Abel Arriaga is the founder of Compa Spirits y Vino, a Phoenix-based importer and distributor focused on small, family-owned Mexican producers. Through mezcal, rum, wine, and liqueurs, he connects Arizona bars and restaurants with craft projects across Mexico, emphasizing fair partnerships, storytelling, and long-term growth for the communities behind the bottles.

Adrian Perez is an engineer at Raytheon Technologies, partner in Borderlands Taproom, and a local advocate for music education, arts and community. As a executive board member for the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, he aspires to create creative connections across the city of Tucson in order to elevate the city’s cultural identity.

Adriana Torres de la Huerta is an Industrial Engineer and Systems Manager with a master’s degree in Agribusiness and advanced doctoral studies in Strategic Planning for Human Performance and Development. While studying at the Sonoran Institute of Technologies, she focused on projects that fostered regional and sustainable development, leading to the founding of Bacanora Pascola alongside Alma Lourdes Peña Gomez. Through building the brand, she developed close relationships with bacanora producers and deepened her understanding of the spirit’s complex history, including the post-revolutionary destruction of fields and distilleries that displaced many communities. Today, she works to position bacanora as a world-class distillate and Bacanora Pascola as a pioneering force in elevating artisanal quality standards.

Alex La Pierre is the director and co-founder of Borderlandia, a bi-national organization committed to building public understanding of the borderlands. A public historian, his experience spans the nonprofit sector in Nogales and government work with the National Park Service in New Mexico and Arizona, focusing on historic preservation and heritage interpretation. His studies and continued research center on the Hispanic cultural heritage of the American Southwest and northern Mexico.

Alex White is an artist and planner who has spent the past decade living and working in Oaxaca, Mexico. He previously led Patria Nueva/Lugar Común, an initiative that used public art as a platform to foster collaboration and economic opportunity among neighbors. In 2017, he founded Rezpiral, a fair-trade spirit label dedicated to bringing high-quality, traditional, single-batch mezcal to the United States. Through Rezpiral, he works to honor the multigenerational knowledge, independence, and land stewardship of mezcalero families, while advocating for ethical trade practices that counter industrial standardization and cultural appropriation within the agave spirits industry.

Ismael Andrés Cruz Acevedo, known professionally as Andres Cruz, is a hospitality and craft spirits leader based in Oaxaca, with Mixtec heritage on his father’s side and roots in the Oaxaca Valley on his mother’s. With over 12 years in the food and beverage industry, he joined Mezcal Vago in 2018, where he now leads national sales and hospitality in Mexico while overseeing social media strategy and responsible brand initiatives. In partnership with Soulspirit Oaxaca, he co-founded an educational platform dedicated to artisanal craft spirits. His work bridges spirits, culture, and education, honoring the land, traditions, and producers who sustain Mexico’s heritage.

Ben Wilder is a desert ecologist and botanist whose research focuses on arid landscapes and plant systems of the Sonoran Desert. He serves as the Acting Director of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill and collaborates with Dr. Christopher Scott in the administration of CAZMEX, the Consortium for Arizona-Mexico Arid Environments. Committed to interdisciplinary and cross-border collaboration, Wilder values the integration of diverse perspectives to advance ecological understanding. As Director of the Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers, he fosters opportunities for emerging scholars to engage across disciplines and borders, promoting a more holistic appreciation of desert ecosystems.

Bildo Saravia is the co-founder and producer of Origen Raíz Mezcal, a sustainably crafted, small-batch spirit rooted in the high desert of Durango, Mexico. Working in partnership with the Cortés family of Oaxaca, he oversees production at his family’s Rancho el Ojo, where wild Agave cenizo is harvested with care and regenerative grazing practices are maintained. His approach prioritizes environmental stewardship, community support, and respect for traditional methods. Through his work, Bildo honors the cultural heritage and ecological integrity that define mezcal, ensuring that each release reflects both the land and the legacy behind the spirit.

Production team of the short documentary "La Ciénega: history of a family legacy" (2025), made up of Ciela Ávila, Almendra Ochoa and Manuel Herrera, who from their work of research, management and artistic creation have developed various projects focused on the recognition and archive of traditions of the state of Chihuahua, as well as some dynamics of the binational region Juárez - El Paso.

