Who we are
Our story
The idea for 1 Million Tables for the Planet began at a small, two-person table in Atlanta, Georgia, at a conference in the fall of 2025. Debra Alexander and Marla Felcher had been introduced by a mutual friend, the great connector, Rachel Atcheson. The day’s sessions were over, and a buffet was being served at the conference. After a long day of conversation and ideas, we looked at each other and, almost simultaneously, said, “Let’s find a restaurant and have dinner.”
Over a two-hour meal of gorgeous plant-based food (and wine!), the two of us, virtual strangers, learned that we shared similar values and found a deep connection. By the end of that dinner, we had agreed to work to bring the world together, just as we had come together. Two people. One table. Nurturing, plant-based food. The 1 Million Tables campaign was born that night.
The people behind 1 Million Tables
Debra Alexander
Co-Creator, 1 Million Tables
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Debra grew up in the mountains of Colorado, skiing, hiking, backpacking, and cycling—experiences that nurtured a deep respect for the natural world. Her journey to plant-based living began after a life-threatening infection triggered an autoimmune condition. Following the advice of a Mayo Clinic physician, she adopted a whole food, plant-based diet, which significantly improved her symptoms. She co-founded PlantPowered Foundation with her husband, Donald, where she runs the PlantPowered Pledge, a free 3-week commitment to simple, meaningful changes in how we eat. No pressure. Just progress.
E. Marla Felcher
Co-Creator, 1 Million Tables
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Marla has worked as a marketing professor, investigative journalist, marketing consultant, and consumer advocate. In 2012, she co-founded The Philanthropy Connection, a women’s grant-making organization, and served as its president until 2017. She’s increasingly become concerned/obsessed with the effect of our broken food system on climate change, which she writes about (and more) in her blog and website Good News Veg.
Skye Smith
Digital Strategist, Sow & Grow Digital
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Skye grew up on the coast of South Africa, where life is simple, outdoors, and shared. She now lives in Scotland and still orients her life that way, spending her time outside and around people.
That connection to simple, shared moments is what drew her to 1 Million Tables. Her technical background is what allows her to bring it to life.
As a digital strategist with over a decade of experience across search, websites, and user experience, she leads the digital side of the movement, building the systems and tools that make it easy for anyone, anywhere, to host a table and be part of something bigger.
Nico Westermann
Strategic Marketing Guru
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Nico is a marketing strategist and creative leader committed to shifting culture through data-driven creativity and purpose-led innovation. With over 20 years of experience guiding global brands, tech disruptors, and mission-driven organizations, he specializes in combining deep human insight with the power of digital platforms to inspire meaningful change.
Carrie Bigham
Social Media Guru & Graphic Designer, SOMO.Agency
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Carrie lives in South Africa, where connection, community, and shared experiences are part of everyday life.
With a background in marketing and content, she focuses on how 1 Million Tables shows up in the world. From the words people read to the stories they see, her work helps bring the movement to life in a way that feels clear, relatable, and human.
Her role is to make the idea easy to understand and easy to join, so that anyone, anywhere, can take a seat at the table and pass it on.
Victoria Nswila
Community and Partnerships Manager, Ambassador for Africa
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Victoria grew up in Lusaka, Zambia, where food has always been at the heart of community and connection. Her journey to plant-based living began after being diagnosed with endometriosis, leading her to explore how food could support her health and wellbeing. What deepened her commitment was the experience of how difficult it was to find information, resources, and menu options for people choosing a plant-based lifestyle.
She is also a mental health advocate, a Vegan Hospitality Consultant in training, and a firm believer that caring for people and caring for the planet are one and the same.
Her core belief is that when people choose to come together, there is very little they cannot achieve. It’s the same for our planet. Building a better, more sustainable world is not one person’s responsibility; it is a table we all have a seat at.