Christopher Beard is a Doctoral Fellow at the University of North Texas in Denton, where he has taught for two years while pursuing a PhD in poetry. Chris has published poems in a variety of magazines, most recently The Pinch and Whiskey Island, and also published a journalistic article in Fresh Cup Magazine about the 2012 World Tea Expo comparative tea & wine tasting. His passion for tea has been developing over the last ten years, and he has become a connoisseur while working for The Cultured Cup. Chris has even served Sencha Kagoshima at his wedding, and visited a tea plantation in Tanzania. He played hockey for KU, and currently plays for the University of North Texas. Christopher lives in Dallas with his wife, Kristin, and their two cats.

Victoria Bisogno, Owner, El Club del Te

Victoria was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She’s an engineer and she’s spent her entire life intimately connected with tea. Founder of Charming Blends, a teashop dedicated to specialty teas, and author of the Tea Sommelier Handbook, she teaches tea blending, sensory evaluation of teas and the Tea Sommelier International Certification. Together with her husband Martín Frangioli, she’s created El Club del Té (The Tea Club), the first organization in Spanish speaking countries dedicated to promote tea culture, that performs academic and recreational activities based in Buenos Aires, Madrid and Barcelona, and also online.

Michael Coffey, Blogger, The Tea Geek

Michael J. Coffey has been a tea drinker since his first visit to England in 1988. He's been studying tea as an intellectual pursuit since the mid-1990s, and began teaching tea classes in 2003. He's worked at English-style and Asian-style tea shops, as well as a tea wholesaler. He can be found teaching tea classes at tea shops, community centers, churches, and private events under the name Tea Geek.

Daniel Coniglio, Sales Representative, Aiya America

Aiya America is the biggest manufacturer and supplier of Japanese Matcha green tea in America. Their U.S. division was started in New York in 2001 and relocated to Los Angeles in 2004, bringing the company closer to their headquarters in Japan. Since joining Aiya America, Daniel Coniglio has participated in nearly every show, presentation, and event for Aiya. Having joined Aiya after moving back from Japan, Daniel is very familiar with Japan, its language, culture, and traditions. He is also the driving force behind translating and sharing Aiya's Matcha Recipes.

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

David is Director of Tea and master tea blender for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. He is responsible for buying, developing, and educating the company's 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.

Janet is a co-founder and principal of DASH - Advisors to Innovative Food & Beverage and has been a successful entrepreneur and strategic advisor in the organic and natural products industries for over twenty five years. She began her career with BBDO-NYC as a Senior Account Supervisor and then went on to found a boutique marketing and design agency in Florida.  Janet compliments her marketing expertise with exceptional organizational development skills and has worked with a variety of clients in the healthy beverage industry.

Sheila Duda, a Certified Tea Specialist (CTS), is a life-long tea lover who focused her passion for tea into opening TeaLula along with her husband Fred. Recently celebrating the five-year anniversary of the tea lover’s urban oasis in Park Ridge, IL Sheila can be found most days sharing her passion for tea at her tasting bar. When not at the tea shop, Sheila shares her knowledge of tea with the community by hosting Focused Tastings, etiquette classes, and Tea 101 classes. Sheila enjoys coming up with themes, entertainment and publicity, and using her leadership, organizational and motivational skills to build retail traffic at her store as well as build relationships with potential customers for the retail community. Sheila and Fred spend their ‘free time’ traveling the world, including Sri Lanka and India, sourcing out new teas and checking in with tea estates from whom they buy. Always looking for new and fun ways to spread the love of tea, Sheila recently started her own YouTube channel, TeaLulaLooseLeafTV, where you can tune in and find the staff’s favorite picks, Fred’s “Steep Thoughts” and even TeaLula’s own version of the Harlem Shake!

Elizabeth Fawcett, PhD., MPH, Texas Woman’s University

Elizabeth Fawcett, Ph.D., MPH teaches sociology courses at Texas Woman’s University. Over the last ten years, she has taught a variety of courses including: introductory sociology, medical sociology, social stratification and quantitative and qualitative research methods. Elizabeth’s life-long love of tea culminated in a friend’s gift of a Gong Fu Tea Ceremony, performed by Kyle Stewart of The Cultured Cup. Elizabeth’s fascination with the ritual of tea and her background in social research, has led to a collaborative effort with Kyle to write a book on the sociology of tea.