Cynthia Villalobos is a Chemical Engineer with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management and a Master’s degree in Food Safety. Based in Oaxaca, she serves as a Mayahuel Ambassador for the Mezcal Institute and is widely recognized for her leadership in education and regulatory development. Since 2010, she has been a founding partner of Servicios Alimentarios, supporting food industry training and research initiatives. She is also a founding partner of Aventureros del Mezcal, promoting mezcal culture and fair recognition for maestros mezcaleros, and My Team Says, a consulting firm focused on administrative training. Her work bridges science, entrepreneurship, and advocacy within Mexico’s agave community.

Dan Collins developed a deep appreciation for desert landscapes during his childhood in Southern California, where family trips to the Mojave Desert sparked his lifelong fascination with arid environments. After retiring, he and his wife relocated to Tucson, Arizona, drawn by its rich desert ecology. He earned certification as a Sonoran Desert Naturalist in 2011 and became an Arizona Master Naturalist in 2018. Dan volunteers extensively at Saguaro National Park West, where he assists visitors in exploring the park and presents interpretive programs on native flora and fauna, including the many species of agave that define the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

After studying film in Mexico City, Daniel began documenting stories around the world, from shamanic practices in Mexico to walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago across Spain. His journey into hospitality led him to Madrid and later to Texas’ Spicewood Vineyards, where he discovered a passion for teaching others about wine and spirits. Now based in Oaxaca, Daniel is a Certified Master of Agave Spirits, Certified Sommelier, and Airbnb Top 10% World-Class Host. He views agave spirits as a powerful lens for sharing Mexico’s culture, history, and mythology, and is dedicated to honoring and communicating the traditions behind mezcal and other sacred agave distillates.

David Suro-Piñera, a native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, has lived in Philadelphia since 1985 and is a prominent advocate for Mexican cuisine and agave spirits. He is the owner of Tequilas Restaurant, one of Philadelphia’s longest-tenured Mexican eateries, founded in 1986. In 2005, he launched Siembra Azul Tequila, which has earned international recognition and expanded to include multiple tequila and mezcal expressions under the Siembra name. He also leads Suro International and serves as president of the Tequila Interchange Project and the Siembra Suro Foundation, organizations dedicated to improving social, environmental, and regulatory conditions within the agave spirits industry.

Deanna Moore is the founder of The Agave Lab and co-founder of Giver Spirits, with a background in ecology and hands-on product development in the natural food industry. Her work centers on cultivating a regenerative agave movement in California, grounded in sustainability, innovation, and agricultural stewardship. Drawing from her experience in ecological systems and consumer product development, she advocates for responsible agave cultivation beyond Mexico while honoring the plant’s cultural roots. Through her leadership, Deanna bridges science, entrepreneurship, and environmental responsibility, advancing a thoughtful and regenerative future for agave spirits.

Diana Pinzón is the co-founder of Zinacantán Mezcal alongside Fabiola Torres and is a Colombian-Mexican forest engineer and conservationist with more than 15 years of experience in ecological restoration projects across Mexico. Her work integrates environmental stewardship with deep respect for Mexico’s agave distillation traditions and the multigenerational mezcal heritage of her co-founder’s family. Through Zinacantán Mezcal, she advances a conservation-driven production model that includes seed management, nursery development, ecosystem restoration, bat monitoring, small-batch production, waste mitigation, and fair compensation for producers. Her leadership positions Zinacantán as a model for environmentally responsible, heritage-centered mezcal from Puebla.

Doug Smith is an Arizona native and the owner of Exo Roast Co. in Tucson, where he integrates culinary innovation with agave education through the company’s mezcalería. Holding a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology, his research has examined agricultural history across several Mexican states, informing his approach to agave spirits and regional foodways. Ongoing research trips to Sonora, Chihuahua, and Oaxaca keep him connected with mezcaleros and sotoleros while deepening his exploration of agave’s ecological and economic potential. Doug also serves on the Board of Directors of Native Seeds/SEARCH and Borderlands Restoration Network, supporting regenerative practices in the borderlands region.

Efraín Delgado is a sotol producer from Temósachic, Chihuahua, and the last member of a family lineage devoted to both artisanal sotol production and norteño band music. Rooted deeply in the traditions of his region, he preserves his cultural heritage by crafting Sotol “La Ciénega” while continuing the musical legacy passed down through generations. Through his dual dedication to distillation and song, Efraín embodies the living traditions of northern Mexico, honoring the identity, resilience, and spirit of his homeland with every bottle produced and every note played.

