Richard Yi is a Cidermaker at Brooklyn Cider House, where he blends his passion for art, food, farming, process management, and cider. His journey in the beverage industry began in the world of wine, with experience spanning California, New York, Argentina, Spain, and New Zealand. At Brooklyn Cider House, Richard has found an ideal outlet for his diverse skills and deep love for fermentation. Growing up in a family immersed in the beverage world, with his father working in the industry for over 30 years and his grandmother and late great-grandmother crafting kimchi for more than a century, Richard can truly say that fermentation runs in his blood.

Rachel Thomas has an extensive background in marketing, brand development, and event management. Rachel has worked with companies such as Schilling Cider, Boochcraft, and SQE Music, where Rachel led various marketing and branding initiatives. Rachel’s experience includes directing product launches, managing events teams, and overseeing publicity and promotion strategies. With a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, Rachel brings a strong foundation of knowledge to their roles in the marketing industry.

Justin Koury has spent more than 25 years in the culinary, wine, whiskey, hospitality, and consulting world. He has an MBA with a focus in Hospitality Tourism. His website, Wizard Of Whiskey, has covered the wine and spirits industry with a podcast since 2012. Justin is completing his American Whiskey Book with over 1000 whiskies tasted blind and hundreds of interviews. He spends his time writing, cooking, and reading when he is not on the road visiting wineries or distilleries or working with clients. He is also a Certified Cider Guide by the American Cider Association.

Eric Phillips is the Chief Commercial Officer at Schilling Hard Cider – overseeing both sales & retail teams. Eric has successfully applied the skills gained from his past life as a public school teacher to building a world-class sales organization that has outperformed the industry by a wide margin every year with him at the helm. Eric focuses on putting people first and finding smarter ways of working that often look very different than industry norms. He believes in changing the industry for the better and creating opportunities for people of every background. Over the past two years, Eric has also spearheaded Schilling’s marketing department, elevating it to new heights of excellence. He tirelessly strives for seamless integration and unparalleled communication between sales, marketing, and all other departments, setting the stage for a best-in-class collaboration.

Debbie Morrison and her husband Jim are the owners of Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery in Quamba, Minnesota. Founded in 2000, Sapsucker Farms is a 172-acre certified organic regenerative farm that integrates the natural environment in their operation which includes growing vegetables, fruits, honeybees, maple syrup, chickens, and apple orchards. In 2014 the Morrisons began producing Yellow Belly Cider and opened a cider barn tasting room. The farm and cidery has become a regional community hub for the public to enjoy the natural environment, learn about regenerative farming, feast on delicious food from local food trucks and, of course, enjoy award-winning ciders.

Marcus Robert joined Tieton Cider Works in 2010 as the cider operations manager, orchard manager and cider maker. He is a fourth generation farmer in the Yakima Valley of Southern Washington. He is a former board member of the Northwest Cider Association. He has been the Northwest representative for the the American Cider Association board of directors since 2017.

Bryan Ulbrich started making grape and apple wine in 1993. In 2008, the illustrious Mike Beck gave him a keg of cider to sell in the winery tasting room, ”just to see how it goes.” The first one is free, right? That 5 gallon corny keg has turned into a 15,000 gallon habit annually. In 2016 he started fermenting locally grown bittersharps and bittersweets as single varietals and blends in an effort to learn which apples would thrive in Northern Michigan’s cider scene. In 2024, Caravin Wine Works opened as a custom wine and cider making space to create a dedicated space for custom cider production and growth of the Left Foot Charley brand. Left Foot Charley has distribution in Illinois and Michigan.

Ashley Lindsay holds several degrees from the University of Hawaii and Oregon State University in Agriculture Sciences fields and Agricultural Education. Since 2017, she has been an Adjunct Professor at Chemeketa College – NW Wine Program, teaching various courses related to agricultural production and vineyard management. In 2015, Ashley and her husband Brian purchased and developed a 40 acre fallow farm. They planted 32 acres of heirloom Cider Apples and Perry Pears, creating Pleasant Valley Cider Apples. Pleasant Valley Cider Apples provides premium quality, sustainably grown fruit and juice for Cideries in the West Coast. In 2020, Ashley started a new company Pleasant Valley Consulting, which serves both the Cider Orchards and Vineyard industries to assist other growers to produce high quality fruit for cider and wine.

Remo Trovato is the founder of Juicing.Systems. Originally from Switzerland, he found his home in Canada’s Okanagan Valley with his wife, Kristen. They started MobileJuicing.com to tackle food waste in orchards, but soon realized North America needed better juicing tech. With Remo’s technical expertise and hands-on experience, he brought European machinery to North America, helping with innovations in equipment design, and training clients on their operation. Now, Juicing.Systems not only sells but also services and maintains equipment, thanks to the team’s deep expertise. When he’s not servicing machines or juicing with our sister company Okanagan Beverage Co., Remo is cherishing time spent with his family.

Nathan Riddell is the head of Sales at Juicing Systems. Originally a farm boy from Manitoba who made his way out West, Nathan is passionate about all things agriculture. He loves working with equipment, and helping people improve their systems and production processes. Nathan has spent the past seven years working with the Juicing Systems and Okanagan Beverage Co. teams and can usually be found either working on, or talking about process equipment, especially belt presses. In his free time, Nathan enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, chasing good food and good drinks, and getting to know the people behind the food and the beverages he enjoys.