Kathleen Willey grew up in San Jose, California in a neighborhood that was previously a cherry orchard when Santa Clara Valley was filled with agriculture. The youngest of six kids, she developed a love of the outdoors during many family camping and houseboating trips. There were always family dogs throughout the years and this led to her love of all animals. In her younger years she had terrible asthma that often prevented her from doing PE with her friends. Once she went Whole Foods Plant Based she started placing in her age group in various runs in the Bay Area, running faster than she had 20 years earlier! She also enjoys mountain biking and road biking, having completed many 50 mile and century rides with her husband Mark. She also traveled extensively with her previous job with a large travel company, her favorites being Italy and Hawaii. She has passed on her love of the outdoors to her family and recently hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite with her husband and 11 year old twin boys. Some of her favorite pastimes are watching her boys play baseball, trying new vegan recipes, hiking with her beloved dog Honey and going on family trips to Oregon. Her passion for veganism led to the creation of the Facebook group Plant Based Friends and then Plant Based Advocates which serves plant based meals to some of the local homeless communities. They also successfully petitioned her Town to pass the Green Monday resolution to reduce their meat and dairy intake. She has also been working with a non-profit to educate kids about their food choices and the impacts it has on the environment, health, and animals. She is passionate about creating a kinder and more sustainable world for her young boys through education and positive outreach to the community.