Exclusive Interview with Zaija Pelligree, Vegan Hospitality Intern
Hear from Zaija Pelligree about her experience interning with Vegan Hospitality. Zaija is an MBA student and sustainability professional passionate about the vegan lifestyle and increasing accessibility in the hospitality industry.
“Working with Vegan Hospitality has genuinely been one of the more transformative experiences of my professional life, and I don’t use that word lightly.”
What prompted you to apply for an internship with Vegan Hospitality?
I've been vegan for over 20 years, but something interesting happens when veganism is simply the water you were raised in. Growing up that way, it becomes background rather than identity. It's just life. The conscious decision I made recently was different though. I chose to actively seek out vegan businesses and align my professional energy with that part of who I am. When I started looking, Vegan Hospitality rose right to the top, and that turned out to be exactly right. Their internship program is something special.”
What stood out to you that makes this internship unique?
"“The internship at Vegan Hospitality is genuinely built to uplift professionals from all different backgrounds, and beyond the structure of the program itself, there's a community attached to it that carries a warmth and momentum you can feel immediately. Case in point: we just wrapped the 2026 Vegan Hospitality Earth Day Conference, and even through a screen, the energy in that room was electric. Very real connection. A lot of that comes down to the people. If you have any opportunity to engage with Hayley, Meredith, and Oana, take it. Fantastic humans, full stop.
What have you been working on for the past few months?
“Managing Vegan Hospitality's LinkedIn Page has been a full education in itself. From reading analytics and understanding what they're telling you, to crafting posts, building carousels, creating polls, and engaging meaningfully across groups, I came in knowing the basics and I'm leaving with a much deeper command of the platform and what it takes to actually grow a community there. I've also spent serious time in Canva, creating flyers, carousels, and various marketing materials. Somewhere along the way I received genuine praise for the quality of what I was producing, which honestly caught me off guard in the best way. Apparently I have a real eye for this. That kind of feedback makes you hungry to push further. The writing work has been equally meaningful. I've been asking myself constantly what our audience actually wants to read, and making sure the content stays grounded in the real pressures the hospitality and restaurant world is navigating right now. That kind of intentionality in content creation is something I'm taking with me.
What are you looking forward to as you round out the last two months of your time with Vegan Hospitality?
“Looking ahead into the second half of my internship, my focus is shifting toward building out AI structures that Vegan Hospitality can actually use and build on after I'm gone. That feels like the right way to leave something behind. This has been worth every bit of the investment and I'm endlessly grateful to the Vegan Hospitality team and their community.”
Connect with Zaija on LinkedIn and follow her career journey.
Learn more about our internship program here.
