#70 Audrey-Josephine Addo - Building Lost & Vegan: Travel, Culture, and Community

Finding vegan food while traveling has come a long way over the past decade, but it can still sometimes be difficult to find the places that are worth visiting.  In this episode, I’m joined by Audrey-Josephine Addo, founder of Lost & Vegan, a platform designed to help people discover vegan restaurants and plant-based dining options while exploring new cities. AJ shares her vegan story, including the health challenges that led her to adopt a plant-based lifestyle eight years ago. We discuss how her background in computer science and graphic design inspired her to create Lost & Vegan, the gaps she noticed in existing restaurant-finding tools, and how she set out to build a resource specifically for the vegan community. We also talk about the evolution of vegan travel, the importance of representation and community, and what inspired AJ to expand Lost & Vegan beyond an app and into a magazine.  Whether you're a frequent traveler, someone who enjoys exploring new vegan restaurants, or simply interested in the people building innovative tools for the vegan community, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. In this episode, we discuss: • AJ's vegan journey and health transformation • The inspiration behind Lost & Vegan • Challenges vegans face when travelling • How Lost & Vegan differs from other restaurant-finding platforms • Building a tech platform for the vegan community • The launch of the Lost & Vegan magazine • Vegan culture, trends, and travel • The future of plant-based dining and discovery About Audrey-Josephine Addo: The founder and developer behind Lost & Vegan, Audrey-Josephine Addo. Her plant-based journey started eight years ago. After years of dealing with various health issues, she became vegan and has never looked back. While she got used to creating her own plant-based meals and desserts, dining out was still something she enjoyed. However, she was often left disappointed with the lack of vegan options.    Based on her background in computer science and graphic design, Lost & Vegan was created out of her need to have quick access to vegan restaurants while out and travelling abroad. She hopes that users will enjoy the experience she’s created, in order to find their own way through cities around the world. Following the app launch in November, Lost & Vegan is continuing to the next phase with the magazine launching January 2026.    Connect with AJ and Lost & Vegan on her website lostandvegan.com and Instagram @lostandvegan.  ____________________________________________________________________ Work With Me: If you're ready to go plant-based or already are and want to feel more confident about your nutrition, I offer private consultations with personalized, evidence-based guidance. No overwhelm, just clarity. Book your free 15-minute discovery call at synergynutrition.ca ___________________________________________________________________ Vegan Boss Resources: 🛒 Supplements: 100% vegan, carefully curated and 10% off everything, always. Visit my Online Store. Ships across Canada. 👕 Apparel: Wear the message. Shop Vegan Boss Apparel and follow @veganbossapparel on Instagram. 🎧 Enjoying the show? Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review, it genuinely helps more people find the podcast. ____________________________________________________________________ About Your Host: Shawna Barker is a nutritionist with a BSc. in Nutrition and has been vegan since 2002. With over 14 years of experience, she brings evidence-based insights to help you build a plant-based life that actually works for you. 📩 DM me anytime on Instagram @vegan_boss