Nineteen-year-old Haile Thomas is an international speaker, health activist, vegan food & lifestyle influencer, podcaster, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and founder/CEO of the nonprofit HAPPY (Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth). Haile founded HAPPY when she was 12 years old to address the need for free/affordable plant-based nutrition and culinary education in underserved/at-risk communities as well as in schools and summer camps.
Haile was inspired to pursue this passion after her family successfully reversed her father’s type-2 diabetes through healthy eating and lifestyle choices and upon learning that kids were increasingly being diagnosed with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Her programs, projects, and initiatives are geared towards engaging, educating, motivating, and empowering young people to live their best lives by making healthy lifestyle choices. Haile has personally engaged with over 35,000 kids since beginning her activism in 2010. She also hosted the podcast “Girl Empowered” where she interviewed inspiring and empowering women.
At 12 years old, Haile worked as the Jr. Chef Advisor for Hyatt Hotel’s “For Kids – By Kids Menu,” with her recipes served at all Hyatt Resorts in North America and the Caribbean. She has been featured on two different food network shows – she was one of 8 young chefs on season one of Rachael vs. Guy Kids-Cook-Off and also on Cupcake Wars Kids – and on CNN, the Today Show, NowThis, BuzzFeed, MTV, The Harry Show, Dr. Oz, Home and Family Show, and the Rachael Ray Show. Haile has also been highlighted in publications including O Magazine, Teen Vogue, and YES Magazine.
This program has been POSTPONED.