We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful BRITTANY GILLIAM. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with BRITTANY below.

Alright, BRITTANY thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I wanted to create a fun, welcoming event that would bring the community together and help close out the summer on a positive note. At the time, there weren’t many large-scale vegan events in Baltimore that felt family-friendly, free, accessible, and genuinely fun for everyone, vegan or not. I wanted to create an experience with great food, music, community, and a cool summer vibe where people could connect, discover plant-based options, and just have a good time together.

BRITTANY, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Brittany Gilliam-Fields, a vegan chef, entrepreneur, and community event organizer based in Baltimore, Maryland. I’m the founder of The Veggie Table and the creator of the BMORE Vegan Block Party, a free annual festival centered around plant-based food, sustainability, culture, and community.
My journey into this work started with my love for food and community. I attended culinary school and began exploring how vegan food could still feel comforting, flavorful, exciting, and culturally familiar. I wanted to challenge the idea that plant-based food was limiting or inaccessible. Over time, that passion grew into creating experiences that bring people together through food.
Through The Veggie Table, I provide vegan catering, pop-ups, meal prep, private dining experiences, and festival food. I focus on creating approachable plant-based meals that appeal to both vegans and non-vegans alike. A lot of what I do is about introducing people to vegan food in a way that feels welcoming, fun, and familiar rather than intimidating.
What really sets my work apart is the community aspect behind everything I create, especially our focus on sustainability and accessibility. The BMORE Vegan Block Party was built to be more than just a food festival. It’s a free, family-friendly event that celebrates wellness, local businesses, music, and culture while making veganism feel accessible to everyone.
One of the things I’m most proud of is our zero-waste initiative. We’ve worked hard to create a festival model that drastically reduces waste through reusable dishware systems, composting, recycling stations, volunteer-led waste sorting, and encouraging guests to bring their own bowls and utensils. Despite welcoming thousands of attendees, we’ve been able to keep landfill waste incredibly low, which shows that large community events can still operate responsibly and sustainably.
I’m also proud that a lot of the people who attend our events are not vegan. That’s important to me because it means we’re creating bridges instead of barriers. People come for the vibe, the food, the music, and the community, and they leave with a new perspective on plant-based living.
More than anything, I want people to know that my brand is rooted in intention, creativity, sustainability, and community impact. Whether it’s through food, events, education, or environmental initiatives, my goal is always to create experiences that feel inclusive, memorable, and meaningful.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

“One story that really illustrates resilience for me is the journey of building the BMORE Vegan Block Party from the ground up largely on my own. From the very beginning, I came up with the name, created the vision, developed the branding, handled social media, found vendors, coordinated entertainment, managed logistics, organized activations, handled marketing, secured porta-potties, coordinated security, and worked through all of the moving pieces that come with producing a large community event.
People often see the finished festival, but they don’t always see the amount of work, problem-solving, and persistence that happens behind the scenes. There have definitely been moments where things didn’t go exactly according to plan or where unexpected challenges came up at the last minute. Event planning teaches you very quickly how to adapt, stay calm under pressure, and keep moving forward even when things feel overwhelming.
What has kept me grounded throughout the process is intention and authenticity. I always tell people that when you’re creating something for a community, people can feel the energy behind it. If you’re doing it with genuine intention and care, that matters more than perfection.
I’ve also learned that nobody fully sees the vision in your head except you. Sometimes we can get caught up in small details not going exactly as planned, but I’ve learned to focus on the bigger picture. As long as the overall goal is accomplished, the community feels connected, people have a great experience, and the mission is fulfilled, then the event is successful. The small details can always be adjusted and improved over time.”

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think one of the biggest things that helped me build my reputation and connect with my audience is authenticity. Veganism is not just a business or a trend for me. It’s genuinely the way I live my life every single day. Whether people see me at events, cooking, teaching, or organizing community initiatives, the passion behind it is real because it’s who I am outside of business as well.
My work has always been about expanding the conversation around veganism across different communities and showing people that plant-based living can be approachable, and exciting. I think people can feel when something comes from a genuine place, and that sincerity has helped build trust with the community over time.
Veganism for me goes beyond food. It includes sustainability, environmental awareness, compassion for animals, and creating healthier communities. I try to embody those values in everything I create, especially through events like the BMORE Vegan Block Party and the zero-waste initiatives we’ve built into the festival.
I also think the energy behind what I do matters. The block party was something I created from the ground up, and I truly love doing it every year. That love, intention, and care naturally flow into the experience people have when they attend. I believe when you genuinely care about what you’re creating and stay true to yourself, people connect with that in a meaningful way.
At the end of the day, I think being authentically yourself and pouring that into your work helps build a relationship with your audience that’s undeniable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Veggietablebmore.com/Bmoreveganblockparty
• Instagram: @bmoreveganblockparty
• Facebook: Bmore Vegan Block Party

Image Credits

Denzel R Photography