Planet Bethesda Main Stage Lineup

Main Stage Lineup

11:45 am The Festival Begins

Welcome to the Planet (12:30 pm) with Lisa DeCrescente & DJ Soul

Lisa DeCrescente has been a vegan since 2000. In 2001, her relationship with the animal rights movement began when she helped launch Humane USA in NYC, an animal rights political action committee. As a former restauranteur and executive chef she has worked with numerous restaurants on the inclusion of vegan options, “veganizing” over 200 recipes for her clients. With over 30 years of event production experience under her belt, Lisa is looking forward to this upcoming bigger and better PB23 event.

1st Giveaway Announcement 'DC Vegan Dinner for Two' (12:40 pm)

Chuck Carroll (12:50 pm)

Chuck Carroll lost an incredible 280 pounds to become “The Weight Loss Champion.” At one time, his 5-foot-5 frame once struggled to support the 420 pounds it was carrying around every day. Every bite was carrying him closer to an early grave and he knew that if he did not make drastic changes to break a severe food addiction he would be dead before his 30th birthday. Today he speaks passionately about breaking the fatal food cycle and helping others as host of The Exam Room podcast for PCRM. The show has been viewed an incredible 80 million times on YouTube and Facebook and received more than 12 million downloads on Apple Podcast and Spotify where it has become the #1 ranked nutrition podcast in 79 countries.

2nd Giveaway Announcement 'Ruby Roth Kid's Basket' (1:30 pm)

Mad Science Show 'Things That Go BOOM!' (1:30 pm)

Learn the four signs of a chemical reaction through foaming and color changing experiments, balloon inflation, and, of course, some explosions! Conclude with our Mad Science Bubbling potions, where the kids will get to learn about dry ice and see the creation of real clouds!

DJ Soul Tells His Story with Jeff Majors (2:15 pm)

Hailed as one of the DMV’s most recognizable inspirational DJs, DJ Soul can be heard every day on multiple radio stations in major cities across the country. For more than 30 years, DJ Soul has been electrifying audiences with his invigorating mixes and infectious personality. He has worked with entertainment’s biggest stars, in various spaces. Turn your attention to the main stage as you hear DJ Soul tell his own story.

Jeff Majors, is an American Inspirational jazz musician. He started his music career, in 1998, with the release of, Sacred, that was released by Music One Records, which all of his albums have been release by the imprint. As a native of Washington, D.C., music flowed throughout the household of Jeff Majors courtesy of his mother Annie P. Fitzgerald – a talented jazz trumpeter in her own right with a circle of friends which included legendary actress and singer Pearl Bailey.

3rd Giveaway Announcement 'Hip City Veg Dinner for Two' (2:30 pm)

Eric C Lindstrom (2:50 pm)

In his role as Executive Director, Lindstrom manages Farm Animal Rights Movement’s (FARM) programs, personnel, budget, and operations and is leading the nation’s first animal rights group into the future; through innovative new programming that builds on the legacy programs started in the late 70’s. Lindstrom began his career in the movement as the Program Director for FARM (2016-2018) and later served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Animal Outlook (formerly Compassion Over Killing). Lindstrom penned two best-selling books on veganism, The Skeptical Vegan and Raising Vegan Kids (Skyhorse Publishing) and resides in Ithaca, New York.

Dr. Faraz Harsini (3:00 pm)

Dr. Faraz Harsini is a biomedical scientist, and Founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), a nonprofit that supports students to effectively advocate for the protection of human and nonhuman animals and pursue careers that can make a meaningful impact. He is also a Bioprocessing Senior Scientist at Good Food Institute where he works on scientific and technological advancements to scale up alternative protein production.

Dr. Harsini spent several years discovering new therapeutics for infectious diseases and pandemics including Covid19 and influenza, in addition to cancer and inflammatory diseases, and today he works on addressing the root cause of all these global challenges: the food!

Gwyn Whittaker (3:15 pm)

Gwyn Whittaker is a change-maker (and an Executive Producer of the documentary Game Changers), and for the past several years she’s deployed her considerable “get-it-done” skills to the plant-based movement. From a career as an engineer and entrepreneur in the intelligence community, she pivoted to nutrition and health after the untimely and tragic death of her 50-year-young fiancé in 2010. Upon discovering the doc Forks Over Knives and getting introduced to T. Colin Campbell, Whittaker rolled up her sleeves and devoted her energy to bringing the message – and taste – of healthy plant-based food to the wider world.

4th Giveaway Announcement 'Elizabeth's Gone Raw Dinner for Two' (3:30 pm)

Jane DeMarines (3:40 pm)

A 20-year vegetarian/vegan, and award winning executive, fundraiser, advocate, builder of partnerships and memberships, Jane is dedicated to advancing causes related to environmental conservation and green community development. As founding Executive Director of National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA), Ms. DeMarines rewrote legislation and worked with key U.S. House and Senate staff to advance a “Green Policy” agenda. She has eight years of federal agency experience, including with the Dept of Homeland Security, addressing climate change-related disasters. A resident of the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. she developed a Green Party for the Citizens’ Association with an environmental platform, co-managed a conservation coalition focused on urban forest preservation, testified on tree legislation at Montgomery County Council hearing certified by “Casey Trees,” and participated in Potomac River conservancy through two coalitions. She continues her commitment to improving Planet Earth at SEE.

Max Broad of DC Voters for Animals introduces Congressman Jamie Raskin (4:00 pm)

Congressman Jamie Raskin proudly represents Maryland’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes Montgomery (home to Bethesda), Carroll, and Frederick Counties. Raskin was sworn into his third Term at the start of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021. Raskin is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Raskin continues to support a plant-based diet, which he has referred to as “aligning my morals with my menu,” and encourages everyone to make kinder, greener, and healthier food choices for the planet and the animals.

Legacy Award Ceremony

5th Giveaway Announcement 'HotBin Composter' (4:15 pm)

Gene Baur (4:15 pm)

Gene Baur is the President and Co-founder of Farm Sanctuary and has, since the mid-1980s, worked to end factory farming and advocated for a just and compassionate food system. He is the author of two best selling books, and his work has educated millions and inspired an international farm sanctuary movement. Gene has been hailed as“the conscience of the food movement” by Time magazine.