Meet the team behind
The Protego Foundation!
Kathryn Henzler
Executive Director / Cofounder
she/her | Kathryn has a passion for anything nerdy and vegan, and is pretty much the American Hermione, complete with brown, frizzy hair. When she was in her sophomore year in college, not only did she discover the joys of Muggle Quidditch as a Keeper on the USC Quidditch team, but she also rekindled her passion of animal rights and became vegetarian. Since then, she has volunteered her time with various animal rights organizations and demonstrations. Since graduating, she has been passionate about incorporating animal rights and veganism into other areas of her life, like music, clothing and costume design, and sports. Her post-Potter series headcanon is that Hermione became vegan. |
Valerie Short
Marketing Director
she/her | Valerie fell in love with the Harry Potter series after seeing Chamber of Secrets for the first time in the theater. Since then, the series has influenced nearly every aspect of her life. During her time in film school, she worked as a witch at both the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment in Diagon Alley. From there, she joined the Universal Studios Marketing and Creative teams as a media coordinator and video editor. She loves to travel, attend conventions, and plan themed events, including her own wedding where she recreated the Great Hall – complete with a vegan Hogwarts cake! Her love for animals began in her earliest stages of life and continues to grow every day. In high school, she joined an animal rights group and immediately decided to become a vegetarian. She and her husband both completed the transition to becoming vegan together in 2020. She volunteers weekly at an animal sanctuary and has plans to adopt many more rescued animals in the near future. Valerie is a Ravenclaw and lives in Colorado with her husband and animal companions (two dogs and two bunnies). |
BRITTANY DRAKE
CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR
she/her/they | Brittany has always been an avid reader. As a Lord of the Rings fan, she was initially skeptical of the Harry Potter series. The first three Harry Potter books were gifted to her brother in 1999, but when he did not read them, she couldn't let them sit on the shelf untouched! She quickly devoured all three and fell hard for the magical world and the characters, especially Ron. Brittany is a Hufflepuff with an affinity for helping others and a love of animals. In 2011, she went vegan and never looked back. Two years later, she started doing grassroots activism with Direct Action Everywhere and now runs the Los Angeles chapter. She has rescued several hens from factory farms and slaughterhouses throughout California and in 2019, she took part in a civil disobedience by locking down at a duck farm that was criminally abusing and neglecting ducks. Brittany is also a home chef, feminist, cinephile, writer, introvert, singer, and actor with a penchant for pushing boundaries. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her partner. |
Miguel Stonecipher
Community & Programs Director
he/him | Miguel is a Houston, Texas transplant, and an El Paso, Texas native. He started his Harry Potter journey in fourth grade when he attended his school's Harry Potter book club. He and his theatre friends would camp out before every movie premiere in high school. He became vegan for health reasons in 2019, but after watching many documentaries and listening to podcasts (including ProtegoCast), he has become an animal rights advocate. On his downtime, Miguel loves to cook, perform in musicals and operas, and watch RuPaul's Drag Race. He lives with his husband and best friend (rescue dog) Jack. |
Victoria Tomis
Press Coordinator
she/her | Victoria discovered the Harry Potter series when she was nine-years-old (still young enough to get her Hogwarts letter!) and went full-throttle into the Harry Potter series in 2002 when her fifth-grade teacher selected Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets as the class book. (Best. Teacher. Ever.) After reading just two chapters, Victoria convinced her Muggle mother to buy her a copy and promptly finished the entire book...and fought a daily internal battle to NOT spoil the entire book for her classmates. Victoria’s Potterish passions and her love of the wizarding world is rivaled only by her love of cats, tea, and veganism. A vegan since 2012 and a Hufflepuff, Victoria is a freelance content and entertainment writer with a particular enthusiasm for reviewing film, middle-grade books (like Harry Potter!), writing about geeky pop culture, and interviewing fascinating, creative people. In the animal and creature activism world, Victoria is a huge proponent of Kneazle and cat rescue organizations, Trap-Neuter-Return and community cat programs, and animal shelters. She lives with her sensitive and affectionate half-Kneazel tabby rescue, Paco, and two rambunctious, black and white Kneazel kittens, Rocket and Rosie. |
Markisha Pelissier
Executive Assistant
