Meet the Team: Megan
Ever wonder who’s behind Hive? Meet the people shaping Hive from the inside out!
In this edition of Meet the Team, we’re introducing Megan Jamer, Communications Lead at Hive.
Megan’s blend of curiosity, humility, clear and kind communication strengthens the culture that makes Hive what it is: collaborative, thoughtful, and full of people who care deeply about animals and each other. Rooted in a small town yet continually shaped by her travels and global encounters, Megan plays a key role in how Hive learns, shares, and evolves.
What brought you to Hive?
My journey follows a gradual, lurker arc. Since 2020 I’d been working across causes, mainly in the effective giving space. I wondered if focusing on one cause might work better for my disposition. Plus, the “single cause” of farmed animal suffering is a whole world. I’d known for a while that this was the area I wanted to focus on!
In 2024, I finally decided to act on that. I think Hive played a role in that decision…I’d already been in the Hive Slack, passive but observing. I think the culture of this space helped me believe in myself and see myself as an advocate and part of this community. But I don’t quite remember when I first joined. I’d been following Sofia’s posts on the EA Forum, and that might have led me to Hive.
What’s something you’ve learned from the Hive community?
I’ve learned the importance of being "person zero,” the person willing to start something new. Many people join projects as person 2, 5, or 100, but it’s much rarer and harder to be the originator. You see "person zero culture" all the time in Hive. It's one thing to look around and say, "that should exist," but to actually do it is powerful. Seeing community members take that leap makes it more relatable and contagious. This culture is a great signal and example. I think each of us has it in us to be person zero for something.
What is one local organization you’re excited about that gives you hope for the farmed animal advocacy movement in your region?
Not one organization but a collaboration: a politician in my region, Gord Johns, recently sponsored a petition to ban fur farming in Canada.
This action is overdue, but it also makes me reflect on the dance between patience and urgency. Today, there seems to be robust support for the ban across people of different backgrounds. But that wasn’t always the case. When Gord and collaborators presented the petition, they called fur farming an antiquated industry that belongs in the past. We have a long way to go, but I can see how similar arguments about factory farming are resonating with more people.
What’s one thing in your environment that inspires you or reminds you why you do this work?
I’m actually in India right now. Some days I’m working, other days I’m travelling on my bicycle, and on rest days I do a bit of walking in whatever town I’m in. Basically, I’m out on the road a lot, and that means I’m passing cows and dogs, and maybe goats, sheep, donkeys, or horses. Each day I try to interact a bit with at least one of these animals. It brings up a lot of feelings. A lot of these animals are facing severe challenges. These moments are a powerful reminder of the goal to care for the suffering of all beings.
What’s one way you recharge outside of your advocacy work?
I consider myself a new animal advocate generally. And I’m also fairly new to my role at Hive. Newness is awesome, but can also be tough. I sometimes feel a lack of a sense of mastery.
To balance, I think it’s important to seek that sense of competence in other areas of life. So when I think about the things I do to recharge, like cooking, reading, running, and even bike travel, I notice that these activities tend to be ones where I’ve built up some experience and where I can sometimes achieve a state of flow.
You travel a lot, how does this inform your advocacy?
Earlier this year, I was listening to this interview with Arundhati Roy about what’s been happening in Kashmir. The interviewer asked her what listeners could do to help. She basically said “Go read a book.” Meaning: we must seek to understand, because if you don’t understand, how can you ever hope to avoid doing harm, to say nothing of helping?
I’m not going to pretend that my travel is all higher-minded. It’s selfish, it’s interesting, it’s meaningful, as an end to itself. I love animals, including the human ones, and I travel for that. But as an advocate, I think travelling in the Global South has helped me get humble and get curious. I deeply value working in solidarity with animal advocates everywhere, recognizing them as the champions of their own work, the experts of their own context. That’s one thing I really admire about the work we do at Hive.
Of the whole team, you live in the smallest place. What’s that like in terms of challenges and opportunities?
I live (when not travelling) in Courtenay on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, it’s a city of about 60,000 people. One key challenge is the friction: there isn't much of a local farmed animal advocacy movement (and I haven’t acted as a person zero here). And there’s more friction to travel to conferences or bigger hubs.
On the other hand, the opportunity of remote work means I can live somewhere that I can afford and that’s closer to nature, making my work more sustainable.
I also think of the power of a few people. My life partner has been incredibly supportive and is one of my biggest cheerleaders. And by coincidence, I live near Elisabeth Ormandy, a deeply inspiring advocate and close friend. I sent her a cold email soon after she joined ACE. Having just a couple of like-minded folks in your home area makes such a difference.
If Hive had an official song, what do you think it would be?
My vote is for “Sabali” by Amadou & Miriam. Sabali means patience, and the line “when you love someone, patience is everything” makes me think of the love for all beings that’s present in our Hive community. This song is a reminder to me that advocacy requires patience, with change always being slower than we want. But we can find joy along the way when we have each other–this song is super joyful, check it out!
One last question: What is your most overused emoji on Slack?
The orange heart for sure 🧡🧡🧡🧡🙈
That’s Megan
Whether she’s helping shape Hive’s communications, or bringing a global curiosity to the space, Megan adds care and thoughtfulness to our work. Her journey shows how new perspectives can strengthen a movement, and how patience and connection help us stay focused on the animals who need change most.
This brings our Meet the Team series to a close (for now!). We hope these snapshots of the people behind Hive have helped illuminate our passion and persistence for a more collaborative farmed animal advocacy movement.
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