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The Vegan Pin: A pin for vegans and animal-lovers alike to celebrate a part of who they are right now and what they're passionate about- animals, conservation, the earth, and more. Find new friends who are plant-based and compassionate!

It's hard to believe, but there isn't a simple, minimal pin for vegans yet. Based off of the "V" found on vegan Lush products, this soft enamel pin is about 1.5", with white enamel surrounding semi-matte black metal plating with a rubber backing. It's intended to serve functionally, no frills; simple, fresh, and empowering!

I've been vegan for about 4 months now, and haven't really told anyone (it's my own thang) because of the stigma against it. I know, I know, call me a weenie vegan- but when something means a lot to me I find myself nervous to speak about it!

However, I love using pins to speak for me- I've been all over the Internet searching for pins that resonate with me to put on my backpack and walk around with proudly. Feelin' like a Boy Scout with a new badge.

So, with this weenie spirit in hand, I decided to design a pin using one of the most popular vegan symbols, hoping to take care of a few things:

Create a more subtle, aesthetic approach to being proud of who u are (keep it subtle, folks. but not always, i just like saying that phrase. there are no rules.)

Fellow vegans can see your pin and turn u around and give u great hugs because wow another soulmate in this life!! All because the pin led them to you. (Prizes may vary from person to person)

You can be a walking beacon of light spreading awareness for the earthy cause without "being in anyone's face"- a double whammy of increased & individualistic choice of exposure that makes the cause even more appealing and familiar! Have you ever seen a lighthouse walk on two legs to bring ships ashore all over the earth? Exactly. U can be the first of a new wave.

Be yourself, loud n proud. It can be hard sometimes, especially in a culture where one size does not fit all. This pin can help you express yourself in a subtle, empowering way- trust me, you'll forget it's on your backpack after awhile, yet people will still always see the pin! Pins can be worn as subtly or as loudly as you want- that's the beauty of them.

10% of all proceeds are going to Mercy for Animals, one of the leading and most effective organizations helping to turn around how farm animals are treated and perceived today.

I'm a youngin' in college, so I do not have the funds to throw these babies into production to sell myself. And that's why I'm here- to raise the funds necessary to put in the minimum production order of 100 pins and get them out there into the world...and hopefully bring some people together in the process!

I intend to make more pins related and unrelated to plant-based causes that generally encourage people to find self-love and to create their own paths in this world. If this is successful, this will become the first of many.

The goal of this Kickstarter for The Vegan Pin is to sell at least 40 pins, or raise $400, by November 13th; this is enough to put them in production and ship them! However, at that point, I will have at least 60 pins left over due to the minimum requirement for production (100 pins), so the rest will be posted on my site for purchase- in time for Christmas!

Funding Breakdown:

$300: Pin Production

$100: Shipping, packaging, donation to MFA, and Kickstarter fees/processing

Production Timeline: