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Meet the Team

Hello! We’re VegOut—a group of vegans passionate about the plant-based food and lifestyle scene, living in cities across the US. We work to bring you the best vegan content around. Stop by our Instagram accounts, give us a follow, and introduce yourself. We’d love to connect!

Maggie Ortlieb

Maggie Ortlieb

Founder & CEO

she/her

Maggie started VegOut in 2016 to show her veg-curious friends all of the delicious vegan options they could enjoy while dining out. Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, she now resides in Los Angeles (and is perfectly happy never scraping ice off her windshield ever again). She graduated with a degree in creative advertising from Michigan State University (Go green!) and worked in a variety of industries—including nonprofit, hospitality, staffing, and financial services—before founding VegOut. In her free time, she enjoys traveling (and eating all the vegan food), hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Maggie's Must-Haves

Tammie Ortlieb

Tammie Ortlieb

Managing Editor

she/her

Tammie has been with VegOut since its inception. Managing Editor and Maggie’s mom, she’s a former psychology professor who packed up her life and moved across the country from Michigan to California to follow a dream. Indie author, Mother Teresa-wannabe, and vegan for 18 years, she’s a big dreamer with a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology and an educational focus on well-being and thriving. When she’s not working through hyphens and commas, you’ll find her strategizing how to right the inequities of the world.

Tammie's Must-Haves

Articles by Tammie
Kimberly Tran

Kimberly Tran

Creative Director

she/her

VegOut’s Creative Director, Kimberly, draws inspiration from Brutalist architecture, mid-century furniture, and vintage cars. A self-taught editorial designer, she’s always on the hunt for something new, whether that’s discovering new music, trying new restaurants, or learning handy (and not-so-handy!) skills. And who knew her love of food presentation would lead to a passion for photography? Other passions? Her dog Ralph, coffee shops, and collecting magazines and plants. You can also catch her acting in music videos and commercials!

Kimberly's Must-Haves

Jerry Ng

Jerry Ng

Designer

he/him

Jerry, a self-taught designer, started designing for VegOut as an intern a few years ago after sending a very cold email to founder and CEO Maggie—and she responded! Now, he’s designing for VegOut’s print and digital endeavors. Originally from San Francisco, California, he currently lives in Los Angeles. When not hunched over a screen, you’ll find him experimenting with different vegan protein sources, reading a book on his couch, or drinking some booch on the beach while listening to a podcast.

Jerry's Must-Haves

Allie Mitchell

Allie Mitchell

Social Media Director & Staff Writer

she/her

When Allie responded to an Instagram post on @vegoutlosangeles a few years ago, she had no idea she’d join the coolest vegan team on the planet. An Austin native, actress, yogi, and part-time sword fighter (don’t ask!), Allie is on a mission to live her best life and inspire others to do the same. She graduated from Hussian College In Studio with a B.F.A. in Contemporary Musical Theatre + Film and currently acts, writes, and eats her way through Los Angeles.

Allie's Must-Haves

Articles by Allie
Anja Grommons

Anja Grommons

Staff Writer

she/her

During her studies to become a registered dietitian, Anja—a longtime vegetarian—transitioned to a vegan diet. Living in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the time (Go Broncos!), she met Maggie and Tammie through VegOut Kalamazoo (one of VegOut’s first focus cities) and began collaborating with the duo. When she’s not writing about new vegan eats, practicing as a pediatric clinical dietitian, and virtually coaching fellow plant-based eaters, you can find her creating veg-centric recipes, trying new cruelty-free products, and spending time with her partner Addison and cat Kovu.

Anja's Must-Haves

Articles by Anja

Cayla White

Staff Writer

she/they

Cayla has been writing for VegOut since 2020 and has been plugged into the LA vegan food scene since Veggie Grill was pretty much the only vegan restaurant in the city. Aside from writing articles, Cayla enjoys embracing their inner 85-year-old by listening to classical music, making playlists for their friends, and staying active through swimming, hiking, cycling, and yoga. In their free time, Cayla likes writing poetry, learning about outdoor survival and alternative lifestyles, and is always searching for the best loaf of sourdough bread.

