Sailesh Rao works with systems. He spent 20 years of his career working to bring the internet to life. Now, he’s using his systemic approach to fulfill a pinky promise to his granddaughter—make the world vegan by 2026. To Sailesh, it’s all interconnected—the environment, our health, and the animals—once we install certain systems of normalized non-violence, these global issues can be resolved. Sailesh’s calm, solutions-based perspective and compassionate heart are evident in his work, making his arguments appealing to both the number-crunching crowds and the bleeding hearts. His insights may seem aspirational, but when he breaks them down, the solution seems so simple. We were transfixed by this conversation, and we guarantee you’ll walk away with a greater purpose and intention to do better in the world.

What We Discuss

• Practical, systematic solutions toward a more sustainable and compassionate future.
• The importance of biodiversity and how to reclaim it.
• What is normalized non-violence?
• His pinky promise to his granddaughter to make the world vegan by 2026.
• The problem with “growth culture.”
• Video of Sailesh’s granddaughter, Kimaya: https://twitter.com/AliciaSilv/status/1194772808066203650
• Find Sailesh on the Pinky Promise Tour
• Sailesh’s book, Carbon Yoga: The Vegan Metamorphosis
• Climatehealers.org