Maya Albanese, Coordinator, Sustainable Agriculture, Rainforest Alliance

Maya works with companies committed to sustainably and efficiently sourcing, promoting, and selling certified commodities. She is primarily responsible for the tea program in North America, which is one of the most rapidly expanding areas of certification for the organization. She has also taken the lead on the global banana program and in developing a sustainable palm oil program. She has always been passionate about independent travel, living abroad, and foreign languages, and her dedication to the people and ecosystems of the rainforest was augmented by her experience volunteering in the Southern Amazon basin of Peru in 2010. There, she worked with the CREES foundation on conservation and environmental education projects with indigenous communities. Prior, she worked on corporate sustainability programs and furniture merchandising at Williams-Sonoma Inc in San Francisco. Maya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Socioeconomic Studies and French, and studied Sustainable Design in the UC Berkeley professional program.

Jean Alberti, Founder & President, Wild & Bare Co.

Dan Bolton, Editor, World Tea News

Since 1995 Dan has led four magazine publishing companies. His introduction to the food and beverage industry came as CEO and Publisher of Patterson’s Beverage Journal and the Beverage Bulletin. In 2002, following the USDA’s adoption of National Organic Program certification rules, Dan launched the Certified Organic Food Directory. The success of the directory financed the launch of Natural Food Network and magazine in May 2005. In 2007 the company was sold and Dan joined M2Media360 as NFN’s editor-in-chief. The following year he was also named editor-in-chief of Specialty Coffee Retailer. Dan was a reporter and editor at several newspapers during a 20-year career and worked 10 years as publisher of film and video magazines and directories including Animation Magazine. He headed Variety’s LA 411 film and television directory company until 2001. In 2002 he became the founding editor of film crew magazine Below the Line.

Lisa Braithwaite, Public Speaking Coach & Trainer, CoachLisaB.com

Lisa Braithwaite works with individuals and groups to build their skills and confidence as speakers. Before launching her coaching, speaking and training business, she worked in the nonprofit sector in Santa Barbara for sixteen years as an advocate, educator and trainer, creating and implementing programs, curricula, and training materials for nonprofit organizations. She received her B.A. in Theater from Pomona College and her M.A. in Education from UC Santa Barbara. Lisa’s philosophy is that public speaking is fun, it's a perfect way to express yourself creatively, and that authenticity and passion are worth more than a thousand techniques. She has been interviewed for The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Men’s Health Magazine, the Santa Barbara News-Press, and on Inc.com. Her blog, Speak Schmeak, is one of the top public speaking blogs on the Web.

Charles Cain, Vice President, Tazo Merchant & Operations, Starbucks

Charles is an entrepreneurial executive with extensive business development experience and a unique perspective on the U.S. Tea Industry. Since 2004, Charles has worked for several leading Specialty Tea companies where he opened and tested seven tea shops (tea retail stores for two international brands, a tea café, and a tea restaurant), launched a tea-based E-Commerce site, and built an international wholesale program. He was recently hired by Starbucks as Vice President of Tazo Merchant and Operations, where he is tasked with elevating and growing the Tazo brand in the Specialty Tea space. Charles has been among the Expo's top speakers (attendance and attendee evaluations) for each of the past three years.

Chris Cason, Co-Founder, Tea Sommelier & Editor-in-Chief of Tavalon Tea.

He has more than 10 years experience in the research and development of loose-leaf teas, tea cocktails and other tea concoctions. Chris is the author of the book “A Guide to Tea” as well as a regular writer for Fresh Cup Magazine, a contributor for Imbibe Magazine, and the creator/writer of one of the foremost tea blogs on the internet, The Voice of Tea. He has made several appearances throughout the media, including Martha Stewart Living’s Cooking with Emeril, as well as Food Network’s Unwrapped. His tea and tea cocktails have been featured at the Grammy awards, NYC Fashion Week, and Harper’s Bazaar. Chris was also the primary advisor for the National Archives Museum exhibit, “Tea: A History & Culture,” which ran from 2005-2006.

Neva Cochran, MS, RD, LD Nutrition Communications Consultant

Neva Cochran is a registered and licensed dietitian and works as a nutrition consultant in Dallas, TX. She has been a nutrition writer and researcher for "Woman's World" and "Maximum Fitness" magazines and also works as a consultant to food industry clients; such as the Egg Nutrition Center, Corn Refiners Association and Solae Soy. Neva currently serves on the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Nominating Committee and previously was president of the Texas and Dallas Dietetic Associations, Chair of the American Dietetic Association Foundation, a member of the ADA House of Delegates and an ADA media spokesperson. Neva regularly appears as a nutrition expert on "Good Morning Texas," a widely watched Dallas Ft. Worth TV program. Neva earned a Masters of Science in nutrition from Texas Woman's University and a Bachelor of Science in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her dietetic internship at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. 

Chip Creitz, Program Developer/Coordinator, Tasting Coordinator, Moderator, TeaChat.com

While always a tea drinker, Chip took the full plunge into the tea realm in 1999 and never looked back. His focus has since been centered on learning all aspects of tea and the international tea industry, which evolved into his passionate and acute focus on Japanese tea. Chip is an up and coming authority in the realm of Japanese teas, tea wares, and culture. He has conducted countless large tastings of 40 or more participants tasting mostly Japanese teas. Most of these tastings have also had large readerships. He also conducts two large, successful English language tea forums which has been a cornerstone of his eagerness to learn and share with others. Most recently, he is freelance consulting for tea companies while also raising funds for the Japan Relief Effort.