Cynthia Fazekas, Wholesale Sales Manager, Adagio Teas

Cynthia Fazekas is an 13-year veteran of the Specialty Tea Industry. Formerly a buyer and blender for SpecialTeas, she currently serves as Buyer, Blender and US Direct Wholesale Sales Manager for Adagio Teas. Cynthia has deep experience in the product and operational sides of the Specialty Tea industry. Starting in the late 90's, she helped SpecialTeas grow from three full time employees to a staff of 26 and managing Sales, Customer Service, Human Resources, Marketing, Purchasing, Tea Tasting, Blend Development and assisted in managing the company's operations and fulfillment. Since joining Adagio, Cynthia has managed the development of Adagio's tea collection, helped dozens of new tea businesses get off the ground, and is a contributing writer for TeaMuse and TeaSmart newsletters.

Donna Fellman, Online Education Manager, World Tea Media

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.

Dray Gardner, Owner, Bikram Yoga Red Rock

Dray Gardner is co-owner, co-founder and instructor at Bikram Red Rock. He and fellow yogi Sumach Valentine opened Bikram Red Rock in 2009, hoping to change the game with yoga facilities. Dray was turned on to Bikram Yoga due to lower back and sciatic nerve issues due to nerve and tissue damage from years of contact sports. When told that he needed to stretch, he began Bikram Yoga and his body began to heal and the pain was gone. Yoga took Dray’s mind and body to places he had never been before: balance, discipline, focus, determination, strength, flexibility, meditation and peace of mind. With the understanding, encouragement, support, and sacrifices of his family, he was able to attend teacher training. It then became obvious that he needed to share the multiple benefits he had received. With all he gained through the struggle - the peace, the advancement, the breath, the union – Bikram Yoga truly became his life’s passion. A former real estate agent, bartender, food server, valet attendant and executive for Station Casinos, Dray is also a part-time DJ in addition to being a yogi. He played football for Cal State-Fullerton and Chico State before graduating from UNLV with a double major in criminal justice and sociology.

Kevin Gascoyne, Owner, Camellia Sinensis

British tea taster Kevin Gascoyne started buying tea in Asia back in 1989 and has spent every Spring there for the last 20 years. He started his career as a tea writer for publications in the U.K., the U.S.A. and Japan. Over the years his passion for the black teas of India has spread to the plantations of many other countries. In Canada he is one of the owners of the Camellia Sinensis Tea Houses and Tea Schools of Montréal and Québec City. Each year he and his fellow tasters travel to the tea gardens of Asia to select teas for their internationally renowned catalogue. www.camellia-sinensis.com . As well as regular public tastings, Kevin is also involved in a wide range of workshops, conferences, seminars, research and consulting activities in North America, Europe and Asia. He also co-authored of the prize-winning book ‘Tea, History, Terroirs, Varieties’.

Linda Gaylard, Blogger, The Tea Stylist

Linda is a Certified Tea Sommelier located in Toronto, Canada. Her background as a wardrobe stylist brings a unique perspective to those seeking a diverse approach to tea appreciation. Her weblog, The Tea Stylist, provides readers with knowledge of tea and its intersection with style, past and present.

Tony Gebely, Owner, World of Tea

Tony Gebely is a tea enthusiast and digital marketer who has helped build several online businesses. He has traveled much of Asia where he immersed himself in tea culture after which he created the blog World of Tea and his now closed online shop Chicago Tea Garden. Tony signed a book deal in 2011 to write a practical guide to tea and tea culture.

Robert Godden, Blogger, The Devotea

Robert Godden, AKA the Devotea, is a blogger who concentrates on the places where tea intersects with life's moments, both big and small. After two years of writing blogs and shooting videos, he launched small enterprise with a range of unique blends that is available across three continents.

Peter Goggi, Executive Vice President, Tea Association of the U.S.A

Peter is no stranger to tea, having spent 30 of his 32 years with Unilever directly associated with the Lipton Tea business as part of Royal Estates Tea Co., eventually serving as President. Peter was the first American Born Tea Taster in the history of T.J. Lipton/Unilever. During those years, he was responsible for all teas purchased for all Unilever’s tea businesses in North and South America, as well as all blend formulations and tea quality assurance. Peter was also featured on The History Channel’s Modern Marvels show about Tea. He was a past Chairman of the Tea Association and served for over ten years on its Board of Directors. Peter recently retired from Unilever after 32+ years. He held positions in Research, Manufacturing, Planning and Supply Management. Peter’s last assignment was as Director Procurement Commodities – Americas, responsible for the Strategic Development, Risk Management and Purchase of Vegetable Oils, Dairy, Peanuts, Chocolate, Rice, Wheat, Pasta and Energy for all of Unilever’s businesses in North and South America. Peter managed a team of 7 Supply Managers and 15 Analysts and a spend in excess of €1.3Billion. Peter now holds the position of Executive Vice-President of the Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc. He just completed teaching STI’s Levels One and Two Foundation Courses in Las Vegas as well as accompanying STI members on their recent trip to the tea growing areas in Nepal. Peter is currently working on a new Strategic Plan for the Tea Association which will be implemented in 2013.

