Kari Williams is a generational high-elevation fruit grower from Colorado and the owner, creative director, and head cider maker at Snow Capped Cider. With a background in business and marketing (BAcc), Kari has combined her passion for cider and family’s rich fruit-growing legacy to create one of the most highly regarded cider companies in the nation. Under her leadership, Snow Capped Cider has introduced innovative cider-making techniques while staying true to traditional English and French methods, producing award-winning ciders. Her deep knowledge of high elevation terroir, fruit growing and dedication to the craft makes her an influential voice in the cider industry.

Aneel de Albuquerque is the Beverage Manager for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. Charleston Wine + Food currently produces 100+ events every year in early March and recently began creating year round programming. Aneel works continuously to create meaningful programming, bringing beverage professionals together from around the globe. He started his career working in bars + restaurants in between being on the road as a touring musician / tour manager. After years of touring the globe; he started creating bar programs + managing restaurants in Charleston, SC – ultimately leading to his current position.

Rémi Bauduin has been Scientific Director of the French cider R&D institute IFPC since 2020. Previously, he worked for over 15 years as head of IFPC’s fermentation and cidermaking process team. He also has a strong knowledge of cider apple growing and French cider apple varieties. He came to cider research after a degree in agricultural engineering at AgroParisTech and experience in the cheese industry.

Lily M. Fan was nominated to lead the New York State Liquor Authority by Governor Kathy Hochul and confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 10, 2023. Ms. Fan, the first Asian American woman appointed as a Commissioner of the SLA, has served with the agency since her original confirmation in June of 2018. She is the first woman to head the agency. Ms. Fan, a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, was born in Hong Kong and speaks fluent Cantonese. Ms. Fan was previously a lawyer at the law firms of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Morrison & Foerster LLP, specializing in white-collar criminal litigation and securities class actions. Ms. Fan also founded Scandobean Productions, a theatrical and film production company, in 2011. In 2019, Ms. Fan won a Tony Award as co-producer of Hadestown for Best New Musical. Ms. Fan is a Member of the Board of Advisors at the Yale School of Drama and a Member of the Yale Law School Fund Board. She is a member of the New York City Bar Association and the National Committee on United States-China Relations.

Sigrid Gertsen-Schibbye started fostering a passion for fermentation early in life, while filling bottles for secondary fermentations in the basement of the family home in Montreal, Canada. After a degree in Microbiology from McGill University, life has taken flight working with Lallemand and living near Niagara Falls and onwards to supporting the UK and Scandinavian markets, always guided by the need to speak about the wonderful world of microbes.

Jen Curs worked in non-cider beverage production before joining the Bauman’s team in early 2020. She completed the CINA Foundation to Cidermaking course and within a couple years was in charge of the Specialty Cider program at Bauman’s. In addition to managing the barrel-aging program, Jen is responsible for all harvest blending as well as post-ferment blends on the farm in Gervais, Oregon. In her spare time, Jen loves foraging for wild mushrooms, cooking and adopting 3-legged dogs and cats.

Brian Wing is Co-Owner and Head Cidermaker of Green Bench Mead & Cider of Saint Petersburg, FL. Opened in 2015, Green Bench seeks to showcase amazing craft cider to drinkers in the Sunshine State. Brian is an ACA Certified Pommelier™ and holds a position as instructor for University of South Florida’s Brewing Arts program where he teaches courses on production to aspiring professional cider and mead makers. Previously, Brian served 6 years on the Board of Directors for the American Mead Makers Association; four years as Treasurer and two as President.

Andy Diacetis graduated from the Fermentation Science program at Oregon State University in 2001. He has spent time working in the brewing, wine, cider and distilled spirits industry. He was the founder of Cascade Wine Services, a mobile crossflow filtration company, and was also a co-founder of 503 Distilling, a canned cocktail company started in 2017. He is now the North American Sales Manager for Lallemand Brewing.

Dion Stepanski is the co-owner and head cider-maker at Presque Isle Farm Cider in northeast Michigan. Dion and his partner Molly Stepanski began farming organic vegetables on his six-generation family farm in 2014. He started making cider from local foraged apples shortly after, and in 2020, PIF did their first commercial pressing. In 2022, they opened a taproom in Alpena, Michigan, and expanded their cider offerings. PIF produces a diverse range of ciders, from traditional wild fermentation and high-tannin styles to sessionable, fruit-forward sweet ciders.

Christopher Gerlach is the Vice President of Insights and Analytics with the U.S. Apple Association. In this role, he is responsible for generating statistics and conducting analyses related to the production, utilization, trade, and economic contributions of the U.S. apple industry.