Joseph Cugine, President, Argo Tea

Joe Cugine is a highly respected industry leader with growth DNA and a 25 year proven track record in General Management, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Operations and Supply Chain . His track record includes sales, profit, volume and share growth and uncompromising customer focus. Joe is currently President of Argo Tea, a retail and wholesale Tea company out of Chicago serving All Natural Tea products in 25 locations in NY, Chicago, Boston and St. Louis. Joe has led the launch of both Argo Ready To Drink tea products in the Natural and Grocery channels as well as the only All Natural Bag in Box portfolio for restaurant chains. Joe has been instrumental in building the Argo Brand in Higher Education and Health Care as well.

Jean DeBernardi, Professor, Anthropology Department at the University of Alberta

Jean DeBernardi is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alberta. She received her training as a cultural anthropologist at Stanford University, Oxford University, and the University of Chicago and has been teaching in Canada since 1991. Her recent research explored the modernization of Daoism, focusing on religious and cultural pilgrimage to the Daoist temple complex at Wudang Mountain, South-central China. In the course of that research, she became intrigued by contemporary Chinese tea culture, and further investigated Wudang Mountain's "Taoist tea." With support from the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, she is now conducting research on "Tea Culture and Commerce in Contemporary China." In 2011 she did ethnographic research in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, and learned to appreciate Wuyi Mountain's exceptional oolong and black teas.

David DeCandia, Director of Tea, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

David is Senior Manager of tea and master tea blender for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. He is responsible for buying, development and educating the companies 850 retail store employees on tea. David had been with the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for 15 years and is the company’s main source for public relations in tea. David has created company tea training and certification programs.

Steven Downer, Owner, Sipping Streams Tea Company

Steven and Jenny Downer became interested in tea while attending college together. They married after graduation. For nearly 5 years, their business, Sipping Streams Tea Company, has provided quality tea and education to Alaska. In 2011, Steven won the title, "Top Tea Infusionist" at World Tea Expo after competing in the Tea Infusion Challenge. When not cupping, Steven works as a controls programmer while Jenny works full-time at the tea house-teaching, training, blending and managing.

Carl Easton, Owner, Chris' Tea Cottage

Carl is an Electrical Engineer with over 30 years of High-Tech experience as a design engineer, Marketing & Sales Director, PC/Network Specialist and Technical Training Instructor. He and his wife have created and operated a Tea Room and Retail Shoppe in Northwestern Montana in a Summer tourist area with only a 4-month window of operation.

Mim Enck, President & Blender, The East Indies Coffee and Tea Company

Having a strong culinary background, Mim Enck discovered that tea blending was the perfect "next step". Tea blending is really learning to taste and as in the culinary world, tea blending is learning what works together to create a whole and the courage to follow the creative within. Ms. Enck was Vice-President of the American Premium Tea Institute and presently a member of the Specialty Tea Institute Advisory Board. She is also a member of the World Tea Expo Advisory Board and active member of the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association. Ms. Enck believes that this amazing beverage is a "connection to many people and their cultures" and is a healing element in today's world.

Richard Enticott President & CEO Martin Bauer, Inc.

Richard Enticott joined the tea industry as a trainee tea taster with Tetley UK in 1990 which involved tasting over 1000 teas every day for 5 years. As part of his training he has lived and worked in many tea producing countries including Malawi and Kenya in Africa as well as Sri Lanka and India in Asia. He has visited tea plantations in over 16 countries on every continent during his time as a tea buyer, blender, and trader. In his role as President & CEO of Martin Bauer Inc. he is responsible for sales of the companies’ products throughout North America including decaffeinated teas, herbal teas, tea and herbal extracts (for the food and beverage industries) in addition to botanical powders and standardized extracts for the dietary supplement and pharmaceutical industries.

Donna Fellman, Director, Tea Education Alliance

Managing tea houses in Seattle and Boulder, Donna Fellman discovered the key to selling tea, cultivating confident staff and developing dedicated customers was educating herself about tea, and sharing what she learned. Through focused tea tastings, travel to countries of origin and learning from so many others in the tea industry, she gained the experience and insight in the world of tea that she continues to share with others. As Director of the Tea Education Alliance, she has written, spoken and taught classes about many aspects of tea. Formerly the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Specialty Tea Institute, she helped develop the STI Certification Program for tea professionals, and is currently serving on the education board for both STI and WTE. She co-authored the book, Tea Here Now.

Tyler Gage, President, Runa LLC

Tyler has spent the last five years working with indigenous communities in the Amazon developing Fair Trade initiatives and cultural preservation programs. Tyler has a unique ability to bridge cultures and translate the traditions and values of indigenous cultures with modern life. Having turned down a Fulbright scholarship in order to dedicate himself fully to Runa, Tyler loves sharing Guayusa and believes deeply in the transformative power of Runa's work. Tyler brings his leadership and team experience from Brown University's varsity soccer team and national championship-winning Ultimate Frisbee team to manage Runa's team. Tyler has been awarded a Rainer Arnhold Fellowship for Social Enterprise in recognition of his work building Runa.