Mary Greengo, Founder, Queen Mary Inc.

Frustrated with the inability to get a decent cup of tea in coffee-crazed Seattle, Mary founded the Queen Mary Tea Room and Restaurant in 1988. Since then, she has used her culinary skills and refined palette to develop her own line of exquisite loose-leaf teas. Two years ago, Mary expanded her business by opening the Queen Mary Tea Emporium, which features her own line of teas, teaware and gifts. Mary believes in old-world charm, ladies celebrating ladies, and a healthy dose of sparkle. She has created an inspirational and empowering staff culture. Always expecting the best and raising the bar, Mary is constantly evolving and expanding her budding empire.

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.

Geri Lynn Grossan, MEd, RD, CDE

Geri Lynn Grossan is a registered dietitian, nutrition coach and certified diabetes educator with over 25 years of experience educating and motivating individuals to achieve their optimal state of nutritional well being. Geri Lynn holds an MEd, Health Promotion from UNLV with High Academic Honors, a BS in Foods and Nutrition from San Diego State University Magna Cum Laude, and has received many prestigious honors including Young Dietitian of the Year, State of Nevada, American Dietetic Association and Outstanding Community Service Award, American Heart Association. In 2010, Geri Lynn began her training with the Healing Touch Program and is currently certified through Level III. Geri Lynn works with individuals and large business clients throughout the U.S. Businesses include Pepsi Bottling Company, State of Nevada Desert-Regional Center, College of Southern Nevada, Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Greenspun Media Group, ALS of Nevada, Adult Day Care Center of Las Vegas, Private Practice at Pueblo Medical Center, and Amethyst Salon & Wellness Spa. Geri Lynn is actively involved in a variety of public speaking engagements on health and wellness related topics. Some of these speaking engagements include corporate wellness presentations, health awareness seminars at educational institutions, group presentations at community centers for both teens and seniors, and T.V. appearances to promote optimal health. Practicing what she preaches, Geri Lynn's daily personal lifestyle includes regular physical activities such as walking, tennis, swimming, hiking, yoga, and pilates, as well as disciplined eating habits and nutritional supplementation. Her philosophy follows Hippocrates, "Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."

George Grossman, Owner, Happy Lucky's Teahouse and Treasures

George is the founder of Happy Lucky's Teahouse and Treasures located in Old Town Fort Collins, Colorado. The tea shop is a unique blend of retail loose-leaf tea, teaware and fairly traded silk fashion accessories from Cambodia. A portion of it's profits are donated to Sustainable Schools International, a non-profit, founded by George and his wife Kari, to support education in Cambodia. George says, "we started the teahouse to create a place of community, where folks can come together to share tea, their lives and stories." With an emphasis on social entrepreneurism the teahouse is a community meeting place to share the great work folks are doing to make the world a better place. The "Great Wall of Tea," featuring over 180 loose-leaf tea selections, greets customers and is fully interactive, helping to make loose-leaf tea accessible to all customers regardless of tea knowledge. The teahouse is the culmination of many of George's previous endeavors: accounting, photography, video production and marketing. George is a 2009 graduate of the WTE: New Business Boot Camp.

Verna L. Hamilton, President, Tea Philosophy LLC

Verna L. Hamilton, president of Tea Philosophy LLC, is a prolific writer, a clear communicator, an engaging speaker, and an unapologetic tea aficionado. Fueled by a passion for everything tea, she combines grace and wit while educating others about tea history, its customs and the cultures tea represents. Prior to Tea Philosophy, Ms. Hamilton spent more than a decade with Ford Motor Company in various management roles as well as also working within non-profit, retail, government and academic arenas. In 1999, Verna L. Hamilton completed the Wellness Skills (Dallas, TX) registered massage therapist training and still actively promotes balance for the whole individual: body, mind and spirit. Ms. Hamilton is an alumna of Florida A&M University (FAMU)'s School of Business and Industry and earned her Master of Marketing Research from The University of Georgia's Coca-Cola Center for Marketing Studies. She lives in New York.

