Miyoko Schinner is the founder and CEO of Miyoko’s Creamery. Known as the queen of vegan cheese, she was born in Japan and moved to the U.S. as a young girl, where she was raised in Mill Valley until she left to study at St. John’s College. After earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, she returned to Japan and lived there for nearly 10 years. An entrepreneur with many talents, Schinner’s career stretched into many directions. She started multiple businesses including bakeries, a restaurant and a natural food company making alternative meat.
In 2014, she opened Miyoko’s Creamery, a dairy-free cheese company. An advocate, culinarian and pioneer for the vegan industry, another one of her more recent ventures was opening an animal sanctuary, along with her husband, Michael, called Rancho Compasión, a home to previously neglected, exploited and abused farm animals. The sanctuary is nestled in Nicasio, a small village in Marin, where they live. She and Michael have three children. Their son, the eldest, is a professional basketball player in Japan. Their youngest daughter is the sanctuary manager for Rancho Compassion, and their other daughter is in project management.
What first spurred your decision to become a vegetarian?
It was easy. On a school camping trip at the age of 12, I was put into the small vegetarian group (in the ‘60s, there were a couple of “hippie families” who were vegetarian.) Despite how awful the food was on the trip when I saw the pork chop my mother put in front of me when I returned, I pushed it away and never looked back. Somehow, in my young mind, I made a connection between food and animals, and that was that. Easiest thing I ever did.
Do you prefer a small town instead of a large city?
Yes, I love Nicasio. It’s is a great little town of about 900 people. I’ve never lived anywhere with such a tight community. I’m a member of the Ladies’ Auxiliary that was created initially to support the volunteer fire department but actually exists so we can get together and have fun. There are so many interesting people who live here—artists, musicians, business folks, as well as the agricultural community.
What do you make of athletes switching to plant-based or vegan diets?
Well, as the mother of an Olympic-style weight-lifting daughter who competes nationally and a son who plays professional basketball in Japan, I think it’s definitely the right thing for not only health but the longevity of participation in any sport. I hope that the success of NBA players going vegan will encourage others to follow suit.
What non-vegan meal or snack do you miss the most?
None. I can have everything an omnivore has as a vegan version. Everything is possible.
I actually love shoveling manure, which may seem strange to some. There’s something really satisfying about picking it all up and giving the animals clean ground on which to roam and graze. I guess my least favorite is filling up water bowls in their stalls. It seems so mundane.
Who is your mentor?
I do have a wonderful CEO coach, Barbara Shannon, who has helped me through many issues. In addition, I’ve had many mentors, including various board members and other folks in the industry. There is always something to be learned from other business leaders.
What is the worst purchase you’ve made?
Probably the Kickstarter project that I never got. I like to support entrepreneurs, so I frequently support crowdfunding projects. But there was one—an automatic beer maker—that never arrived. Hmmm.
What becomes less and less important to you the older you get?
On a lighter note, being the perfect hostess. Entertaining and making everything absolutely perfect used to be such a high priority for me. Now I’m embarrassed to say that I often just throw things together because I’ve realized that it’s not in the details, but simply the act of gathering and connecting that is important. And I’ve learned that my friends don’t care if I haven’t prepared a 12-course meal—they’re happy with leftovers.
On a more serious note, diplomacy to the point of not being able to speak the truth, the tiptoeing around so as not to ruffle feathers—I don’t have time for that anymore. I’m more interested in speaking directly. Time is running out for the planet, people and animals, and we all have a part in making sure we’re going to be around. We must be able to talk directly and honestly about that.
Favorite recipe from your cookbooks?
That’s an unfair question! But there are a few I really love.