Kevin Gascoyne, Owner, Camellia Sinensis

British tea taster Kevin Gascoyne first bought tea in Asia in 1989 and has spent every Spring there for the last 18 years. Starting as a tea writer for publications in the U.K., U.S.A. and Japan he is still writing and is co-author of the best-selling, international prize-winning book THÉ: histoire, terroirs, saveurs™ to be released this November in English. Living in Montréal, he is one of 4 taster/owners of Camellia Sinensis, whose catalogue and annual Spring Tasting gained great renown over recent years, 2011's event was attended by over 700 people. As well as regular radio, TV and public appearances he runs 2 tea schools, a wide selection of workshops, seminars, has taught tea botany at the Uni. of Guelph and the Uni.North Bengal, India, business consulting in Canada and the U.S.A.. One of his favourites is training prospective wine sommeliers. He also works with the Canadian Tea Ass.

Jack Groot, Founder, JP's Coffee & Espresso Bar

Jack Groot is the founder and creator of JP's Coffee & Espresso Bar, Rubyjuice Fruit & Smoothies, Rubyjuice Franchise, Breakpoint Coffee Kiosk, On Track Coffee Consulting and the Midwest Barista School (MBS). Jack's experience in creating, operating, growing and franchising businesses, combined with his passion to help others do the same, has helped hundreds of clients create, open and grow their own business or improve existing operations. Mr. Groot currently spends his time consulting, writing his blog www.coffeegroot.com, and is a monthly columnist for the coffee industry's premier trade publication, the Specialty Coffee Retailer.

Suzette Hammond, Education, Rishi Tea

Currently with Rishi Tea, Suzette Hammond was the Training and Education Director for Adagio Teas and previously a trainer with Peet's Coffee and Tea.  She is a Board Member and Instructor for the Specialty Tea Institute, serving as Chair of the Education Committee. Suzette was a Judge for the North American Tea Championship, is an active participant with the Northwest Tea Festival and World Tea Expo. She won the first Tea Infusion Challenge - held at the World Tea Expo.

Emeric Harney General Manager of Harney & Sons SoHo and Third Generation Master Tea Blender

Emeric Harney is like a blended tea: part zest for sourcing like his father, with a chic, yet understated design aesthetic undoubtedly from his mother, and last, but not least, the endearing charisma of his grandfather. As a third generation Harney, tea is in Emeric’s blood. Despite years spent in both Los Angeles and Paris pursuing a career in fashion, Emeric feels most at home in his family’s teashop, where he enthusiastically and patiently explains each and every nuance of the teas to his earnest customers. Emeric is now the General Manager at the Harney & Sons SoHo teashop, where he continues the family tradition of making great tea an everyday luxury for New Yorkers and tourists alike.

Margaret Heery, Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Bunn-O-Matic Corporation

As Vice President of Strategic Marketing for the Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, Margaret Heery is responsible for providing marketing trends and insight information concerning foodservice beverages, segments, and channels. Heery has held various sales and marketing positions at General Mills, Pearlco of Boston, and Kraft Foods. She has served on the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Industry Advisory Council, is a member of the NPD CREST Industry Advisory Council and on the Board for Richland Community College. Within and outside of the foodservice industry, Margaret Heery has often been a presenter and has participated in numerous panel discussions, including at the Specialty Coffee Association of America, National Coffee Association, MenuDirections, National Association of Convenience Stores, NACUFS and the National Restaurant Association. 

Anu Huhtisaari, Program Manager, Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP)

Anu Huhtisaari is a Program Manager at Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), a non-commercial alliance of tea companies, working towards creating a thriving tea sector that is socially just and environmentally sustainable. ETP works in all the key tea producing regions together with tea companies and producers to raise social and environmental standards. In addition to providing assurance to tea companies of the conditions under which their tea is produced, ETP delivers producer support programs ranging from climate change and agrochemical management to health and safety. Anu is responsible for coordinating the ETP work in Africa alongside the regional staff based in Kenya and Malawi; and she has lead responsibility for Latin America. Prior to joining ETP Anu was working at an international development consultancy supporting regional integration projects in East and West Africa. Having always had a passion for working in Africa she spent time volunteering in Rwanda where she was involved in a project assisting street children to access education. Anu has a Masters Degree in Development Studies from School of Oriental and African Studies.

Holly Hunt, Owner, Fleur de Teas

With over 20 years of retail management experience Holly has enjoyed putting her experience to something she is truly passionate about...TEA Holly has also previously owned Cherub's Cafe, a tea cafe & gift store on El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert California and has over 15 years of experience as a doll designer with designs sold through major markets such as HSN, The Franklin Mint and various specialty retailers throughout the country. It is only fitting that her love for tea has transformed into a passion for providing legendary customer service for experienced and not so experienced tea enthusiasts. Holly is currently in her second year with her specialty retail tea store Fleur de Teas located in a quaint urban area of central Phoenix Arizona.

Keith Hutjens, Director of Tea Procurement, Tazo Tea

With his tasting spoon always in hand, Keith Hutjens is on a constant journey around the world searching for the highest quality teas, botanicals and spices used in Tazo Teas. His travels have taken him to India, Indonesia, South Africa, China, and Guatemala to name a few of the Tazo ingredient origins he has visited. Keith has over 25 years of buying experience, joined Tazo in 2003 and currently is in the position of director, tea procurement. Keith and his team procure tea, botanicals and spices from 35 countries while ensuring quality and managing container logistics. He co-manages Tazo's Community Health and Advancement Initiatives (CHAI) project, in partnership with Mercy Corps. Over the past nine years the CHAI Project has touched the lives of 40,000 villages in Darjeeling, Assam and Guatemala.