Laura Harris, MS, RD, CDE has over 16 years of nutrition counseling and fitness instructor experience. She is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Pilates instructor and MELT Method Hand and Foot instructor. She received her Master’s Degree in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Nutrition from Brooklyn College, both in New York City. Before opening her successful New York City nutrition counseling practice in 2001, Laura worked as a Registered Dietitian at New York Presbyterian Hospital and as a fitness instructor at Reebok/Sports Club LA and New York Sports Club. She was born and raised in New York City. In 2004 she opened her current nutrition counseling practice, So Simple Nutrition, where she provides one-on-one medical nutrition therapy to individual and workshops to corporate clients and the general public. Laura has appeared on Fox News Live and has been quoted in several national magazines such as Family Circle and Fit Magazine. Laura also counsels clients who want to improve athletic performance with nutrition, as well as clients with diabetes, high cholesterol, digestive disorders, high blood pressure and general nutrition concerns. She has a balanced approach to nutrition and uses the principles of intuitive eating and mindful eating when counseling clients.

Thor has managed public relations and innovative marketing programs for some of the world's largest companies and best-known brands. Thor has also successfully launched into the market more than 20 technology, Internet and consumer brands, driving immediate financial benefits for those organizations.Thor holds many board member positions and as a published author and lecturer at New York University, Thor speaks globally on a wide variety of public relations and social media topics. Prior to founding Percepture in 2004, Thor held senior positions at Telrad Connegy, a voice over IP (VoIP) technology firm and Weber Shandwick, one of the world's largest integrated marketing and PR firms.Thor earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Rutgers University. In addition, he recently completed an Executive Education Program at The Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College.

Austin Hodge, Founder & President, Seven Cups

After 5 years of research on Chinese tea, Hodge founded Seven Cups in 2002, establishing a 100% transparent supply chain. He was awarded a Chinese export license in 2008. Hodge has been published extensively in Chinese tea trade magazines. While heavily involved with the organic movement in China, Hodge is considered in China to be one of the leading foreign experts in Chinese tea.

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.

Beth Johnston, Founder & CEO, Teas Etc.

Beth Johnston discovered her passion for tea while on her honeymoon in 1998. Shortly thereafter she founded Teas Etc., an industry recognized supplier of wholesale premium bulk, pre-packaged, private label teas and accessories. 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 World Tea Championship hot tea category in 2008 and 2009, continuing every year thereafter with numerous wins in multiple categories. The company’s success is driven by Beth’s creative, high-energy, no none-sense business style and an unwavering commitment to quality and customer experience.

Eliot Jordan, Director of Tea, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Inc.

Eliot Jordan, Director of Tea for Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Inc., has been selecting, buying and blending the finest premium teas for the company for two decades. A Berkeley, CA, native, Jordan first fell in love with tea and coffee as a craft and an industry while working part-time at the original Peet’s store on Vine Street in Berkeley. Over the years, Jordan has introduced new tea offerings like Peet's Rare Teas and created new blends such as Peet's annual Anniversary and Holiday Breakfast. He has traveled to Asia several times to learn about the major tea-growing regions – India, Sri Lanka, China and Japan – consequently developing strong relationships with the premier producers. Jordan is a member of the Specialty Tea Institute and speaks frequently at tea industry events.

Sue Keil is a Vice President at The McLean Group’s headquarters office in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Ms. Keil has 20 years’ executive experience and is an investment banker focusing on buy side and sell side M&A. She leverages her considerable knowledge in a wide variety of industries, including Food and Agribusiness, Gourmet and Specialty Foods and Tea to identify the most suitable acquirers and acquisition targets for her clients. She also has experience relating to patents, trademarks, technology transfer and innovation in the agribusiness industry. Ms. Keil earned a BA from Boston University and an MBA from George Washington University, and is a FINRA Registered Representative (Series 63 and 79), Chartered Mergers and Acquisitions Professional (CMAP) and holds Commercial Real Estate Licenses (Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC).

As CMO of The Tea Spot, Jessica Kochik spearheads the marketing of two emerging brands in the natural products industry – The Tea Spot & Brewlux®. Central to the development of The Tea Spot’s thriving online community, Kochik has grown revenues over 50% year-over-year for the past six years and has implemented the marketing strategies yielding a customer retention rate of over 50%. With a numbers-based approach to marketing, Kochik has improved profit margins in this channel while ramping up exposure through a variety of hands-on tactics such as PPC ads, SEO, social media, newsletter marketing, and a commitment to stellar customer service. She is experienced in consumer market research and launched the successful introduction of the Brewlux® filter— a recyclable loose leaf tea infuser for premium tea in mass food-service. Kochik is the Principal Investigator on two USDA Small Business Innovation Research grants for Brewlux®.

