Taylor Harrison joined the alcohol industry directly out of college as in intern with Constellation Brands. Shortly after, he was awarded the ability to play lacrosse for Team England, so he moved to England, where he began working as a fine wine market analyst for the London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-Ex). During his summers, he would take time off to do vintage work at a winery in Surrey. Taylor joined Vinoshipper, from London, in 2021 and started up the data analytics program, offering insight into the craft alcohol industry. He continues to develop the division with the goal of helping producers make the most of their data and understand what is happening in the market.

Andrew Richards is the Head Distiller and Farm Manager of Shady Knoll Orchards and Distillery in Millbrook, NY. He has been with the company since its inception in 2015 and is responsible for all production to date. Shady Knoll makes Apple Brandy, Pommeau, and multiple expressions of Rye Whiskey. Shady Knoll’s apple orchard includes over 1,800 trees with over 100 varieties.

Shaunessy Bordas was born and raised in South Florida, and moved to Chicago to attend fashion school. After graduating, she spent 15 years working in the fashion industry and operating her own clothing line while hustling various jobs in the farm to table food scene. She moved to Ithaca in 2016 with her family to buy land and started a farm to table wood fired pizza business. For the next few years, Shaunessy ran the business, doing private catering events and pop ups at wineries and breweries throughout the Finger Lakes area. However, like for most people, pandemic times hit hard, and she had to pivot away from the business. Over the next couple of years, she ran private events while bartending and cooking for local catering businesses. When approached with the General Manager position at South Hill Cider in 2022, it was clear that her wealth of experience working just about every position in the service industry, as well as owning and operating her own small businesses, made her an ideal candidate for the job. She currently lives just outside of Ithaca with her two kids, ages 8 and 12.

Steve Van Nocker is a professor of Horticulture at Michigan State University. His research team is developing high-yielding, intensely red-juiced apples for red juice and red cider production. He also manages the Great Lakes Cider Apple Collection, an ongoing trial of 88 traditional hard cider varieties located in central Michigan.

Jim Bair is president & CEO of the U.S. Apple Association – the national voice of America’s Favorite Fruit. The U.S. apple industry has a farm gate value of more than $4 billion, creating downstream economic activity exceeding $24 billion. USApple’s primary mission areas are government relations, media relations and crisis communications. Jim has dedicated more than 40 years to the management of food and agriculture organizations. Jim was raised on a farm that has been in the family since 1909. He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in agronomy – the science of plant genetics and physiology, soil and weather.

Pienjani is a small scale cidery situated in the South of Latvia. Martins Knipsis and his team produce predominantly dry carbonated cider under brand name “Jepis” (slang for apple in Latvian) using both – local and English cider apple varieties which they grow exceptionally themselves. They are proud to be the first (and so far the only one) certified organic cider producer in Latvia.

Sara Boyd is the owner and cidermaker at Loch Mór Cider located in beautiful Prince Edward County, Ontario. Loch Mór uses traditional varieties of cider apples, grown in the estate orchard to create award winning ciders. Over the past few years, Loch Mór Cider has won 50+ medals at awards, including 4 Best in Class awards at GLINTCAP, Best Cider in Canada at WineAlign, along with Double Golds at the All Canadian Wine Championships. Sara started her cider journey while living in London and traveling throughout the UK and European cider regions, trying all the ciders she could find. Sara qualified as a Certified Pommelier™ in 2020 and is passionate about cider consumer education in Ontario and Canada, along with opening up new horizons with local craft cider with food pairings. Sara is also a Certified Cider Judge with the BJCP.

After spending nearly twenty years working in the hospitality industry, in 2002, Professor Brian Warrener became a full-time faculty member in the College of Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University. His teaching focused on food and beverage operations and beverage operations and management. During this time he has had the good fortune to teach classes across the University…in Food & Beverage Management; Sports, Entertainment and Event Management; The International Hotel School; Travel and Tourism Studies; the College of Professional Studies and the Alan Shawn Feinstein Graduate School. Professor Warrener served briefly as full time faculty in the Business College in AY 2023-24 and has twice taught at Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Tourismo in Estoril, Portugal. Professor Warrener has held a number of certifications including the AH&LA Certified Hospitality Educator; The Wine and Spirits Education Trust Certificates in Wine and Spirits and in Professional Spirits Management.

Jānis Matvejs is a cider maker and geographer from northern Latvia, where he runs Abuls Cidery, a small artisan cidery near Smiltene. He grows and uses local and wild apples to create natural ciders that reflect the region’s climate and character, using a variety of cider-making techniques. Jānis has been making cider since the early 2000s and is one of the pioneers of Latvia’s modern cider scene.

Stephanie Artino is a CPA and owner of Artino Business Advisors, a CPA Firm with offices in both Washington state and Virginia. Her focus is advisory, tax and accounting services to the craft beverage, construction & real estate industries. Stephanie brings over 30 years of experience in accounting and business as well as has a Master Advisor Certification, focusing on human behavior and leadership development. She offers coaching, education and other management advisory services geared to help owners, managers and employees achieve greater results in their business. Stephanie has been actively involved in Pink Boots Society and the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County as well as maintains participates in the Brewers Association, Washington State & Virginia Brewers Guilds and Craft Beer Professionals.