Frank Jaksch, CEO, ChromaDex

Frank L. Jaksch, Jr., co-founded ChromaDex® in 1999 and has served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2000. Under his leadership, ChromaDex® has focused on developing a strong natural products and services business, expanded into international markets and built an impressive roster of Fortune 500 customers. Prior to founding ChromaDex®, Mr. Jaksch served as the International Subsidiaries Manager of Phenomenex®, a life science supply company, where he managed the company’s international subsidiary and international business development divisions. His broad expertise includes analytic chemistry, biochemistry, processes and product development for natural products, legal and regulatory practices, agriculture and botany. Mr. Jaksch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He is a member of the American Chemistry Society, the American Herbal Products Association, the American Botanical Council and the NSF Joint Committee for Dietary Supplements.

Victor Jara, Purchasing & Regulatory Affairs, Sungarden Tea

Victor Jara has been with Sun Garden Tea since 2008. With a technical background in molecular biology and food safety, Victor was initially brought on to lead Sun Garden's Organic and HACCP programs. However, his natural love for tea and tasting developed quickly early on in his time with Sun Garden. Victor now heads Sun Garden's sourcing and blend design in addition to maintaining oversight with Sun Garden's Quality Assurance programs.

Beth Johnston, Founder & CEO, Teas Etc.

Beth Johnston's unquenchable thirst for tea began with a delicious cup of Mango Ceylon while on her honeymoon in 1998. Shortly thereafter, she discovered her passion for tea and founded Teas Etc., a leading supplier of award winning, direct trade teas. Her extensive travels have afforded her the opportunity to evaluate tea with some of the world's masters. In a defining moment, Teas Etc. became the ONLY female-owned company to win in the 2008 World Tea Championship hot tea category. They continued their success in 2009, 2010 and 2011, capturing multiple awards. The company's success is driven by Beth's creative, high-energy business style and an unwavering commitment to customers and quality. With office/showrooms in China, South Florida and Atlanta's AmericasMart, Teas Etc has grown from a one woman, garage-based operation to a USDA Certified Organic Processor that supplies retailers and wholesalers with premium quality bulk, prepackaged and private label tea products around the globe.

Dan Klein, Co-founder & CEO , Tiesta Tea

Dan Klein is co-founder and CEO of Tiesta Tea, a tea wholesaler with retail product in hundreds of stores worldwide. Dan graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Dan was inspired to start Tiesta Tea after he returned from a study-abroad trip in Milan, Italy, specifically after visiting the city of Prague. He saw the market need for high quality specialty tea blends that are exotic in taste, look and smell. Tiesta Tea raised much of their early funding from the University of Illinois, receiving more than any other company in school history. Their Tiesta Tea tin product was awarded Best New Product of 2011 from the World Tea Expo for its unique packaging, brand and industrial design. The company has achieved mass distribution with product sold by several distributors worldwide including KeHE Distributors in the United States and Nutriplus Commodities in the Middle East.

Lydia Kung, Buyer, Eastrise Trading Corp.

An avowed foodie who thinks teas get short shrift even as culinary expectations rise in our craft-fixated food culture, Lydia is delighted to play the role of tea advocate. Surely, some of the attention to growing regions and techniques in food, wine, and coffee can be transferred to a more judicious appreciation of fine teas. As an importer, Lydia has occasion to sample teas daily, ranging from low-end, high-volume products to captivating teas that virtually demand sipping again and again. She especially enjoys any occasion to taste with a group, since shared comments help build a tea lexicon and give articulation to nuances. Although no longer working in ethnography, all that this subject encompasses remains a passion, and tea falls easily into this field. Despite its long tradition, tea continually turns up new finds and surprises. Tea can still confound, and Lydia considers this as one of tea's greatest pleasures.

Hugh Lamond, President, Herbal Teas International

Hugh Lamond is President of Herbal Teas International, founded in 1998. The Irvine, CA based company, is the leading US based importer and distributor of Rooibos and Honeybush teas. Fair Trade and Rain Forest Alliance certified Rooibos tea now makes up an increasing portion of those imports. In partnership with the largest producer of Rooibos in South Africa, Rooibos Ltd., Hugh has helped introduce a significant awareness for this unique herbal tea over the past decade. Recently they have helped develop a website for their Fair Trade Rooibos producer, driefonteinrooibos.co.za, creating more awareness for the benefits accruing to the community.

Ellen Leaf-Moore, Owner, Fezziwig's Marketplace

Ellen Leaf Moore began her interpersonal and relationship building skills while earning her degree in Opera Performance, eventually deciding to change her professional path leading her into the world of business. In 1994 she joined the family bridal business helping to hire the right individuals to aid in growing the company. Her interests in recruitment flourished after joining a formal wear organization District Manager responsible for successfully hiring over 50 sales associates and managers. Ellen' s expertise did not go unnoticed she herself was recruited to become a General Manager for Williams-Sonoma. When she and Tim were married she re-located to St. Louis and joined the Pottery Barn Division of Williams-Sonoma. Ellen gained invaluable knowledge and powerful experience in recruiting, hiring, training and growing a successful, profitable, goal oriented team. Ellen and Tim decided to venture out on their own opening Fezziwig's Marketplace in October of 2007. Fezziwig's, located in historic Lebanon, IL, offers a variety of gourmet delights including premium loose leaf tea, gourmet food selections, wine, entertaining, and home décor. Ellen has developed a strong team and despite the current economic trend Fezziwig's is thriving and experiencing continued growth. 

