Meet the Team: Vinyse Barber – Operations Coordinator

Meet some of the wonderful individuals behind We Animals in our Meet the Team Q&A series. Each month throughout 2023 we’ll be publishing a new behind-the-scenes feature for you to learn about the folks at We Animals.

This month we spoke with our Operations Coordinator, Vinyse Barber.

Hometown and where I live now

Toronto, Canada.

What’s my background?

After getting an accounting designation, I quickly realized I wanted to change careers! I went back to school to do a Masters in non-profit management and have worked in volunteer engagement, operations and program coordination with charities for the past 15 years. My volunteer work has focused on the environment and animals and has led to making so many friends with similar values and interests.

Favourite snack

My favourite snack is onigiri, a Japanese rice ball stuffed with savoury morsels of deliciousness (such as soy-marinated mushrooms), usually shaped into a triangle and wrapped with seaweed. They are the perfect on-the-go snack! 

What I do at We Animals

I’m the Operations Coordinator at We Animals, which means I do a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, including policy and process development, HR, contracts, travel coordination and general administration. In addition, I love my external-facing responsibilities, including volunteer coordination and connecting with people who reach out through our general inbox.

How I like to spend my leisure time

I love connecting with friends over food and often organize potlucks, cookbook clubs and gatherings at Toronto’s amazing vegan restaurants.

What I love about working at We Animals

Since joining the We Animals team this past spring, I’ve been consistently in awe of my incredible colleagues. I have never worked somewhere where every single person is so passionate about the organization, committed wholeheartedly to the cause and incredibly good at their job! It’s so motivating!

A little about my rescue animals

Stubby showed up at a feral cat colony in 2011 – he has no teeth or tail! We adopted him in 2017, and since then, he’s gotten used to the luxuries of indoor life. We adopted sweet senior dog Quizno in January 2020. He can often be heard snoring during online meetings.

Something quirky about me people don’t know

I have a million side project ideas that I plan out with great enthusiasm. The most recent ones include selling onigiri (see above) and/or vegan dim sum, mostly because I want easy access to eating both, all the time.

One We Animals image that has really stuck with me and why

This photo taken by ​​Aaron Gekoski in Vietnam is burned in my mind. Four frightened dogs in a cage, looking away from two dogs who have been slaughtered and gutted for the meat trade. It’s unbearably sad, and anyone seeing the photo would feel incredible empathy for the dogs. It makes me think about ALL the animals who are used for food – what they see, and what they go through in their lives that are cut too short for someone’s meal. I felt many different types of emotions when I first saw Aaron’s photo. I felt sadness for the dogs, frustration knowing that some people will feel moved only because dogs are seen as companion animals, and hope – for a future when all animals will be viewed with the same amount of compassion and concern.

Connect with me if…

You’re interested in volunteering with We Animals!