she/her | Markisha first read the Harry Potter books in first grade in order to rival the top reader in her class. A few years later, she revisited them and fell in love with the world and all the interesting characters. This quickly led to the start of her love of reading, which has continued into her adulthood. Her love of animals also began in first grade when she met her dog, Goodwin. Since then, she's enjoyed volunteering with organizations devoted to animal rights and fighting back against animal cruelty. Markisha is a current college student and a ballet dancer who loves to read, write, meet new people, bake, and learn new things. |
Elizabeth Emmert
Nonprofit Consultant 
she/her | Elizabeth shared the joys of the Harry Potter series with her three daughters as they grew up, taking them to the midnight book releases at local bookstores and to each long-awaited movie. She has enjoyed cosplaying Professor Minerva McGonagall in robes made for her by her daughter, Kathryn. Her favorite appearance as Professor McGonagall was at the IQA World Cup V at Randall’s Island, New York, in 2011. A proud Hufflepuff, Elizabeth earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre and a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Center for Nonprofit Resources in Toledo, Ohio. As a non-practicing attorney who has worked in arts nonprofit organizations for over 40 years, Elizabeth has focused on development (specializing in grant writing), marketing, special events, and nonprofit administration. She has also served as an unofficial advisor to The Protego Foundation since its inception. |
Alison Embry
Marketing Coordinator
she/her | Alison has been a Harry Potter fanatic ever since the Sorcerer's Stone book debuted. She has gallivanted off to The Wizarding World multiple times and attended every movie release dressed to the nines in wizarding garb. Along with her love for her dog Luna (named after Miss Lovegood, of course), she has had a lifelong passion for animals and sustainability. Alison went vegan after being a vegetarian for four years. She is excited to continue the crusade for protection and activism for all creatures and walks of life through community and outreach to Muggles and wizards alike. |
Assya Ahouandjinou
Communications Coordinator 
she/her | Assya entered the wizarding world when she was nine, thanks to a friend who lent her the first three Harry Potter books. She quickly read them (in French at the time) and waited impatiently for the next volumes. The series definitely left its mark on her teenage years. She remembers fondly reading the books everywhere she went: she read while eating, she read while walking to school, she read when the teacher would leave the classroom for five minutes, and she read past her bedtime. Since then, she has re-read the books multiple times (in French and in English). In 2019, Assya developed an interest in environmental issues and started working on reducing waste by shopping more sustainably. Becoming aware of agriculture’s climate footprint, and especially the impact of meat production, she was convinced that switching to a plant-based diet would be in itself the most effective way to reduce her environmental impact on Earth. After reading about veganism, she quickly grew concerned about animal exploitation and worked to remove animal products from all aspects of her life. |
Grace Hurley
Blog Writer
she/her | Grace’s first introduction to Harry Potter was at two months old when she and her mum were in the car and the radio mentioned something about a recently-published book about wizards. Five years later, Grace’s first actual memory of Harry Potter was when she was staying at a family friend’s house that overlooked a magnificent loch in Scotland (coincidence?). Her parents found a video of Philosopher’s Stone and popped it on in the hope that it would keep her entertained. On discovering that the second film had also been released and her dad owned the first three books, she immersed herself in the next part of her journey, not realizing that this was just the start of something that would become massively important in her life. Grace has always loved animals and decided to become a vegetarian at the age of twelve. Despite what her parents were expecting, she hasn't looked back since! Throughout her childhood, she would always have two books on the go: a random book and a Harry Potter book. She’s visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London three times and has watched the "Cursed Child" stage production. Since graduating with a BA (Hons) Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Professional Writing, Grace has worked as a Marketing Assistant and also volunteers for MuggleNet as a Journalist. Grace is a proud Ravenclaw and lives in Cornwall, England with her seven year old Westie called Evie. |
Lucy McCabe
Blog Writer 
she/her | From the moment Lucy watched Philospher’s Stone when she was six years old, she was hooked on the wizarding world. Indulged by her family, she obsessively read the books every summer holiday to time it with the release of the latest book or film. Lucy is a shameless Gryffindor and heavily relates to Hermione’s passion and (arguably) recklessness in her activism for campaigning for S.P.E.W. The only other passion which rivals Lucy’s love for the wizarding world is that of her love for animals. Lucy was raised as a vegetarian and believes that all animals deserve compassion and respect. When Lucy was 13 years old, she started to identify the hypocrisies of her own activism and began her transition towards veganism. She is pleased to say she has not looked back since! When Lucy is not advocating for animal rights or emerging herself in the wizarding world, you can usually find her watching sports (netball and cricket being her favorites!) or visiting her local animal sanctuaries. |
