Lisa Apfelberg is the Director of Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy. She has spent her career in the nonprofit sector, mostly working for the Jewish community. A lifelong defender of animals, the environment, and disenfranchised groups, she became vegetarian at age six and is thrilled to have the current opportunity to lead an organization that lies at the intersection between the Jewish world and the vegan world. During her career, she has been the Executive Director to multiple small nonprofits and served as the “Concierge” to Jewish Austin for almost a decade. She is an active volunteer in her community leading the efforts for Austin’s Jewish Community to get involved in helping newly arrived refugees and has been asked to speak on this and multiple topics publicly. Lisa has a masters degree in clinical social work from Smith College and has served as a Faculty Field Advisor for the UT Austin School of Social Work. She is proud to have been elected a Net Zero Hero by the City of Austin. Prior to joining Shamayim, she helped people transition to veganism or meat reduction by creating guides, hosting vegan cooking classes at her home, and meeting people at the grocery store to help them learn about plant-based alternatives to purchase. Lisa lives in Austin with her husband, two children and multiple rescued pets and is currently enthralled with watching videos about the Tiny House Movement.