Lydia Kung, Buyer, Eastrise Trading Corp.

Lydia considers the best part of her job as a tea buyer/importer the opportunity to sample teas on a daily basis. Without fail, even prosaic teas offer lessons anew. Her view is that enjoyment of teas should not be limited to rare teas; an “everyday” cup can still spark wonder at what the simple leaf can yield. To be sure, there are levels of teas and those at the top deserve more time and attention. Yet there is a larger context for any journey of tea discovery. The question of the best way to proceed from one level to another and points of reference in our tea experience are always uppermost in her mind, as should be true for the tea consumer, as each establishes his/her own benchmark teas. The legacy of graduate training in anthropology means casting an eye beyond tea as an end product, and Lydia hopes for time to examine the lives of workers who produce our teas, their culture of knowledge and of work, and their social networks, for we know all too little about the workers’ view of this beverage. A short stint in teaching anthro has also left its mark, and Lydia enjoys sharing teas with fellow tea industry enthusiasts and friends, for there are invariably lessons to be learned from each tasting, formal or casual, since shared comments help build a tea lexicon and give articulation to nuances. Tea knowledge is the foundation for someone in this profession, and Lydia is happy that in her case, vocation and avocation are combined. Tea continues to confound, and she considers this one of its greatest pleasures.

Ellen Leaf-Moore, Owner, Fezziwig's Marketplace

Ellen Leaf Moore began her interpersonal and relationship building skills while earning her degree in Opera Performance in Ohio. Ellen decided to take a different road in the world of business. In 1994, Ellen partnered with her families bridal business to help grow the company. In 1999, Ellen left the family business and became a district manager for a Formal Wear company in Atlanta, GA. After 2 years, Ellen was recruited to be the General Manager at Williams- Sonoma in Atlanta. Ellen and her husband Tim decided to marry and Ellen transferred to St. Louis and changed to the Pottery Barn Division of the company. Ellen was with Williams Sonoma Inc for over 5 years where she gained a plethora of high level experience in recruiting, hiring, training, visual merchandising, sales growth, payroll control and over all great customer service. Ellen & her husband decided to open their own small business in October of 2007 which is called Fezziwig’s Marketplace. Fezziwig’s is a gourmet foods, loose leaf tea, wine, entertaining and home décor store in Historic Lebanon, IL. Ellen and her team are still growing strong in the tea business despite the downturned economy and competitors entering her market.

Zane Markowitz is a Senior Managing Director of McLean, Markowitz & McNaughton (M|M|M), The McLean Group’s Commercial Due Diligence and Buy-Side Acquisition Search Services Division. Mr. Markowitz has nearly four decades’ buy-side acquisition search and competitive analysis experience. Mr. Markowitz created and built two firms that together generated 100+ retained buy-side acquisitions and 2,000+ market and company due diligence studies including Harlan Brown & Markowitz, Inc. and Markowitz & McNaughton, Inc., growing the firm to more than 90 employees serving such clients as GE, Kraft, Sara Lee, Miller Brewing, General Foods, Kellogg’s, Heublein, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, AT&T, Master Card, 3M, Lilly, Honeywell, Air Products, Hallmark Cards, Rexam, Caterpillar, Case and The Jordan Company, among numerous others. Markowitz & McNaughton, Inc. was acquired in 2002 by a London Stock Exchange listed firm. In 2008 Mr. Markowitz and Mr. McNaughton founded McLean, Markowitz & McNaughton (M|M|M) in partnership with The McLean Group, 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 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.

Michael McGuffin, President of the American Herbal Products Association, has dedicated over 30 years to the herbal industry, having served in his current position, as a member of the Board of Trustee's and having owned both retail and manufacturing businesses in this field. A leading expert on dietary supplement regulation, Mr. McGuffin has been published in scholarly and scientific journals and has represented the herbal industry at state and federal hearings on herbal regulatory issues. He has served as a member of the FDA's Food Advisory Committee, for both the Working Group on Good Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Supplements and the Dietary Supplements Subcommittee. He also currently serves on California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Analysis Food Warning Workgroup and the Advisory Board of the USC School of Pharmacy Regulatory Science Master's Degree Program. He also serves on the boards of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and United Plant Savers.

