Experts

Kate Fosson is the founder of Brand Pollinators, an organization that helps impact-driven consumer brands grow by leveraging the power of collaboration.Through her work Kate talks with founders every day, listening to their stories, discovering patterns in their operational and marketing challenges, and finding opportunities to join forces to make positive change.Some recent Brand Pollinators projects include:• Zero Waste Sampling Pilot at Expo West: https://www.expowest.com/en/Sustainability-Program/Environmental-Sustainability.html• Annual Impact-Driven Gift Guide: https://brandpollinators.com/impact-driven-gift-guide/• The Green Summit (speaker + featured product): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYbm0MgA9o8Kate holds an MBA from American University, has spent 17 years working with socially and environmentally responsible companies (10 years with CPG brands), and has first-hand experience as an entrepreneur herself.

Kasi is a freelance fashion and apparel industry journalist and wardrobe stylist whose work has written for Texas Monthly, Sourcing Journal, South by Southwest, EcoCult & more. Kasi is also the founder of Peahen Studio, a renowned hub for sustainable style and education. She blends deep subject-matter expertise with contemporary style, helping her clients refine their dressing formulas, maximize their wardrobes, and make updates with slow and secondhand apparel. She has been recognized as an expert on sustainable fashion and a top blogger by Glamour Magazine, Green Match UK, and more. She is interested in covering apparel production and innovation, fashion's connection to agriculture, emerging slow fashion brands---or any story that investigates the how or why behind clothing.

Kanish Manuja – AI Engineer and Relentless BuilderKanish Manuja is a U.S.-based AI engineer known for his deep technical expertise, product intuition, and relentless drive to innovate. Currently at Twilio, Kanish is shaping the future of AI-driven communication, with a focus on real-time voice interfaces, LLM observability, and low-latency, high-reliability agentic workflows.With a Master’s degree in Computer Science and a thesis in recommendation systems, Kanish blends academic rigor with real-world engineering. He has designed and deployed advanced systems for OpenTelemetry-based tracing of AI models, built custom evaluation and feedback platforms for LLMs, and implemented architectures for secure, human-supervised AI agents using TTS/STT pipelines and Whisper/Barge capabilities.Kanish’s technical fluency spans Python, Java, and scalable backend systems, and he consistently demonstrates a high bar for code quality, performance, and privacy — even exploring differential privacy techniques for synthetic data generation. He is also passionate about test-time compute optimizations, intelligent tracing pipelines, and accelerating developer workflows with fine-tuned coding assistants.Beyond his professional pursuits, Kanish is a proud father of two, including a curious toddler, Avyam, and a newborn daughter, Avya. Whether he's creating early learning paths or designing voice agents that feel intuitive and human, he brings care and clarity to everything he builds.Kanish is actively pursuing EB1 eligibility as a distinguished AI professional and exploring opportunities to contribute as a judge, speaker, and builder at the forefront of the AI industry. His long-term goal is to launch transformative products that redefine how humans interact with intelligent systems — voice-first, secure by design, and deeply useful.

In the late 1990s, “Chai Tea” began appearing on American coffee menus—an overly sweetened, syrupy imitation of the real masala chai beloved by South Asian families around the world. Kamini Mamdani, an immigrant with roots in Gujarat, India was stunned. The chai she grew up with—hand-ground spices, slow-brewed to perfection, rich in aroma and heritage—had been reduced to an artificial replica. Kamini was determined to reclaim chai. She began experimenting in her mother’s kitchen, hand-grinding cardamom, ginger, cloves, and other bold spices using her family’s cherished recipe. Soon, she was selling her handcrafted blends to those craving a real, authentic chai experience. What started as a personal mission evolved in 1997 to CHAI.COM—the first South Asian-founded online chai retailer in the United States. Today, CHAI.COM is more than a brand—it’s a way of mindful living. Their chai blends are made with organic, nutrient-dense spices, free of sugar, and sustainably sourced. For Kamini, chai is not just a beverage—it’s a ritual, a symbol of home, and a way to connect. Through CHAI.COM, she ensures that no matter what life offers you, a cup of real chai is always within reach.

