Vegan Wines Founder Victorious in Lawsuit Following PlantX Deal Collapse

Chicago, Illinois May 21, 2025 – Frances Gonzalez, the founder of the first fully vegan wine company in the United States, started her company in 2016 with the aim of offering ethically produced, animal-free wines. Following a protracted legal dispute with PlantX Life Inc. (now CSE: JIVA), she has emerged victorious and is now able to share her story.

In 2020, PlantX agreed to acquire a 10% stake in Vegan Wines but never completed the payment. Despite this, they exploited the Vegan Wines brand, improperly managed and damaged inventory, and falsely advertised a partnership. These actions caused confusion in the market, deterred potential investors, and ultimately forced Gonzalez to shut down her ethical wine venture.

“I created Vegan Wines from scratch. Their actions destroyed years of effort and forced me to shut down the company,” Gonzalez stated. “I co-managed their XMarket retail store in Chicago without compensation and ended up losing everything.”

After pursuing legal action, Gonzalez prevailed in the lawsuit and is now publicly cautioning other vegan founders and ethical entrepreneurs to be wary of partnerships that seem promising but lack transparency and integrity.

PlantX, currently known as JIVA Technologies Inc., owns and operates a variety of consumer brands, including XMarket, Bloombox Club, Little West, Portfolio Coffee, LQR House, and VeganEssentials.com.

“This is more than just about my company,” Gonzalez added. “It’s about protecting founders from being exploited by companies that promote ethical branding but behave unethically behind closed doors.”

Despite the court’s decision, PlantX continues its operations under its new name, with physical store locations in Canada and an active online presence. Learn more at

To discover more about Frances Gonzalez’s entrepreneurial journey and legal victory, visit:

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