com. If you apply well in advance, it's nice to have read all the books prior to the start of class. If there's not time for that, you can have until the course has ended. If you still haven't finished all the books, you can graduate with your class, and we'll just hold off on mailing your certificate until you have finished the required reading.

It will not. We train Vegans to help others thrive with Veganism. Our program does not qualify any graduate who is not already a licensed healthcare professional to work with sick people or to diagnose or treat any illness.

We avoid anything graphic or troubling to the fullest extent possible. While those images can move non-Vegans in this direction, you're already Vegan and shouldn't have to look at anything awful. In the class about fashion, there are some disturbing images, but the instructor, Vogue-featured Vegan designer Joshua Katcher, has taught for us from the beginning and always warns people if something graphic is coming so anyone who wishes can shut off their video momentarily.

All lectures are recorded and made available to students within a couple of days of that weekend's programming. You can make up any missed classes with recordings. In addition, once you graduate, you have the right to ask to audit any class that you missed in person during the next live Zoom course.

You're right: it is not. We were originally an in-person program in NYC -- in the apartment, in fact, of founder and director Victoria Moran. The Covid-19 pandemic put an end to in-person programming and we were worried that we'd lose something of the spirit of the Academy. In fact, the opposite has happened.
 
Via Zoom, we're still "live" and people who could not travel to New York, take a week out of their lives, and take on the extra expense of air fare and hotels can now take the course from the comfort of their homes. In addition, we've been able to add more hours to the program, meaning more classes covering more topics and making our certified coaches even more qualified for what they plan to do next. In addition, we can now invite presenters from around the U.S. and the world, making the MSVA course more stunning than ever. (And if you do come to NYC after you graduate, Victoria and some local alumni would love to meet you for an amazing Vegan lunch.)

Do you have a question for us?

Contact Us

Main Street Vegan Academy: the first plant-based course to receive BeVeg certification

beveg-GREENcircle-logo-bevegcertified (1)

 "The 'Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval' for Vegan, BeVeg International is the first in the world to gain global accreditation for its vegan trademark by ISO. The BeVeg Vegan standard ensures a global approach specific to Vegan values, with focused content, specialized technical training, and applied technique."

Dave McGee

Chief Compliance Office, BeVeg International

Important notes:

  • This course is designed to help you guide others to thrive with a Vegan lifestyle. While you will receive at least 6 hours of health and nutrition training, you will not be a nutritionist. Being a certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator does NOT qualify you to provide medical advice or treat any illness. Any person looking to undergo a major change in diet should consult a licensed healthcare professional.
  • This is also not a culinary program: your expertise upon completion of this plant-based course will be to teach, guide, and counsel individuals and groups about Vegan eating and living, as well as align the entrepreneurial gifts and talents you may bring to the table with your desire for extended Vegan outreach.
  • While we give you a jam-packed educational experience and the support of our active alumni group afterwards, we make no guarantees about what any graduate will or will not accomplish upon completion of our program. Many of our graduates have successful practices and/or Vegan businesses — and we can put you in touch with some of these if you’d like. We cannot, however, promise this outcome for everyone, nor do we promise that any graduate will necessarily earn income as a result of taking this course.
  • This is a Vegan certification program in which individuals who are already Vegan learn to teach and counsel others. It is not a how-to-go-Vegan course. If you’re looking for this kind of help, check out the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, free and online, from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. We recommend that you read Victoria Moran's classic book, Main Street Vegan: Everything You Need to Know to Eat Healthfully and Live Compassionately in the Real World.

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