Nick Cooney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nick Cooney | |
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| Alma mater | Hofstra University (Non-Violence Studies) |
| Occupation | Managing Partner at Lever VC |
| Notable work | How to be Great at Doing Good, Veganomics, Change of Heart |
| Website | nickcooney |
Nick Cooney (born c. 1981) is a managing partner at Lever VC, an investment fund focused on alternative protein companies.[1]
He co-founded the Good Food Institute and was co-founder and Managing Trustee of New Crop Capital.[2][3] He is the author of three books: Change of Heart (2010), Veganomics (2013), and How To Be Great At Doing Good (2015).[4][5][6] He previously worked for the non-profit organizations Mercy for Animals and Farm Sanctuary, and was the founder of the non-profit organization The Humane League.
Nick Cooney was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[7] Cooney received a bachelor's degree in Non-Violence Studies from Hofstra University in 2003.
Policy and non-profit work
In 2005, Nick Cooney founded The Humane League in Philadelphia, a non-profit organization that works to protect animal welfare.[8] Cooney is one of several people who provided information used in the writing of the book Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism (2008) by Mark Hawthorne.
Since then, Nick Cooney's work promoting alternative proteins and animal protection has been featured in media outlets including CNBC,[9] Food Navigator,[10] The Guardian,[11] and the Wall Street Journal.[12] He has also delivered lectures at international conferences and on university campuses such as Harvard and Yale.[13][14][15]
Cooney previously worked as campaign coordinator at the non-profit Farm Sanctuary, and as executive vice president at the non-profit Mercy for Animals. He is currently a director with the non-profit Lever Foundation.[16]
Mercy for Animals
Cooney worked as an executive vice president at Mercy for Animals until 2017.[17]
In 2018, concurrent to the start of #MeToo, some Mercy for Animals staff accused Cooney of harassment and bullying. Cooney, replying to one such accusation post, apologized for the hurt caused by "a very direct way of communicating" along with a defense of himself.[17][18] Mercy for Animals publicized several institutional changes issued in response to the accusations.[19]
The Good Food Institute and New Crop Capital
Nick Cooney is former board chairman and co-founder of The Good Food Institute.[20][10] He is also co-founder and former managing trustee of New Crop Capital, a private venture capital trust that invests in plant-based and cultured meat, dairy, and egg companies.[21][22] These two organizations collaborate to support the plant-based and cultured food companies.[23]
Lever VC
Nick Cooney is founder and currently Managing Partner at Lever VC, a U.S.-Asian venture capital fund investing in early stage alternative protein companies.[1][24]
Books
- Cooney, Nick (2010-09-20). Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change. Lantern Books. ISBN 9781590562451.
- Cooney, Nick (2013-11-22). Veganomics: The Surprising Science on Vegetarians, from the Breakfast Table to the Bedroom. Lantern Books. ISBN 9781590564288.
- Cooney, Nick (2015-04-27). How To Be Great At Doing Good: Why Results Are What Count and How Smart Charity Can Change the World. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781119041719.
- Cooney, Nick (2025-04-15). What We Don't Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to Do More. Regalo Press. ISBN 9798888455340.