Emilio Vieyra carries forward his family’s mezcal tradition, which began in Michoacán in 1840 and spans six generations. The brand honors his great-great-grandfather, Mateo Rangel, the third maestro in the lineage, who fought and died for social causes that shaped his community. In his memory, Emilio and the Vieyra family continue to advocate for integrity and equity within the agave spirits industry through responsible action and stewardship. Their fields are cultivated using sustainable practices, including natural grazing in place of herbicides and pesticides, preserving native trees and planting agaves with ample spacing to prevent soil erosion. Through this work, Emilio Vieyra upholds a legacy rooted in heritage, land, and social responsibility.

Francesca leads the Native Plant Program at the Borderlands Restoration Network and comes from a family forage crop farm in Calexico, California, with deep roots on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border. She began working with native plants at the UC Davis Arboretum while earning degrees in Native American Studies and International Agricultural Development, later managing propagation research and plant sales. In 2013, she moved to Patagonia, Arizona, where she founded and now manages the nursery for Borderlands Restoration Network. Passionate about expanding access to native plants, she fosters cross-border partnerships and serves in leadership roles within regional conservation organizations and her local community.

Francisca Siza is a Portuguese audiovisual director with a background in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Documentary Film. After living and working in Buenos Aires and Bogotá, she returned to Portugal, where she now works as a director, cinematographer, and editor through her own production company. She has directed and produced multiple documentary shorts and series, and her photography and experimental video installations have been exhibited internationally. In 2023, she directed her first feature documentary, Las Hijas del Maguey, which received awards in Germany, Mexico, the United States, and Sweden. She is currently in preproduction for her second feature film in Brazil.

Gary Paul Nabhan is an internationally celebrated nature writer, agrarian activist, and ethnobiologist dedicated to conserving the vital connections between biodiversity and cultural diversity. Through decades of research, writing, and advocacy, he has advanced the protection of traditional foodways, seed saving, and desert agriculture. His pioneering contributions to the local food movement have earned recognition from national publications and organizations, including Utne Reader, Mother Earth News, The New York Times, Bioneers, and Time magazine. Gary’s work continues to inspire collaborative efforts that bridge ecological conservation, cultural resilience, and sustainable agriculture across arid landscapes.

Gregorio Torres and Tavi Torres are master distillers from Batopilas, Chihuahua, carrying forward a family tradition of producing lechuguilla that spans generations. Rooted in a practice as old as their town itself, they preserve and honor the artisanal methods that define this distinctive northern Mexican spirit. Through their work, they embody the legacy, pride, and cultural identity of Chihuahua’s traditional distillates, ensuring that each bottle reflects the heritage and craftsmanship passed down through their family line.

Hugo Gonzalez is the Agave Educator for ODIN Mezcaleria in Oakland, California. Originally from Xochimilco in Mexico City, he began his mezcal journey in 2015, dedicating himself to the study and promotion of traditional agave spirits. He serves as the National Ambassador for Of Spine and Vine Imports and is a member of the Maestros del Mezcal Collective, advocating for responsible education and appreciation of mezcal’s cultural roots. Through his work in hospitality and brand representation, Hugo bridges producers and consumers, fostering deeper understanding of agave heritage and the communities that sustain it.

José Jiménez is the owner of Petroglyphs – A Tucson Emporium, located in Tucson’s Mercado District, and serves on the Executive Board of the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. A dedicated advocate for cultural preservation and community engagement, he supports initiatives that celebrate the artistic and historical traditions of the region. Through his leadership and involvement with the Agave Heritage Festival, José contributes to advancing awareness of the Southwest’s rich cultural legacy, fostering connections between art, music, and agave heritage.

Katie Herzog is an agave farmer based in Parkfield, California, where she cultivates agave at Reverie Ranch and supports regenerative agricultural practices. A sixth-generation farmer on the Rosenberg Family Ranch in the Salinas Valley, she brings deep agricultural heritage and hands-on experience to her work. Katie is also the co-owner of Giver Spirits and leads a monthly virtual gathering that connects and supports women agave growers. Through her farming, leadership, and advocacy, she advances sustainable agave cultivation while fostering collaboration and community within the emerging California agave movement.