Di Liu, Tea Ceremony Expert

Di Liu is the daughter of Master Liu & his wife Master Dong Bi Lian. Their Jin Damo puerh cakes are famous in China and beyond. The tiny tea estate where the teas are made is located among the ancient tea trees of Mount Mengsong in Yunnan province, China, and contains trees that are 800 years old. Their puerh teas have been recognized by the Yunnan government as some of the finest teas from the area. Didi is a distinguished young tea scholar who has spent the last ten years researching and creating tea ceremonies and rituals for Pu-Erh tea. To better understand the history of tea brewing, she has travelled across China and abroad to study with some of Asia's most respected tea academics. Liu Di has performed and presented puerh teas at tea festivals in the UK, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan as well as in China where she has appeared on national television. 

Peter Martino, CEO, Capital Teas, LLC

Peter is a dynamic, highly driven entrepreneur and attorney who is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Georgetown Law. He is a former nuclear submarine officer and serial entrepreneur who sold his first company, a financial software developer, to a public company. In 2007, Peter co-founded Capital Teas with his wife Manelle, taking advantage of her 120-year family tradition in the tea trade, and since 2010 has embarked upon a rapid expansion program. In addition to overseeing financial and legal operations of Capital Teas, Peter drives the company’s brand through retail store design, tea selection and marketing, and online strategy. His mutli-faceted career includes practicing law in New York City at the nation's most successful litigation boutique, as a Presidential appointee to a Senior Executive position at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as a real-estate developer, and as a business consultant. His favorite role is developing companies and brand strategies for market success.

Rob McCaleb, Founder & President, Herb Research Foundation

Rob McCaleb is the founder and president of the Herb Research Foundation in Boulder, Colorado. As former Research Director for Celestial Seasonings, he established and ran the analytical lab, research programs and flavor control systems. An internationally recognized expert on botanicals, he writes and lectures on optimizing health with natural health care products. He also heads Sustainable Natural Products, which helps international companies succeed in the dynamic natural products marketplace, while helping the domestic natural products industry to build more sustainable businesses. For more than 30 years, Rob has provided advisory services for natural product development, labeling, marketing and promotion. McCaleb was one of five scientists on the presidentially-appointed Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels, which studied global regulation of natural health products and made recommendations to Congress and the FDA for implementing the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association

Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association, has been active in the herbal industry since 1975. He has owned and managed both retail and manufacturing businesses in this field. Michael is the Managing Editor of the first edition of AHPA’s Botanical Safety Handbook (1997) and of Herbs of Commerce, 2nd edition (2000). He serves on the boards of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and United Plant Savers, and on the Advisory Board of the USC School of Pharmacy Regulatory Science Master's Degree Program. He has maintained active involvement with regulatory agencies, and served on FDA's Food Advisory Committee Working Group on Good Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Supplements (1998-99), FDA's Food Advisory Committee's Dietary Supplements Subcommittee (2003-05), and California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Analysis Food Warning Workgroup (2008-10). Michael was presented the Cliff Adler “Heart in Business” award in 1994 and the Nutrition Business Journal Award for Efforts on Behalf of Industry in 2004.

Nick Nguyen, CEO, Steepery Tea Bar

Nick is the CEO of Steepery Tea Bar, a family business that introduced the tea bar concept to Minnesota in 2002 with their first location in Minneapolis named The Tea Garden. In addition to serving specialty teas, Steepery specializes in the Taiwanese dessert drink, Bubble Tea, also known as Boba Tea. Nick came to the family business after getting degrees in Economics and Applied Math at UC Berkeley, and since then has helped the company grow to four Tea Garden locations and opened their first Steepery branded store. He plans to open more Steepery locations in Minnesota, while looking for opportunities out of the state.

Jane Pettigrew, International Tea Consultant and Writer

In 1983, with two friends, Jane opened and ran Tea-Time, an art deco style teashop in London. Since then, she has written 13 books on various aspects of the beverage, its manufacture, associated table wares, rituals, history and recipes. Over the years, she has also worked as editor of Tea International, as Managing Director of St James's Teas and as consultant and trainer to The UK Tea Council. She has trained staff at some of London's most important five star hotels, has run training programmes for a number of tea companies, and teaches Tea Masterclasses in the UK and abroad for anyone who wants to know more about tea in order to enhance their business or personal life. Jane writes regularly for various magazines and websites, speaks at conferences and events around the world, and appears regularly on television and radio.

Sudhir Prakash, Grower, Glenburn Tea Estate

Sudhir Prakash comes from a pioneering tea plantation family. His grandfather acquired gardens in most tea growing areas in India. Sudhir Prakash has had experience in running tea gardens in all these areas covering Assam, Darjeeling and Dooars in North East India to gardens in North Indian in Palampur and Dehradun as well as in the Peermade area of South India. He is also, therefore, conversant with the manufacturing of CTC, Orthodox and green tea. He has been to most of the major importing tea countries to promote sales. He has also the past Chairman of Tea Research Association which is the premier and oldest tea research organisation in the world. At present, he is on the National Committee of Indian Tea Association and Council of Management of Tea Research Association. He is Chairman of DITA which represents Darjeeling gardens and is a member of various other bodies.

