Carlos Flores is an architect and landscape designer from Punta Arenas, Chile, with experience in territorial planning, eco-construction and working with communities.

The last 5 years he has worked in southern Chile where he discovered the value of heritage apple orchards that are more than 100 years old and their enormous potential in soil regeneration. He is a pioneer in the use of agroforestry as a method for rejuvenating apple orchards and traditional fruit orchards in Patagonia.

Today he is the CEO and Co-Founder of Punta de Fierro Fine Cider, a CORFO INNOVA winning project for the promotion of local traditions with a sustainable and community vision.

José Antonio Alcalde, MSc PhD is Associate Professor in the Dept of Fruit Crops and Enology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Homebrewer since 1986, he has taught brewing, cider and mead making to Enology and other interested students since 2004. BJCP Certified since 2015, he has judged ciders in national and international competitions since 2016. He is co-author of the first Chilean Cider Guide (Guía de la Sidra en Chile), 2022. Proponent of wild fermented ciders to express maximum terroir, he obtained two silver medals at GLINTCAP 2024 with non-commercial Heritage and Specialty Ciders. 

Carlos Martinez Cárdenas is a horticulturalist specialized in cherry and apple production based in Valdivia, Chile, and partner in Agrícola Tralcao, producers of the Lemon Apple and Della Cha ciders.

He is an agricultural consultant at Austral University with a focus in the rejuvenation of old and abandoned orchards and the establishment and management of modern plantations of heritage apple varieties.

Rene Galindo Quidel is a third generation cidermaker, graphic designer and illustrator. He is the founder and owner of Sidrería TenCai, making a diverse set of ciders from a mix of heritage Chilean cider apples as well as other apples, fruits, and collabs with beer and other drinks makers. He has won 14 international medals with different styles of ciders.

The elusive Matthew Sanford is the head winemaker at Rose Hill Farm in the Hudson Valley and formally Alai Cider in Colchagua, Chile. At Rose Hill he’s focused on making high quality, low intervention wine and cider that often blur the lines between the two. Utilizing estate grown, foraged and locally sourced fruit from likeminded farmers. Apples, pears, grapes, plums, cherries, currants, blueberries and quince, just a few of the things you’ll find him fermenting in the cellar, naturally.

It all started with a pickup truck full of found apples. Nicole Todd and her husband were searching for property when they stumbled across an abandoned apple orchard in Watsonville, CA. Nicole, having a passion for fermenting anything she can get her hands on, insisted they go back at night to collect and use the apple crop that was clearly going to waste. The obvious outcome for this found loot was CIDER! Having worked many years in wine and beer, the production part was easy for Nicole. She teamed up with her sister Natalie, the more business savvy of the two, to create Santa Cruz Cider Co in 2013. They have a tasting room and production space in the heart of Apple City, Watsonville, CA. They use 100% local apples to make 20+ kinds of ciders.

Chris Gerling is a Senior Extension Associate in the department of Food Science at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York. He works with the craft beverage industry to create educational programs that support the growth and improved quality of premium wines, ciders and distilled spirits. Chris is a member of the Cider Institute of North America’s executive committee.

Tim Powers is a cider enthusiast and educator who works at Commonwealth Wine School in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. He has always had a passion for cider, and when he learned of the American Cider Association and the Certified Pommelier™ certification he knew it was a path he had to pursue. Cider is a reflection of a place, a climate, a soil, a history, and a people, and Tim’s goal is to share the stories of incredible ciders and cideries with the world. Tim is a Certified Pommelier™ through the American Cider Association, and holds the Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wine with Merit and the Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Spirits with Distinction from WSET. Additionally, he is a Provisional Cider Judge through the BJCP, has a Master’s Degree in Music from Arizona State, and a Bachelor’s in Music from Ithaca College.

Andrew Byers trained as a culinary botanist and has many years of experience in kitchens and orchards. As head cidermaker at Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum, WA for the last 10 years he has focused on a network of small scale, organic sources of fruit and botanicals in the PNW. He also currently serves on the board of the NWCA.

Colin Schilling is the CEO and Co-Founder of Schilling Cider. He has a passion for food and beverage broadly and has created and consulted on brands in the non-alcoholic, coffee, energy, and cannabis spaces. He has an MBA focused in entrepreneurship and business sustainability and worked in tech consulting prior to founding the cider company. In addition to the wholesale business, Schilling Cider operates two retail locations in Seattle and Portland which are the largest cider taprooms in the world by draft cider offerings! Colin strongly believes business is a force for good and change and has integrated numerous sustainable practices into the core business. He is also an industry thought leader on people-first company culture and works to deliver a best-in-class employment experience for every employee.