Dr. Lear is a bat conservationist and Endangered Species Interventions Specialist at Bat Conservation International, where she leads the bi-national Agave Restoration Initiative focused on restoring native agaves across the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico to support threatened pollinating bats and local livelihoods. Her work integrates conservation science, community engagement, and cross-border collaboration. She earned her Ph.D. in Integrative Conservation from the University of Georgia, combining natural and social science approaches to assess agave restoration opportunities with rural communities in Coahuila and Nuevo León. A 2018 National Geographic Explorer and IF/THEN Ambassador, she is passionate about bat outreach and advancing opportunities for girls and young women in STEM.

Laura Espinoza Alonso is the president of the Association of Women of Bacanora and Mexican Maguey in the state of Sonora, Mexico, where she leads a network of more than 30 women representing diverse roles across the bacanora industry. Educated in both the United States and Mexico, she returned to her hometown with a commitment to preserving and revitalizing its nearly lost cultural heritage. Through her leadership, she supports the professional growth of women producers while strengthening the visibility and future of Sonora’s bacanora tradition. Her work advances equity, cultural preservation, and sustainable development within Mexico’s agave spirits landscape.

Lorena Carreño grew up immersed in mezcal tradition in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, where her grandfather produced mezcal from agaves cultivated at Hacienda Carreño. In honor of his seven granddaughters, he created the first Ensemble 7, a blend of seven wild agaves that remains a signature expression of the family’s legacy. Today, three generations later, the Carreño family continues producing artisanal mezcal under the brands NARAN, BOCANADA, and CARREÑO. With more than 20 years of experience as a sommelier, producer, and publicist, Lorena has served as a global ambassador for mezcal since 2010, advancing fair trade initiatives and community-centered sustainability projects with indigenous women.

Ofelia Lichtenheld is an agronomist, agave farmer, and nursery owner based in San Diego County, where her farm serves as a demonstration site for agroecological and regenerative farming practices. Guided by a deep commitment to soil health, plant diversity, water conservation, invertebrate protection, and wildlife preservation, she integrates ecological stewardship into every aspect of her work. Ofelia collaborates with researchers, experts, and organizations to advance sustainable agriculture and strengthen responsible agave cultivation. Through her leadership and advocacy, she promotes resilient farming systems that honor both environmental integrity and the future of agave production.

Salvador Derma, known as “Chalol,” is a fourth-generation sotol producer from Potrero del Llano, Chihuahua. He began distilling in 2003, working clandestinely before helping to formalize production through the creation of a cooperative and the registration of the brand Sotol Lazadores, representing his community for many years. He later founded his own label, Sotol Lazo de mi Vida, and established a distillery in Chorreras, fulfilling a vision he built alongside his family, who continue to work by his side. His journey reflects resilience, tradition, and a deep commitment to preserving Chihuahua’s sotol heritage.

Salvador Peribán develops strategies and processes that prioritize sustainability, fairness, and thoughtful design across diverse mediums, including agave spirits, blown-glass works, and adobe construction. He has served as Director of Research and Development at Xaquixe, the Oaxaca-based glassblowing studio, and as Head Distiller at Sombra, where he implemented initiatives to reduce the distillery’s ecological footprint. He currently serves as Creative Director for Maguey Melate, curating and showcasing exceptional agave spirits from across Mexico. Through his interdisciplinary work, Salvador bridges craft, environmental responsibility, and innovation within the evolving landscape of agave production.

Samuel Sandoval is a professor and extension specialist in water resources at UC Davis and UC ANR, focused on advancing water management solutions that serve both human and environmental needs in California and along the U.S.–Mexico border. A water resources scientist by training, he works across sectors, providing agave cultivation training to farmworkers in English and Spanish while advising decision-makers on policy and resource management. He is the founding member of the Water Management Lab and holds leadership and advisory roles with multiple institutions dedicated to water education, binational collaboration, and Latino leadership development.

Yessica Viridiana is a science communicator dedicated to sharing the culture, research, and heritage of agave plants and their traditional beverages. Passionate about pulque—an ancient drink that awakens the spirit—she works to deepen public understanding of its historical, cultural, and ecological significance. Fascinated by the agave plant and its enduring relationship with communities across Mexico, Yessica bridges science and tradition through education and storytelling. Her work highlights the importance of preserving ancestral knowledge while fostering appreciation for agaveland’s biodiversity and living heritage.