In this episode, I interview Vikas Garg, the founder and CEO of abillion, a sustainability platform for plant-based dishes and cruelty-free products.

Four years ago, Vikas left his high-flying career at one of the world’s largest hedge funds after he found a new mission — to help and inspire a billion people to go vegan in the next 10 years.

Based in Singapore, Vikas is dedicated to grassroots education and conservation initiatives around the world.

Abillion currently has more than 300,000 active users and the app has been downloaded nearly 1 million times. Through its giving program, the business has donated over $500,000 to impactful causes and is aiming to donate more than $1 million by the end of 2021.

In this interview, Vikas discusses:

• How he came up with the idea of abillion and its unique offering

• The challenges of creating an app based on user-generated content, with no tech experience in a new country where he knew no one and a precarious visa situation

• How he attracted millions of dollars in funding for a social impact business

• How he plans to monetize the platform while helping small business owners sell their products and gain valuable consumer insights

• Why he decided to use much of the investment money on donating to charitable causes, rather than on marketing

• The marketing strategies he used to build and grow the business

• Unexpected trends in the plant-based food market uncovered by abillion’s data

• And more