Founded in 2007, Try Vegan PDX is a volunteer run 501c(3) based in Portland, Oregon. "Our vision is to build and support an inclusive vegan community while advocating for compassion and non-violence towards all beings. Try Vegan PDX offers education, resources, events, support, and activism opportunities. Some of our most popular community building events have been Vegan Prom, VegQuest (a vegan scavenger hunt), Trunk or Treat, and the Vegan Maker and Craft Fair. We champion for the animals, those interested in a compassionate lifestyle, and the larger vegan community. A vegan world will provide a thriving future for people, animals, and the planet."
Website/social media: Instagram- Try Vegan PDX (@tvpdx); Facebook: Try Vegan PDX | Facebook; Website: Try Vegan PDX"
Deanna initially came to Oregon in 1997 for college where she earned a B.S. degree in Education, Art, and Psychology. In 2013 she earned an M.Ed. in School Counseling. She obtained her real estate license in 2015 and has been a full-time real estate broker since June of that year. Over the years, she moved out of state a few times, but kept coming back. She hasn't been to all 50 states yet, but says if she ever left Oregon she would probably just leave the country. She loves to read non-fiction, travel - internationally and domestically, volunteer, work on projects at her house, and do things outside - whether kayaking, hiking, backpacking, or snowshoeing. Giving back to others is important to her as well and she volunteers weekly - both with the organizations she is on the board of like Try Vegan PDX, but also with organizations whose missions she supports and wants to see succeed. She has been an ethical, liberation-for-all vegan since 2007 and has been involved in the local community since that time as well. She is one of the original co-founders of Try Vegan PDX and the only founder who is still actively involved.
Annie, secretary of Try Vegan PDX, is the event organizer of AromaKind. She is a long-time vegan and animal activist who lives in Portland. She creates vegan perfume content on TikTok under the username Annie | Cruelty-free Fragrance. She is the mother of five baby voids (black cats).
"Try Vegan PDX and Northwest Veg are thrilled to introduce AromaKind, Portland’s very first cruelty-free fragrance expo, happening Sunday, October 5, 2025, from 12–5 PM at the beautiful Arium Ballroom inside the iconic Jupiter Hotel.”
AromaKind will bring together a curated lineup of indie perfumers, scent-based artisans, and ethical beauty brands from around the Pacific Northwest—all 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
But there’s more than just shopping! The day will also include presentations, a perfume swap, a raffle for good causes, and tips for living and shopping cruelty-free.
Tune in to get even more details about the good works of Try Vegan PDX and their vegan events!
- KBOO