Nora Feeney Pittenger, Business Development CPG, Fair Trade USA

Nora Feeney Pittenger found her dream job as Fair Trade USA's Business Development Manager for CPG, Tea, Herbs and Spices in 2010. Prior to joining Fair Trade USA, Nora worked in her home state of Minnesota as a Senior Analyst in Sourcing at Target Corporation where she was tagged as the ‘green girl’ for her efforts in pushing the “triple bottom line” approach for business. Her role at Fair Trade USA is to manage a multitude of products, including tea, herbs, spices, honey, quinoa, chocolate, sugar, honey with the ultimate goal of helping companies have success with Fair Trade, to the benefit of our environment and farming communities.

Lisa Boalt Richardson, President & Author, Lisa Knows Tea

Lisa Boalt Richardson is the President of Lisa Knows Tea and is the award-winning author of Tea with a Twist and The World in your Teacup. Her anticipated third tea book will published in spring 2013. She is a much sought out tea expert traveling the country presenting at conferences and special events. Lisa is one of the first 15 in the world to become a Certified Tea Specialist from the Specialty Tea Institute along with Level 4 certification. She is a STI instructor and serves on the STI Advisory Board as well. Lisa has traveled to Asia working hands-on with tea masters. She has been interviewed on numerous radio programs and has contributed to magazines including Cooking with Paula Deen and TeaTime. Lisa has been featured in The New York Times, Real Simple Magazine, Women’s Health Magazine, Diabetes Forecast, The National Geographic Blog, and Discovery.com. www.LisaKnowsTea.com.

Dan Robertson, Owner, The Tea House / World Tea Tours

As an importer, wholesaler, blender and purveyor of premium teas and accessories, he is involved with many levels of the tea industry. He is a regular contributor to various tea trade periodicals, web blogs and tea news services. Known for his informal and engaging style, Dan shares his passion for tea, lecturing around the world for businesses, educational and private groups, and tea industry trade shows and events. An authority on tea culture, history, production and trade, Dan conducts professional tea tasting classes and instructs courses in the Chinese tea ceremony. As founder and director of the International Tea Cuppers Club he facilitates access to and experience of premium teas from across the globe. His DVD The Art of Chinese Tea – The Tea Ceremony, is a demonstration and tutorial on the gongfu style of tea making.

Kanzo Sakata, Professor, Laboratory of Molecular Biocatalysts, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University

Kanzo Sakata is Professor Emeritus, Laboratory of Molecular Biocatalysts, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University. Professor Sakata dedicated much of his esteemed academic career to researching tea and publishing his findings on tea science. He specializes in the development of floral aroma during the production and processing of oolong and black tea. He has numerous scientific tea publications to his credit and has also received many awards for his research. He continues to work with the Japanese government to assist Japanese tea makers improve the quality of their teas.

Mo Sardella, The G.S. Haly Company

Mo Sardella began his career in the coffee and tea industries in 1998 with Peet’s Coffee and Tea based in Berkeley, CA. Since then, Mo has focused on broadening coffee and tea education and experience for hundreds of new professionals and customers alike. Now at the G.S. Haly Tea Company working alongside Mike Spillane and Aaron Vick, Mo continues to hone his palet and refine his knowledge about the various intricacies of tea every day.

Kristen Schneider, Small Business Consultant, Kristen Schneider Consulting

With experience opening and running a brick-and-mortar tea room as well as launching an internet tea business, Kristen understands the challenges facing business owners today. Kristen holds a law degree from the University of Texas, School of Law, and taught law classes for 13 years before entering the tea industry. She is a published author, a frequent speaker on both tea and legal issues, and currently works as a small business consultant in Houston, Texas. Kristen believes in putting everything in easy to follow language, with the goal that anyone attending her seminars will leave with immediately relevant ideas to help grow and protect his/her business.

Sarah Segal Director, DAVIDsTEA

Sarah Segal brings DAVIDsTEA a fresh, modern approach to tea. With her keen eye for trends in the food, fashion and restaurant industries, she is always on the lookout for a new ingredient, concept, taste or experience. She tirelessly sources ideas from around the world and adapts them to a young, tea-loving North American audience. Sarah has lived and worked all over the world, including Africa, India and China. This experience has inspired her to develop an innovative new approach to product knowledge: DAVIDsTEA in the Field, a program to bring employees to the source to learn about ingredients. Their first adventure was a trip to Ecuador to learn about Guayusa, in March 2012. Sarah received her Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in Environmental Sciences and International Relations and a Masters of Science in Water Sciences from Oxford University.

Kavi Seneviratne, Managing Director, Kelani Valley Plantations PLC

Managing Director, Kelani Valley Plantations PLC, commenced his professional career in the plantation industry in 1970 as an Assistant Manager of a tea plantation. In 1992, at the time of privatization of State owned plantations, was positioned as a Director of Board III of the Janatha Estate Development Board, after being Manager and Visiting Agent of some of the prestigious tea plantations of Sri Lanka. Thereafter, joined DPL Plantations and in 1994 was appointed Chief Executive of Kelani Valley Plantations, a company comprised of 27 tea and rubber plantations. In 2004 was appointed its Managing Director. Currently serving on the Boards of several subsidiary and associate companies connected to the plantation industry. Past Chairman of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon and at various times served as a member of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Rubber Research Board, Plantation Trust Board and the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association.

