“Make Change Happen!"- This is the motto that David Yeung, the visionary founder of the social venture Green Monday, adopted when he first launched his vegetarian campaign. He strove to change society for the better through his belief in ‘vegetarianism.’ His goal as an entrepreneur was to popularize vegetarianism in Hong Kong, a nation that ranked first in per capita meat consumption.

           David Yeung grew up in a Buddhist household, where he embraced a selfless way of life from a young age. His grandparents were actively involved in philanthropic endeavors despite their poverty, and their attitude toward life was a great inspiration for David's work and life. During his teenage years, David took the initiative to design and implement community projects focused on healthcare and education in rural areas of Hong Kong. After being appointed to support his family's charitable and volunteer activities, his early experience and strong interest in public goods were created. Later, David graduated from Columbia University in 1998 with an engineering degree. He went on to launch a software startup, gaining entrepreneurial marketing experience and expertise.

Meanwhile, due to having grown up in a Buddhist household David was exposed to vegetarianism, but didn't become a vegetarian until he was 22. David describes his transition to vegetarianism as a ‘slow process of realization.’ His interest in Buddhist ethics including compassion for animals, the realization of the cruelty of modern capitalist industrial agriculture, and the environmental consequences of explosive meat production led him to become a vegetarian. With this decision, he moved back to Hong Kong in his mid-20s. Explaining his decision to become a vegetarian to his family and friends, David realized how difficult it was to live as a vegetarian in Hong Kong.

           At the time, Hong Kong seemed like a vegetarian wasteland. According to Euromonitor, the provider of market analysis, one Hong Konger consumed an average of 144 kg of meat per year, which is 2.5 times the average meat consumption of a Korean in 2022. David also received many misconceptions from friends and acquaintances. Because it was considered unhealthy to eat so little meat in Hong Kong, and vegetarian culture in Hong Kong was limited to devout Buddhists. Also, trying to find restaurants that cook without meat and feeling frustrated while looking for meat substitutes, these personal experiences of David's inspired him to start the Green Monday campaign. He worked hard for vegetarians in Hong Kong or for those who wish to regulate their meat intake.

           On April 22, 2012, on Earth Day, David, in collaboration with Jenny Ng, founded the social venture group Green Monday. The establishment of Green Monday aimed to simplify and popularize low-carbon and sustainable living, addressing issues such as climate change, global food insecurity, public health, and animal welfare. They sought to effectively contribute to the social and environmental responsibilities of businesses, restaurants, schools, and the general public. What set Green Monday apart from other vegetarian campaigns was its approach of encouraging people to eat 'less' meat rather than completely forbidding it. According to a third-party research by market research agency IPSOS, before the inception of Green Monday, fewer than 5% of Hong Kong's 8 million residents had any goal to reduce their meat consumption. Today (6 years later), this figure has increased to 22% (approximately 1.8 million people). Furthermore, to meet the demands of the growing market, David initiated Green Ventures, which focuses on developing innovative and more flavorful meat alternatives and investing in entrepreneurs developing other sustainable meat-based products. David's three main focuses—Green Monday, Green Common, and Green Ventures—each play interconnected roles in persuading Hong Kong residents about the benefits of reduced meat consumption, providing plant-based meat alternatives, and supporting companies that serve this emerging market. Through these efforts, David is inspiring millions of individuals to transition to more balanced and sustainable diets.

           For bringing vegetarianism to Hong Kong and East Asia, David was honored with entrepreneurial awards on the international stage by Ernst & Young, the World Economic Forum, and the Schwab Foundation. As an iconic environmentalist and entrepreneur, he has spoken at the World Economic Forum, Milken Institute Summit, TEDx, as well as financial and academic institutions such as Credit Suisse, UBS, and UCLA. In a 2016 interview with media organ Tricycle, David revealed four secrets to his business success - ‘simple, viral, actionable, and pleasant message’ - as the secret to Green Monday.

Since David grew up with ‘compassion’ and ‘empathy’ as core values, he explained in an interview for environmental organization V-Label's ‘#FoodHeroes2’, “22 years ago, when I individually made the change to become vegetarian, that was just one step. A much bigger realization came with the macro picture: with the global population, climate change, sustainability, pollution, and greenhouse gases, not to mention factory farming. As with many in this space, I came to the same conclusion – a change at scale needs to happen.”

In Hong Kong, today over 1.5 million people, or about one-fifth of Hong Kong's population, are participating in the Green Monday campaign. David's motto "Make Change Happen" and his entrepreneurial belief in inspiring people have provided a springboard for the vegetarian culture in Hong Kong and East Asia, which is a wasteland of vegetarianism. CAH looks forward to David Yeung's continued success in leading positive change for environmental protection and animal welfare.