Ruby Schofield
Social Media Coordinator
she/her | Ruby has been spellbound by worlds of magic ever since she can remember. Through obsessive re-readings of the books, dressing up as Hermione, and brewing potions in her backyard, Harry Potter inspired her love of film and film music. She could often be found humming the many themes and reliving the films through their scores. Ruby has also carried with her a passion for animal welfare and the environment from a young age - petitioning to school canteens for more veggie options, organizing assemblies informing on the horrors of animal testing, protesting dissections while studying biology at university, and never passing up an opportunity to promote animal welfare. She is so happy to be combining both these passions to work within the Harry Potter community and help amplify the voices of animals in need. |
oRion Harper
Social Media Coordinator
he/him | oRion spent 6 years in the Marine Corps, traveling the world and meeting people from many cultures. He was first introduced to veganism when he was in Ukraine. It intrigued him, but it was impossible to be on a plant-based diet while in the USMC. He quickly realized that his love for animals was his top priority and decided on what he wanted to do with his life. oRion returned home and became a grooming specialist for cats and dogs! He really enjoys educating clients on how to keep their furry family members healthy and happy. When the incredible life of Alan Rickman came to an end in 2016, oRion decided to watch the Harry Potter films and read the books for the first time. This fandom was brand new to him, but he dove in head-first. In 2018, one year after going vegan, he attended the Celebration of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and found it difficult to eat at the park. He soon discovered ProtegoCast and was blown away. Currently, he volunteers at The Gentle Barn in St. Louis and is resident Houdini's docent. |
Megan Fretty
Graphic Designer
she/her | Megan has immersed herself in the wizarding world in as many ways as possible, including her long-time hobby of writing and reading fanfiction (Drarry is her OTP), cosplaying at The Celebration of Harry Potter as Rita Skeeter, and listening to the books at least once a year (she absolutely loves Jim Dale)! She even moved to Orlando to be closer to The Wizarding World at Universal, but is now back in her home state of Michigan working full-time in graphic and web design. She's a Slytherin, a passionate artist, and she would admittedly exchange her unborn children in order to bring Fred back to life. Megan has been vegan for the animals since 2015, and will gladly consume any vegan cookies she comes across! Before joining the team, Megan was an avid supporter of Protego, and she even adopted Rhysand the dragon. She chose him because he shares a name with one of her favorite fantasy characters, and she says that he will never say no to some cuddles, despite being a trouble-maker! |
Rikki Saydman
Graphic Designer
she/her | Rikki remembers the day when she first fell in love with the Harry Potter series. She was five, struggling to learn how to read, and her father suggested they read Sorcerer’s Stone out loud together. Rikki was sure that it was “too scary” for her, but relented. As he read the first sentence, Rikki knew she was hooked. After that, Harry Potter became one of the first books that gave way to her love of reading. Rikki has been surrounded by animals her entire life and they have made a huge impact on who she is today. From dogs, to hamsters, to rabbits, to birds, Rikki has been blessed to have been loved by so many animals. Making sure animals are treated well is a cause close to her heart. Rikki has a BA in Communication Studies and Graphic Design from Chapman University and she’s working on becoming a children’s book designer. When she’s not having Harry Potter marathons or going to the Wizarding World, Rikki is listening to music, playing with her dog companion, and spending time with her family. |
Melanie Becker
Podcast Editor & Patreon Coordinator
she/her | Melanie grew up in Germany, where she discovered her love for Harry Potter in 1999 by simply being dared to read the book. Ever since that day, she connected to the stories very deeply and reading became a very important aspect of her life. This resulted in her rarely leaving the house without having a book in her bag, since you never know where an opportunity to dive right back in will arise! When she moved to Finland, she adopted a little bunny named Possu (finn. = Piggy), who became the spark she needed to lead her to become a vegetarian (and eventually vegan in 2018). She has built a group for bunny friends where she educates others on proper welfare and health, leading by example with her two long eared fluffs, Panda and Pumpuli. You can often find her admiring the strangest looking beasts and devouring vast amounts of potatoes (she is German, after all!) Melanie also directs, produces, and edits her own Harry Potter podcast called PuffCast. |