Cayla's Must-Haves

Articles by Cayla
Alejandra Tolley

Alejandra Tolley

Staff Writer

she/her

Vegan junk-foodie Alejandra was born and raised in Los Angeles County. As a self-made writer, she always makes sure that she advocates for all humans and animals. When she’s not typing the day away, you can find her singing her lungs out to Mitski, taking pictures of her doggies Luna and Dexter, or stocking her kitchen with more avocados, strawberries, and Kettle Salt n Vinegar chips. Alejandra also loves traveling and sharing her eats from around the world on Instagram.

Alejandra's Must-Haves

LUSH Fresh Farmacy Facial Soap, Dr. Smith’s Rose Lip Balm, Milk Makeup KUSH Fiber Brow Gel, Starbucks Pink Drink, Avocado Toast

Articles by Alejandra
Allison van Tilborgh

Allison van Tilborgh

Allison is a digital media consultant, writer, and aspiring vegan-feminist scholar living in the Orlando, Florida area. She’s the founder of The Sanford Vegan, a vegan media brand, through which she connected with VegOut. As an early reader of VegOut Magazine, she dreamed of one day putting her own writing on the national stage (spoiler alert: that dream came true!). Allison loves experimenting with plant-based cooking and reading up on the latest trends in veganism and animal rights scholarship.

Allison's Must-Haves

Victoria Mitchell

Victoria Mitchell

Marketing Assistant

she/her

Austin, Texas born and raised, Victoria is a lover of beauty products, travel, bulldogs, and trying all the new vegan things! If there’s ranch dressing, she’s there! After attending school for finance, she soon discovered that her heart wasn’t in it. When her sister began working for VegOut, Victoria learned about all the amazing vegan products on the market. At the same time, she began nannying for the owner of a PR firm. That’s when she realized exactly what she wanted to do and knocked on VegOut’s door!

Victoria's Must-Haves

Laurie Chin Sayres

Brand Partnerships Manager

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Laurie discovered VegOut when she was exploring the vegan food scene in LA and just knew that she had to be a part of it. The fun vibe, informative articles, and scrumptious pictures on the site drew her in! A marathon swimmer and triathlete, Laurie enjoys learning about all the vegan endurance nutrition products on the shelves. She also loves meeting and developing relationships with the multitudes of talented people bringing vegan products and services to market.

Laurie's Must-Haves

Shauna Cunningham

Shauna Cunningham

Brand Partnerships Coordinator

she/her

A creative at heart, Shauna spends her days writing, painting, and studying photography. Passionate about all things spiritual, she’s a yogi with an interest in Ayurvedic principles and lifestyle. Interested in the well-being of the planet? Check! Crazy about vegan beauty products? Check! Creator of amazing lifelike portrait drawings? Abso-freaking-lutely! When not building brand partnerships, you can find her curled up with a good book or hanging out with her cat Circe and Thomas, her bunny. Shauna is excited to be on the VegOut team after being a longtime reader.

Shauna's Must-Haves

Allison Sanders

Allison Sanders

Brand Partnerships Coordinator

she/her

South Jersey born and raised, Allison recently moved to Hoboken. She enjoys listening to live music, sipping espresso, and watching cooking shows on YouTube. Her love for food began from watching her mom and grandmom in the kitchen as she grew up, both of whom never measured a thing! With a degree in entrepreneurship from the University of Delaware, Allison hopes to use her voice to educate others on the vegan lifestyle. She writes, edits videos, and enjoys reading nonfiction. Her superpower? Creating a dish out of anything in her fridge!

Allison's Must-Haves

Stella Bloom

Stella Bloom

Social Media Intern

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Stella loves running, secondhand shopping, wandering around Whole Foods, and experimenting with new ways to cook tofu. She is a senior at Elon University studying cinema and television but loves creating vegan content as much as she loves screenwriting. When not running, sipping an iced soy latte, or keeping up with the newest episode of Abbott Elementary, Stella enjoys trying new vegan restaurants and posting reviews to social media.

Stella's Must-Haves