Mission
At STL Vegan Market, our mission is to cultivate a vibrant community rooted in conscious eating and ethical consumerism. We strive to empower individuals and businesses to make compassionate, sustainable choices that benefit animals, people, and the planet in St. Louis and beyond.
Vision
We envision a thriving, plant-based economy powered by vegan and eco-friendly businesses. Our goal is to create a future where ethical entrepreneurship flourishes and where animals no longer suffer and die for profit. By fostering sustainability and community-driven change, we aim to make cruelty-free living the new standard.
Core values
We are driven by compassion, sustainability, and ethical living. Our commitment extends to building a strong, inclusive community and maximizing our positive impact on animals, the planet, and the people of St. Louis. We believe that small, intentional choices can lead to transformative change for a kinder, greener world.
STL Vegan Market was founded in 2023 by local entrepreneur Melissa Crawford, known to many as Missy. Despite having no prior organizing experience and no established presence in St. Louis’s vegan community, Missy boldly launched this project and meticulously built STL Vegan Market from the ground up. Inspired by a bustling vegan market she attended in Phoenix, Arizona, during college, she was determined to bring a similar experience to St. Louis. In 2023, she almost singlehandedly organized every market, bringing together dozens of vendors and handling every detail needed to create a thriving event. When the time came for her to pursue new entrepreneurial ventures, she entrusted the market to Project Animal Freedom and our local St. Louis chapter.
Since then, the market has continued to grow, drawing over 70 vendors and 5,000 attendees in 2024. Our message of compassionate, sustainable living has now reached an astonishing 200,000 St. Louisans thanks to the market, expanding the movement and strengthening our local vegan community.
History
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