Meet the Teams

Need help planning a protest? Grassroots protest coordinators support activist-led demonstrations and engage with activists on PETA campaigns. Click here to see who the grassroots protest coordinator is for your region, and contact them to learn where you can join (or lead) a protest today.

Matthew Braun

Manager of Grassroots Protest Campaigns
[email protected]
I went vegan to win a bet in 2006, and I never would have imagined the impact that it would have on my life. After winning the bet, I decided to stay vegan, because I felt so much better. As I learned more about cruelty to animals used in experiments and for food, fashion, and entertainment, I increasingly felt the need to share this information with others, so I started leafleting and attending protests.

I worked as an eyewitness investigator in a chicken slaughterhouse before landing an internship with PETA that involved traveling around the country to spread the animal rights message to people at concerts, parks, and YMCAs as well as outside animal circuses. After traveling for two years, I became a grassroots protest coordinator. I relocated to Los Angeles, and now, I get to work with dedicated and compassionate activists on the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada by helping them plan protests for animal rights!

Carla Wilson

Grassroots Protest Coordinator
[email protected]
I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to work with grassroots activists, helping them to make changes for the animals in their communities. In 1996, I rescued my first greyhound, Allan, on the day he was scheduled to be killed because he was no longer considered “fast enough” at the local dog track. He opened my eyes to the way animals are used in entertainment. That summer, I attended the March for Animals conference in Washington, D.C., where my life changed forever. It was there that I watched a video of a pig being slaughtered. Having loved animals my entire life, I never took it a step further to think about where the animals on my plate came from. I stopped eating animals immediately, returned home, and got involved with a local animal rights group. I have helped get laws passed in my town banning tethering dogs, retail pet stores that sell puppies, and circuses with animals. When I’m not protesting and helping animals in other ways, I enjoy traveling with my husband, photography, and spending time with our rescued cats.

Nathan Edwards

Grassroots Protest Coordinator
[email protected]
I’ve been heavily involved in the animal rights movement since early 2018. I was inspired to go vegan a few months earlier when I read the book Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture after finding it in a thrift store. I quickly came to the realization that I must dedicate my life to helping change humans’ violent relationship with other animals. While at university that fall, I formed a student group for animal rights as one of PETA’s Students Opposing Speciesism (SOS) campus reps. I majored in persuasive communications to understand the psychology of shifting people’s moral perspectives through conversation. I’ve regularly organized activities in support of animal rights, including outreach events, disruptions, direct action, vigils, and marches. Now, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with PETA and assist grassroots activists across the U.S. and Canada who fight for nonhuman individuals. During my spare time, I can be found visiting local sanctuaries, creating art, or spending time with my friends of all species.

Joseph A. Rondou

Since then, I’ve dedicated my adulthood to seeking new avenues for activism. From grassroots tabling and outreach to participating in protests and engaging with my local community, I’m committed to making a difference in any way I can. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with various organizations in behalf of animals in need.

My journey led me to an exciting opportunity with PETA’s college tour, during which I spoke about vivisection issues. It’s been a wonderful experience getting to travel, connect with audiences, spread awareness, and inspire large-scale change. Now I’m excited to work in grassroots protest coordination to help amplify the voices of individuals who, like me, are dedicated to making a difference worldwide.

Want to spread the word about animal rights? Contact the Action Team for free leaflets and stickers to pass out or to set up an animal rights information table at a large event. Get ideas on ways to get more active for animals at home, at work, and in your community.

Casey Kern

Senior Manager of Action Team
[email protected]

My hometown of Pittsburgh, the “City of Bridges,” will always be near to my heart, but after earning my bachelor’s degree and working as a corporate industrial designer, I moved out West. I first got involved with PETA as an Action Team volunteer, attending demonstrations and helping to get animal rights legislation passed. Fast-forward and now I manage the Action Team, helping to grow our network of activists and increase grassroots actions for animals.

For fun, I like to check out concerts and festivals, hike trails with my family, and go skiing. My most memorable New Year’s resolution was going vegan in 2012 after watching Earthlings. This transformative exposé inspired me to work toward ending speciesism, and I never looked back!

Tara DaMetz

Activist Database and Administrative Coordinator
[email protected]

I grew up in Austin, Texas, but I’ve lived all over the world, including Hawaii, Japan, and both the East and West coasts. It’s great to be back in Central Texas and a part of such a strong animal advocate community. As a cancer survivor, personal trainer, and trained chef, I’ve spent over 20 years sharing the benefits of being vegan for our health, the planet, and especially animals.

In my spare time, I enjoy thrifting, upcycling furniture, cooking, and hiking. I live near two farmed-animal sanctuaries, which I love visiting and volunteering at. Working for PETA’s Action Team is a dream come true.

Druana Dowd

Action Team Coordinator
[email protected]

My connection with animals began in elementary school—I loved PETA’s stickers and dreamt of one day working for the group. I felt so connected to animals and had no idea I was indirectly harming them! Thanks to stumbling upon “Vegucated” in 2015, my views about the world nearly flipped and I went vegan. My activism started with leafleting and placing PETA’s vegan starter kits around my college campus’s newspaper stands in Moorpark, California. From there, I engaged in various organizations’ actions throughout Los Angeles and became an organizer for Anonymous for the Voiceless. Currently living in L.A., I am obsessed with my senior Chihuahua, Logan, and love listening to audiobooks, trying new vegan recipes and activities, and basking in the outdoors!

Kiara Lynes

Action Team Coordinator
[email protected]

Growing up, I always knew that nonhuman animals are similar to us in all the ways that matter, but I didn’t realize that I was causing them to suffer in my daily life. In August 2016, I went vegan after watching 101 Reasons to Go Vegan, astounded by the cruelty I had paid for my entire life.

I became involved in animal rights activism in 2020, attending and planning protests and outreach events in North Texas. My devotion to taking action for animals grows every day, and I look forward to assisting animal advocates around the world as a member of PETA’s Action Team. I believe that anyone with a little time and effort can find some ways to speak out for animal rights and work to create positive changes for animals.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking vegan meals, and visiting animal sanctuaries.

Sean D’aigle

Grassroots Campaigns Assistant
[email protected]

I hail from Atlanta, a city renowned for dreams of a better world and opposition to oppression, and my animal rights activism stems from rigorous philosophical study and a commitment to making positive change. To foster that change, I spent many years as a children’s educator with a focus on science and literature, which instilled in me an abiding commitment to wonder and a belief that by working together, we can reduce suffering in the world. Being vegan plays an integral—not to mention delicious—part in that process.

In my spare time, I enjoy poetry, punk rock, exploring new places, sitting with my two senior canine companions, and Star Wars in any medium. The world can be a better place, and I’m very excited to take a stand against speciesism and exploitation!