By Jay Conner, The Root
As plant-based food alternatives continue to rise in popularity, Jay-Z, Serena Williams, Jaden Smith and Trevor Noah are among an impressive lineup of celebrities who’ve decided to support the movement by putting their money where their mouth is.
CNN reports that on Monday, Impossible Foods announced a $300 million haul in its latest round of funding, bringing its total to over $750 million.
Outside of those already mentioned, additional backers include will.i.am, The Roots bandleader Questlove, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, singer Katy Perry—who recently wore a vegan burger outfit at the 2019 Met Gala—and Russian-German producer Zedd.
While consumers are switching to plant-based proteins for a variety of reasons, Jay-Z’s affinity for healthier fare is well documented. In December, he and Beyoncé challenged their fans to go vegan, offering complimentary concert tickets for life in exchange for their commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
And in March, Questlove introduced his plant-based Impossible Cheesesteak, which debuted at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
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“We developed (and perfected!) a recipe using Impossible™ plant-based meat that we hope will offer a delicious and sustainable alternative for all cheesesteak eaters,” he wrote on Instagram.
All in all, it’s great to see so many big names making money moves while endorsing a healthier lifestyle, especially with hypertension and heart disease so common within our community. Hopefully, it will inspire more of us to consider plant-based alternatives.
This article originally appeared in The Root.