Renee Senne, Chef de Cuisine, Culinary School Director

Renee is a graduate of La Varenne cooking school in Paris with diplomas in culinary studies and pastry. After returning stateside in 1990, Renee taught at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now the Institute of Culinary Education), and owned and was the executive chef of two award winning restaurants and an exquisite pastry shop in Ithaca, New York. In 2008 Renee began working with the East coast grocery chain Wegmans, teaching culinary skills to up and coming store chefs and customers, training cooks for homes of special needs children and adults, and working with Cornell University’s Food and Brand lab to study how and why students make food choices. Most recently Renee has been developing recipes for tea pairing to spotlight Dr Virginia Utermohlen’s work in taste perception.

Joe Simrany, President, Tea Association of the USA, Inc

Mr. Simrany is president of the Tea Association of the USA, Inc., the Tea Council of the USA, Inc. and the Specialty Tea Institute (STI). In this capacity, Mr. Simrany tracks trends, disseminates information, and represents the interests of the wholesale.

David Sprinkle, Research Director, Packaged Facts

David Sprinkle is research director for Packaged Facts (Rockville, MD), a division of MarketResearch.com. He has presented at conferences including Fancy Food Show, the National Confectioners Association, SupplySide West, and Focus on the Future, as well as contributing to trade publications such as Gourmet Retailer, Natural Products Insider, and Progressive Grocer. His study on Premium Consumers and the New Economy: Food and Foodservice was published by Packaged Facts in 2009. Packaged Facts, with a 50-year record of providing authoritative consumer research, offers in-depth market reports, expert analysis, proprietary data, and custom services to help business professionals make the right strategic decisions. Packaged Facts’ areas of expertise include foods and beverages, consumer goods and retailing, and shopper trends.

Kyle Stewart, Owner, The Cultured Cup

Certified Tea Specialist (CTS), Advisory Board Member for Specialty Tea Institute (STI) and instructor for STI's Tea Certification Program, has developed tea business relationships with renowned chefs, sommeliers, heads of state and Fortune 500 Companies. He appears regularly as a tea expert for local and national TV and was the beverage expert for a 26-episode cable program titled "What's Brewing?" Co-owner of The Cultured Cup for 16 years, Stewart regularly presents lectures at the Dallas Museum of Art, Crow Collection of Asian Art, Southern Methodist University and Art Institute Culinary School. Kyle's tea presentations explore world cultures and how aspects of these tea rituals can be a part of our modern day lives. His talks appeal to a broad audience: elementary schools, corporations, restaurants and civic organizations. Kyle has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music from Iowa State University and Northwestern University respectively. 

Scott Svihula, Teasmith, China Mist Brands

Scott Svihula is recognized globally as an expert in the Tea Industry with 16 years of progressive experience in the field. Since 2006, Scott has been a key contributor to China Mist Brands® and is currently serving as the Teasmith. In this position he is heavily involved with Research & Development of high-end tea and related products. Scott also oversees quality assurance, new product roll outs, purchasing and training. In 2009, Scott joined forces with Dr. Virginia Utermohlen, from the Taste Science Laboratory of Cornell University, to conduct ground breaking research to understand the science behind tea's olfactory response and why people choose the teas they do. A natural innovator, Scott drives Tea Industry trends as a respected leader in professional associations, as a published author of numerous articles and as an past Advisory Board Member of Specialty Tea Institute (STI) and World Tea Expo (WTE). He helped write, implement, and teach the STI Tea Certification Program and currently serves on the Educational Committee of WTE.

James Tidwell, Beverage Manager and Master Sommelier, Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, Texas

James Tidwell is Beverage Manager and Master Sommelier at Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, Texas. He also holds the title of Certified Wine Educator from the Society of Wine Educators. In 2005, Tidwell co-founded the Texas Sommelier (Texsom) Association. He oversees an annual conference to challenge local wine stewards to enhance their talents through certification. This conference has become a model in the wine industry. After receiving a degree in International Trade and Finance from LSU, he earned a degree from the Culinary Institute of America. After dividing his time between the kitchen and wine shops, he decided wine held the most appeal and pursued and earned the prestigious title of Master Sommelier in early 2009.

Peter Ting, Owner, 1660 London

Peter Ting is an award winning ceramic designer and consultant with an extensive knowledge of the history of ceramics, computer techniques and both craft skills and industrial production processes. Ting has worked exclusively within the luxury sector for over 20 years, as Head designer of home-ware for Asprey London, Freelance designer for Royal Crown Derby and as Design Director and MD of Thomas Goode Manufacturing Unit for Thomas Goode. Ting has designed state gifts for HM The Queen, and ‘Lord of the Isles’ chinaware for HRH The Prince of Wales. Ting has exhibited his work globally, and have appeared in WSJ magazine, FT’s How ‘To Spend It’ magazine, NY Time’s ‘Spring Design’ issue and American Express’s ‘Departures’ magazine. His work is in the collection of V&A London, and Museum of Art and Design, New York. He is a Trustee of the Crafts Council, UK.