Darlene Meyers-Perry, Blogger, The Tea Enthusiast's Scrapbook

Darlene’s 20 year relationship with tea has taken her on many wonderful adventures, allowing her to cross paths and build friendships with other passionate tea enthusiast’s from all around the world. She shares her tea experiences on her blog “The Tea Enthusiast’s Scrapbook” and will also be launching an online tea store “The Tea Lover’s Archives.” Darlene hopes this new business venture will give her another opportunity to share her passion and love for all things tea with others.

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 graduating from UC Berkeley. Since then, he has helped the company grow to four Tea Garden locations and two Steepery branded locations.

Bo Olson, Sales Director, The Tea Spot

As Sales Director for The Tea Spot, Bo Olson advises coffee shop owners and managers on how to maximize tea sales by fine-tuning their tea lists, specialty drink menus, employee training materials, customer support and operational procedures on a daily basis. His vast base of practical knowledge comes from over six years of barista and professional marketing experience in infusing, blending and educating customers about loose leaf tea. Bo is expert in producing positive change through effective communication, tea education, and compassionate customer service. A graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Bo has presented at many events ranging from the World Tea Expo, and corporate customer trainings to poetry readings and musical performances.

Lalith Guy Paranavitana, President & Founder, Empire Tea Services, LLC

1971 - 1989 Managing tea estates and factories in Sri Lanka / 1990 - Present - Founder & President of Empire Tea Services LLC, USA : Tea Import,Blending & Co-packing, Consulting, Tea Tours. Total - Over 40 years experience in every facet of tea.

Phil Parda, President, WorldSource International

Tea Purveyor, Phil Parda, is the founder & President of WorldSource International, a consumer & wholesale tea import business. He also co-founded Savvy Tea Gourmet, an award winning Tea Market & Café in Connecticut and has spent over 40 years researching tea and enjoying its many benefits. After many years studying tea as a healthy habit and passion, Parda launched Zhong Guo Cha, (“Middle Kingdom Tea) in 2004, a tea company specializing in the selection, importation and wholesaling of fine loose-leaf tea from many major tea growing regions. He provides expert information on “Artisan Teas”, their parallel with wines, their health benefits, and on how tea is the “liquid thread” that stitches together the Asian culture that creates them. He’s a regular guest speaker and teacher for STI tea certification courses, a guest lecturer at a wide variety of tea expos and healthy living seminars throughout the country, including the World Tea Expo, and an active leader in regional tea tastings.

Gregory Petroff, Registered Investor and Attorney

Gregory concentrates his practice in the areas of general corporate and securities law with an emphasis on emerging growth technology, food and beverage and life science companies. He counsels senior executives, angel groups and venture funds on a wide range of legal matters including finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities compliance, board governance, technology licensing, tax and general business strategy. Prior to joining Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt LLC, Gregory was an equity partner with Fox, Rothschild, a national law firm, where he served as a member of the Technology, Life Science and Venture Finance Group and co-chairman of the firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. Gregory also served as the judicial law clerk to the Hon. John A Ricciardi, P.J.S.C., Hon John P. Arnone, J.S.C. and the Hon. Paul F. Chaiet (New Jersey Superior Court – Monmouth County Vicinage). Gregory is an investor and a frequent speaker on topics relating to venture capital, private equity, mergers and acquisitions and corporate tax and has published numerous articles on these and other subjects. He is also active with SoundBoard Angel Fund, which specializes in the Food and Beverage sector.

Jane Pettigrew, International Tea Consultant and Writer

Since owning and running her own teashop in London in the 1980s, Jane has written 14 books on various aspects of tea, tea wares, tea rituals, history and recipes. Over the years, she has managed two tea companies, has worked as a tea journalist and editor, and now writes, trains, and teaches in the UK and around the world. 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 for various magazines and websites, speaks at conferences and events around the world, and appears regularly on television and radio.

Annelise Pitt, Owner, Thistledown Cozies

Annelise Pitt is the founder of Thistledown Cozies, and designs all the products the company produces. The "Hob", a tea cozy for men, won Annelise a "Best New Product" Award at the 2010 World Tea Expo, and her very well designed Tea Wallets are the rage. Annelise has been a lifelong tea drinker, and near-lifelong seamstress, with fine arts training and an obsession with form and function in her designs - the perfect ingredients for a tea cozy designer.

