Frances Gonzalez speaks out after winning a lawsuit against PlantX, whose actions forced the shutdown of her pioneering vegan wine company.
(Isstories Editorial):- Chicago, Illinois May 21, 2025 (Issuewire.com) – Frances Gonzalez, founder of Vegan Wines–the first 100% vegan wine company in the United States–launched the business in 2016 with a mission to bring ethical, animal-free wines to the marketplace. After a long legal battle with PlantX Life Inc. (now JIVA Technologies Inc., CSE: JIVA), she has won–and can finally speak up.
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In 2020, PlantX agreed to purchase 10% equity in Vegan Wines but never fulfilled the payment. Despite this, they used the Vegan Wines name, mishandled and damaged inventory, and publicly claimed a false partnership. These actions created market confusion, blocked potential investors, and ultimately forced Gonzalez to shut down her ethical wine business.
“I built Vegan Wines from the ground up. Their behavior erased years of work and forced me to close the company,” said Gonzalez. “I co-managed their XMarket retail store in Chicago without pay–and lost everything.”
After pursuing legal action, Gonzalez won the lawsuit and is now speaking publicly to warn other vegan founders and ethical entrepreneurs to be cautious of partnerships that appear promising but lack transparency and integrity.
PlantX, now operating as JIVA Technologies Inc., owns and manages several consumer-facing brands, including XMarket, Bloombox Club, Little West, Portfolio Coffee, LQR House, and VeganEssentials.com.
“This isn’t just about my company,” Gonzalez added. “It’s about protecting founders from being exploited by companies that promote ethical branding while acting unethically behind the scenes.”
Despite the court ruling, PlantX continues to operate under its new identity, with physical store locations in Canada and an active online storefront. Learn more at https://plantx.com
To learn more about Frances Gonzalez’s founder journey and legal victory, visit:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesgonzalezveganwines
Contact:
Frances Gonzalez
Email: [email protected]
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
