A version of this article first appeared on peta2.com.

Asian-American womenincluding those with vegan brandsare making their presence known in the business world. According to the 2016 American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, [T]here are an estimated 922,700 Asian-American women-owned firms generating $170.4 billion in revenues.

These innovative Asian-American/Pacific Islander vegan business owners inspire and influence us with their ambition, mission, and merchandise:

Aubry Walch was 13 years old when her family moved from Guam to Minnesota. Now, along with her younger brother, Kale, she owns a vegan butcher shop in Minneapolis.

After successfully setting up at the farmers market with their plant-based meat brand, The Herbivorous Butcher, Aubry and Kale raised enough money through a Kickstarter campaign to open up their own vegan deli and restaurant.

Their spicy chorizo, smoky BBQ ribs, burgers, and so many other offerings prove that no animal needs to be harmed to get great-tasting meaty food.

Bianca Moran founded SUSI Studio, a Los Angelesbased vegan footwear company. In Filipino, susi means key, which represents her goal of unlocking ethical approaches to fashion and style. Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus have been photographed wearing her designs.

Each pair of shoes is mindfully designed and made with sustainable, natural, and ethically sources fibers such as hemp and canvas, as well as with polyurethane from recycled plastic bottles.

Vaute creator and founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart started out as a model before becoming a vegan fashion business owner. While modeling in Taipei, she discovered Deepak Chopras book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and became inspired to start her own fashion line after reading, Expressing your talents to fulfill needs creates unlimited wealth and abundance.

Today, Vaute uses organic and recycled fibers to create all kinds of vegan clothing, from sweaters to swimsuits. Her cozy wool-free coats prove that no sheep needs to suffer for fashion.

Miyoko Schinner was on a mission to recreate the flavors and textures of the dairy cheeses that she ate before becoming vegan. Years of experimentation eventually led to the publication of her influential book, Artisan Vegan Cheese. As successful as it was, people often urged her to sell the already made cheeses from the recipes.

After assembling a team of passionate vegans, she launched Miyokos Kitchen. Her brands plant-based cultured nut cheese, butter, and even fresh mozzarella-style cheese can be found at grocery stores across the country, including Trader Joes. Countless cows have been spared, thanks to Miyokos delicious artisan creations.

Cykochik Custom Handbags founder Nikki Duong Koenig started her brand in 2003 in her dorm room at Southern Methodist University. What started out as a creative outlet for her art and designs soon snowballed into the vegan custom-handbags company that it is today.

On the 10th anniversary of Cykochiks creation, Nikki launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough money to take her brand to the next level. Her designs are saving the lives of animals used for their skins in the fashion industry.

Sweet & Sara founder Sara Sohn went vegan at age 14 while caring for her childhood bunny, Skipper. It was easy for her to stop eating most animal-derived foods, but she missed marshmallows, which typically contain gelatin. She was hopeful that vegan marshmallows would exist somedayand now they do, thanks to her!

Sarawho named her brand with the help of her sister, Susanexperienced an initial setback when she found out that the company that was selling her vegetarian gel for her marshmallows was actually using gelatin. After 10 months of trial and error, she devised the perfect formula. Now, Sweet & Sara vegan marshmallows can be found in grocery stores all around the world.

ahimsa Essentials was established by husband-and-wife team Sean and Queenie Scherer. After they learned about the harmful chemicals found in conventional and even natural skincare goods, they set out to create a cruelty-free and vegan skincare company with items that containat mostfive ingredients and no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or synthetic fragrances. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word meaning nonviolence.

Queenie is also an engineer, but she can be found selling ahimsa Essentials products at local farmers markets in the Phoenix area.

Asian-American/Pacific Islander vegan business owners are changing the face of the animal rights movement one cruelty-free and vegan item at a time. Purchasing their products not only supports their businesses but also enhances our quality of life, benefits the environment, andof coursesaves animals lives.

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Get Inspired by These Asian-American Female Vegan Business Owners - PETA