Louise is the president and founder of Pollock Communications, an independent food and wellness public relations agency based in New York City. She has more than 25 years of experience helping clients develop and implement strategic marketing programs. Major campaigns for clients have included making the “egg healthy again” for the American Egg Board; making chocolate a “healthy indulgence” by promoting its health benefits for M&M/Mars; and creating awareness of the “health benefits of black and green tea” for the Tea Council of the USA. Throughout her career, Louise has concentrated on building partnerships between the private and public sectors. She helps clients translate science into understandable messages for key target audiences and decision makers. Some of the organizations she has worked with on behalf of clients include, the American Heart Association, National Lipid Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Louise has counseled a host of Fortune 500 companies and has worked extensively in issues management, crisis communications, media relations, media training and association member relations. She has won five Silver Anvils for her work, the prestigious award of the Public Relations Society of America. Louise also advises clients in the development of global and US based crisis response protocols. She has been a key member of public affairs and crisis teams for major companies.

George Pontiakos is president and CEO of BI Nutraceuticals. Pontiakos oversees all aspects of operations for BI Nutraceuticals west and east coast offices and the Zuellig Group Nutrition and Ingredients based in China. A New Jersey native, Pontiakos has held senior leadership positions at several leading consulting, medical services and technology companies including Monovasia, which he founded, Oluma, Lucent, Agere, Ortel, NetVantage, Timeplex and ITT Avionics. He has wide-ranging experience in scaling geographically dispersed global companies to maximize their ability to successfully compete in the marketplace. Pontiakos holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

MSN calls Bruce Richardson "A leading tea expert involved in tea's American renaissance for over 23 years." The native Kentuckian is a tea blender, writer, and frequent guest speaker at tea events across the country. Bruce is the author of a dozen books on tea, including his 2011 expanded edition of the Okakura Kakuzo's classic Book of Tea. He collaborates with Jane Pettigrew for The New Tea Companion and their 2013 edition of Social History of Tea. He regularly visits tea shops in Great Britain and North America in his unending quest to discover new locations for the latest editions of his Great Tea Rooms of Britain and Great Tea Rooms of America photo books. Bruce serves as a member of the editorial board for Fresh Cup magazine, columnist for TeaTime magazine, and associate editor for TEA magazine. In 2011, he was named Tea Master for Boston's iconic Tea Party Ships & Museum. He is the owner of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and Benjamin Press, located in Danville, Kentucky.

Naomi Rosen, Founder, Joy's Teaspoon

Joy’s Teaspoon, launched by Naomi Rosen in 2010, focuses on sourcing from responsible, quality growers. Naomi co-founded the Las Vegas Tea Fest, Las Vegas Tea Series, and is Lead Writer for Joy’s Jabberings; blog of Joy’s Teaspoon and vital tool in a customer centered approach to marketing.

As a co-founder and principal of DASH - Advisors to Innovative Food & Beverage, Danny Rubenstein has spent over twenty five years as a successful entrepreneur and strategic advisor in the organic and natural products industries. He began his career with Arthur Andersen Co. as a Senior System Consultant and then went on to partner with a childhood friend and together they launched and built Naked Juice. Since selling Naked Juice, Danny has held a variety of executive management and strategic advisory positions with several innovative companies.

Chris Ryan, Editor, Fresh Cup Magazine

Chris Ryan is the editor of Portland, Ore.-based Fresh Cup Magazine. The monthly publication and its digital arm, freshcup.com, provide marketing tips, cutting-edge business information and more to independent retailers and other specialty beverage professionals. As editor, Chris assigns, writes and edits articles each month, and he represents Fresh Cup at events and conferences around the world. Before joining the publication in 2005, he was a copy editor at the Statesman Journal, one of Oregon’s leading daily newspapers.

Mo Sardella, The G.S. Haly Company

Mo Sardella entered the tea industry 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 enthusiasts across the United States. As the Director of Marketing and Communications at The G.S. Haly Company, Mo strives to provide accurate and comprehensive information about specialty teas from traditional tea producing areas around the world. Through active and collaborative partnerships with tea producers and suppliers, Mo continues to develop his skills at the cupping table, and his depth of knowledge about tea.

Kristen Schneider, Small Business Consultant, Kristen Schneider Consulting

Building and maintaining strong foundations is vital to any business, but the requirements in the United States can be confusing. Dr. Kristen Schneider understands these challenges based on her own experiences opening and running a brick-and-mortar tea room, launching an internet tea business, and working as a small business consultant. Kristen holds a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where her specialties included products liability and medical malpractice. As a Senior Adjunct Professor, she taught law classes for 13 years before entering the tea industry. Kristen is a published author, and a frequent speaker on both tea and legal issues.

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.