Jessica Barlow
Development Coordinator
she/her | Jessica has loved Harry Potter since she, coincidentally, was eleven-years-old when the first movie came out. After seeing the movie and learning of the books, she had to have them, and read the first four as quickly as she could. After finishing Goblet of Fire, she then joined everyone else in having to wait for each one to come out, and would go to the midnight release parties. Prisoner of Azkaban is her favorite book, mostly due to her favorite character, Sirius Black. Jess is an avid cat-lover and video game nerd. She likes to say that she's "just a geek adventuring in her own game of life." She has a YouTube Let’s Play-style account (under the name Celexis) and a growing interest in graphic design and UI/UX design. She is an avid chef and is also currently working to become a Certified Nutritionist, specializing in vegan cooking as a transition coach. |
Rachel Montanye
Finance & Development coordinator
she/her | Rachel has always loved the Harry Potter films, but it wasn’t until 2020, when she first read the books, that she fell completely in love with the Wizarding World. She is a proud Ravenclaw and her favorite character is Hermione. Rachel relates to her a lot, especially when she introduces S.P.E.W., seeing as she is also passionate about social justice and compassion towards all beings. Rachel has always loved animals and went vegetarian when she was 13. A couple years later, she bought The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and it changed her life. After reading it, she decided she would go vegan when she started college. In 2013, on her first day at UC Irvine, she went vegan. Shortly after, she joined an animal rights club and later became the club president. She was also a peta2 campus representative and an activist with the Orange County chapter of Direct Action Everywhere. She even adopted two beautiful rats, Sherlock and Shylo, who were rescued from a lab. In addition to advocating for total liberation, Rachel loves to read, garden, rewatch her favorite TV shows, and create art. |
Elise Myslinski
Campaigns Coordinator
she/her | Elise couldn’t have known when she sat down to watch Earthlings in 2015 that she would proclaim herself a vegan 90 minutes later, but in a way, her entire life had been building to that moment. Similarly, as a kid, she couldn’t understand why everyone loved Harry Potter so much until she gave it a chance and, of course, fell in love with the story herself. Revisiting the books as a vegan gave them a whole new meaning and she now perpetually rereads them, taking lengthy notes on how the story relates to Muggle issues. Elise is also passionate about environmentalism and lives a minimalist, low-waste lifestyle. She has a feisty Hufflepup, Jolie, who partakes in Elise’s quest to watch the scariest movies she can find (as long as snacks are available). In her free time, Elise writes horror stories with the hopes of scaring everyone vegan. |
Kalyn Potter
Community & Programs Coordinator 
she/her | Kalyn is a Texas native loving and living life as an expat in the Irish countryside. She has been a bookworm as long as she can remember, with her first fandom being Harry Potter. Once Kalyn read the books, she was hooked. She developed a deep love of the magical world (and other magical worlds beyond HP), diving further into the fandom by spending hours on online forums and researching possible theories for what the next book might hold. Beyond a love for the fictional magical world, Kalyn has long since seen magic in the everyday - struck by awe at the beauty of our planet and the animals that inhabit it. Kalyn went planet-based at a young age and has evolved her ideology to incorporate perspectives on personal health and sustainability. A primary anchor for her will forever be compassion for animals and a recognition that all beings have rights that should be fought for. When looking for Kalyn, you'll find her with a book (often of magical origin), her feline familiar, and her husband - hiking, sea swimming, or watching with rapt attention as the local foxes play games in her yard. |
Want to join our team? Check our openings!
Meet our Board of Directors
Kathryn Henzler - Matthew Braun - Ali Matthews - Toni Marsteller - Parth Parekh - Nicole Hering - Miguel Stonecipher
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Tylor Starr
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In January of 2015, Tylor co-founded The Protego Foundation with his friend, Kathryn Henzler, with the goal of making the wizarding fandom a more compassionate place for animals. Tylor led the way during Protego's first 9 years of successes, which included the agreement from Warner Bros. to never use live owls in future productions, the addition of multiple hot entrees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the ground-breaking decision from Universal to introduce fully Vegan Butterbeer.
Alumni & Additional Contributors
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