James Tonkin, President, Healthy Brand Builders

James Tonkin, President, Healthy Brand Builders For more than 37 years, James Tonkin has served the private-sector as a brand and marketing development professional. He directs the building and design of national infrastructures for food and beverage industry clients. Tonkin has successfully created and implemented business and financial strategies for domestic and international players focusing from production to branding, marketing through sales implementation and distribution, to include exit strategy. Tonkin has focused branding initiatives in soft drink, bottled water, functional foods and beverages, and non- carbonated “new age” beverage verticals. His extensive hands on expertise stretches across many sectors including domestic cheeses to natural potato chips; bottled waters for people and pets; and nutraceutical-functional-cosmeceutical enhanced beverages. Jim serves as a popular keynote speaker covering new beverage trends, successful branding insight and with his blunt and sometimes irreverent humor, pushes the envelope! He has many repeat performances and is truly a respected and admired entrepreneur in his own right! 

Maria Uspenski, Founder & CEO, The Tea Spot

Maria Uspenski's love for tea was fostered at an early age by her Russian family. Later, as an undergraduate student in Paris, France, she was introduced to many more varieties than the traditional black teas of her childhood. During stints as a ballet dancer and athlete, Uspenski began to discover the health benefits of tea. Fast forward to 2012, and now we find Uspenski as founder & CEO of The Tea Spot, educating the public and engineering new products that make loose leaf tea easy, to enhance a healthy lifestyle. Her message is simple and powerful: tea in its freshest form renders exceptional flavor, unmatched health benefits, and is eco-friendly. Based in Boulder, Colorado, The Tea Spot’s culture of social entrepreneurship incorporates a culture of giving as it grows: Ten percent of every sale is donated in-kind to cancer and community wellness programs.

Virginia Utermohlen-Lovelace, Associate Professor, Cornell University  

Virginia Utermohlen has had a life-long fascination with individual differences in sensory perception, specifically taste perception. This fascination stayed in the back of her mind as she pursued a BA in physics and an MD (she was awarded the Honor Prize for Psychiatry for her graduating class). After training in pediatrics and a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University, she became part of the faculty of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, one of the premier institutions in the world for research on nutrition and eating behavior. At the end of 2010, she (partially) retired to continue her research into taste perception. Through her new company, Taste Science LLC, she has developed a simple system, based in fundamental biology, for understanding the tastes of tea and tea-food pairings, and for understanding why people differ in their tea choices.

Aaron Vick, The G.S. Haly Company

Aaron Vick fell out of professional cooking and into the world of tea when he had his first tea cupping led by a professional trainer at Peet’s Coffee & Tea. Inspired by that experience he spent ten years with Peet’s as a staff educator, sharing the knowledge that inspired him and learning from some of the most experienced people in the industry. That community of tea people led him to The G.S. Haly Co., renowned supplier of specialty teas in the U.S. for over 120 years. In his three years with Haly, Aaron has been immersed in the daily discipline of cupping samples from the great specialty tea origins of the world and bringing them to the North American market.

Bill Waddington, Owner, TeaSource

Bill Waddington is the founder of TeaSource, a wholesale and retail specialty tea company. As such he imports and blends some of the finest teas from around the world. TeaSource is a 15 year old company with hundreds of wholesale customers all across North America. Bill’s mission is simple: to find the best teas in the world, and then to make them available and help Americans learn to appreciate them. Bill is also a huge advocate for the specialty tea business. He believes education and outreach efforts are essential to succeed in the specialty tea business. Bill is a frequent quest on the National Public Radio show, The Splendid Table. Bill has served on the Board of Directors of the American Premium Tea Institute, was the Chairman of the 2004 Specialty Tea Institute Symposium, and was the keynote speaker at the China International Tea Expo, Beijing Oct. 2005.

Shabnam Weber, Owner, The Tea Emporium Inc.

Shabnam Weber is the co-owner of The Tea Emporium - a specialty tea company in Toronto with five locations and more on their way. Shabnam is a tea educator and author of the Tea Sommelier program for the Tea Association of Canada currently being taught at Colleges across Canada. She is a board member of the Tea Association of Canada and is Chair of the Education, Retail and Marketing Committees. Shabnam has a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Toronto as well as a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychology from the UK.

Ray Welch, President, ThirsTea Corporation

Sanje Widyaratne, Chairman & CEO, Walters Bay Tea Estates

Sanje is the Chairman and CEO of Walters Bay Tea Estates, a fully vertically integrated multi-national Pure Ceylon Tea company. The company grows, processes, packages, sells, and ships tea directly to customers all around the world. Sanje and his team aggressively promote their core values of origin traceability, the fair treatment of tea estate workers, and eco-friendly growing practices with programs such as the “Caring Cup” and the “Cup with a Purpose” initiatives. Sanje is also the founder of Aid Lanka Kids, a non-profit organization that provides aid to Sri Lankan children in need of medical treatment. Sanje is considered a leading authority on the tea industry and conducts lectures and seminars worldwide on tea growing, processing, and direct sourcing.

Fei Wu, Senior Designer, Jingxi Pottery Studio, China

Fei Wu was born into a family of teapot artists in Yixing in 1988. Tea, teapots and Chinese traditional tea culture have been important parts of her life since she was a little girl. Fei learned Furniture Design during four years’ undergraduate studies, and now is applying for the Master Degree of Anthropology in the University of Alberta. Fei organized “Everybody Drinks Tea” Festival at University of Alberta in 2010, researched the development of Bohea tea in Wuyi Mountain in 2011, and participated in the Dragon Boat Festival and gave a lecture about teapot in Victoria in 2011.