Thomas Shu, Owner, ABC Tea House

Thomas Shu, a third-generation tea specialist, hails from the island of Formosa (Taiwan) where his family has been conducting tea business since 1945. In addition to his successful tea business, Shu has dedicated himself to promoting tea culture and education. With the simple and interactive “Tea-One Tasting Class” concept, people learn about different tea flavors and tea-making techniques. Shu frequently receives invitations to speak at conventions, professional conferences, and educational institutes throughout the United States. He is one of the founding members and board directors of American Premium Tea Institute (now renamed as Specialty Tea Institute).

Tim Smith, Chief Leaf, The Tea Smith

Tim Smith is Chief Leaf of The Tea Smith in Omaha, NE. Tim's interest in tea was peaked when he purchased a gift of loose leaf tea for his wife during a business trip. That introduction lead them on a path of discovery of the world of history and legend, art and science, flavors and traditions, that are tea. His background in marketing and distribution, along with an MBA from Creighton, helped prepare him for the business side of things. The community of tea professionals is a continuing source of education and inspiration for tea and its ever-growing potential. Hence, the Tea Smith's motto: It's a Big World...Drink it Up. 

Kyle Stewart, Co-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. 

Brian Sullivan, Managing Director, The McLean Group, LLC

Brian Sullivan, Managing Director at The McLean Group’s Silicon Valley, CA office, specializes in providing advice and planning solutions regarding alternative wealth transfer strategies to owners of closely-held businesses. He has more than 20 years’ experience implementing sophisticated wealth transfer techniques for privately-held middle market companies in a wide range of industries. His areas of expertise include compliance, investment advisory services and capital formation. Mr. Sullivan has authored numerous articles on business valuation and M&A and has served as a moderator, panelist and chair at several national conferences. Mr. Sullivan holds a BA in business economics from the University of California and an MS in taxation from Golden Gate University. Mr. Sullivan also is a CPA and a Life/Variable Contracts Insurance Agent. He is a FINRA Registered Representative (Series 7, 62, 63, 79).

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

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 earning a degree from the Culinary Institute of America and 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.

Rona Tison, Senior V.P., Corporate Relations ITO EN

As Sr. Vice president of corporate relations for the world’s leading supplier of green tea, Rona Tison spearheaded the launch of ITO EN's first flagship store in New York City- voted TOP TEA STORE & BEST OVERALL in 2008 Zagat New York City Gourmet Shopping & Entertainment Guide. Fluent in Japanese and English and a heartfelt & longtime interest in tea, she has a refined approach to innovative marketing and developing the company's corporate image through branding, public relations and promotional events. With her ideal blend of experience in the hospitality and retail industries, she has been a guest speaker at the Smithsonian Institute, Carnegie Mellon University and World Tea Festival 2007 in Japan.

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 serves as Tea Buyer for the G. S. Haly Co. He 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. As Tea Buyer for G. S. Haly, Aaron is immersed in the daily discipline of cupping offers from the great specialty tea origins of the world and bringing them to the North American market. He currently serves as a Judge for the North American Tea Championship and is a former Board member and Instructor for the Specialty Tea Institute.

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 16 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 Specialty Tea Institute Symposium, was the keynote speaker at the China International Tea Expo, Beijing, and has been a presenter at the World Tea Expo many times over the last 10 years.

Scott Wait, Managing Director, The McLean Group, LLC

Scott Wait, a Managing Director at The McLean Group's Reno, NV office, has 18 years’ accounting and financial management experience. Mr. Wait specializes in business valuation, business succession and M&A services for middle market private businesses. Mr. Wait holds a BA (finance and accounting double major) from the University of Arizona. He regularly leads exit strategy presentations, business valuation and estate planning workshops for business associations in the western region of the US and frequently publishes articles on business succession, profit improvement and business valuation. He is a CPA and FINRA Registered Representative (Series 7, 63, 79).

Jason Walker, Co-Founder/Co-Director, The Association of Tea Bloggers

Jason Walker co-founded and is co-director of the Association of Tea Bloggers, the largest international organization dedicated to tea blogging. Jason also operates Walker Tea Review, a tea blog with largest collection of video tea reviews available online. He has a background in corporate education, worked in China for 7 years, and offers consulting to tea retailers.

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.

Virginia Wright, Co-Founder/Co-Director, The Association of Tea Bloggers

Virginia “Cinnabar” Wright has been writing about tea on her blog, GongfuGirl.com, since 2006. She also serves alongside Jason Walker as Co-Director of the Association of Tea Bloggers, and writes as the Seattle Tea Examiner. She is co-owner of Phoenix Tea, which opened its retail store in Burien, Washington in 2011.