I am the founder and CEO of KMO HAUS - a one-of-a-kind agency that combines affiliate PR management, consulting, and human design-led business guidance. My mission is to help individuals and businesses achieve their goals while feeling their best and honoring their uniqueness. I believe we’re all unique and brilliant humans, designed to operate and experience life differently. As a certified Human Design and energy reader, I use Human Design as a tool to blend, empower and support my clients in creating and executing effective strategies that align with their energy, purpose, and potential to create a more productive and highly autonomous work culture. This innovative approach has the ability to reduce turnover and hiring costs.I also leverage my extensive editorial network and always evolving industry knowledge of affiliate PR to generate exposure, revenue, and partnerships for KMO's category-defining DTC brand clients across various industries. Equally passionate about mentorship and community building, since launching KMO December 2020, I have delivered over 60+ hours of affiliate PR training to 300+ industry professionals.With a dedicated heart and focused mind, I set new standards for individuality in the workforce and expand perspectives for what’s possible.

The Man Behind the DogOwner Justin Comins has always had a knack for fixing things. During his 20-year career in television, commercial, and film production, he took on a side project to restore a classic 1970 Honda motorcycle from the ground up. The experience reignited his passion for crafting and sparked a realization: it was time to move on from television and follow his calling to create.The moment he first explored woodworking and leatherwork, he felt like he’d found his true purpose in life.With the unwavering support of his wife and two daughters, and the memory of his beloved dog Wylie close at heart, Justin began crafting products that tell the story of who he is as a person: down to earth, charismatic, and passionate.For Justin, Wylie’s Wood & Leather is not just about the products themselves (although there’s nothing more fun than getting on the lathe and turning a bowl); it’s about full-circle sustainability, building relationships, choosing self-reliance, and, most importantly, leaving a life-long impression.

In 2002, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27. Since then, Julie has propelled the business forward with innovative product development and marketing, bringing kefir into the U.S. mainstream, growing the company from $6 million to $160 million in 2023, and expanding distribution to Mexico, Ireland, France, South Africa, UAE, various regions of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Julie has been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40, recognized among Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter, featured as one of the Best Instagrammers on the 40 Under 40 list, was honored as a 2020 Champion of Wellness by VeryWell, and was recently named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the Female Executive of the Year – Consumer category, in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.A University of Illinois at Chicago graduate, Julie is an emeritus member of the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council and a 2015 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. She has produced documentaries such as “The Homestretch,” “Honor Diaries,” “The Hunting Ground,” and “On the Record.” In 2013, Julie co-founded Test400k, a non-profit organization advocating to end the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits in the U.S. Julie released her first book, The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life, Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World, in March 2018. She is the mother of two girls.

Our journey began in 2019 when Julie Napolitano founded Pup Wax®,  the first & only 100% clean premium skincare for dogs. February 2022, Pup Wax® rebranded as Puppington®, and our assortment evolved into a comprehensive collection of products designed to promote dog mental health and well-being. Julie has cross-cultural leadership experience at Fortune 500 companies and a track record of building successful partnerships with international teams to deliver innovation and scalable, consistent results. Prior to founding Pup Wax / Puppington, Julie led multiple international cross-functional teams in a variety of global strategic projects as head of global legal operations for Bunge, where she also served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer. Julie has extensive experience in new business development and establishing new business units, commodity derivatives, managing risk, and treasury management. Over more than 10 years, Julie contributed to various areas of Bunge, having also served as Assistant Treasurer, head of Global Financial Services Group Business Development, Commodity Derivatives Trader, and Cross Asset Solutions Strategist. Prior to joining Bunge, Julie focused on financial market analysis and risk management at Lehman Brothers and HypoVereinsbank.Julie served on the board of GallopNYC, an organization that provides hippotherapy and therapeutic riding services to children with disabilities from low-income families.Julie has an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University and a BS in Computer Science from Columbia University, School of Engineering and Applied Science.A dog mom to two adopted rescue hounds, Julie lives in Chappaqua, NY. Each foster that joins the family has a permanent place in her heart.

I’m an experienced affiliate, influencer and partnership marketing consultant with 11+ years in the field, working with top brands like Under Armour, Made In Cookware, Tuft & Needle, and Serta. I specialize in influencer marketing, performance-led influencer strategies, affiliate marketing, ambassador programs, brand partnerships, UGC campaigns, gifting and sampling initiatives.

Julia is a marketing veteran who has over a decade of experience in branding, partnerships, content creation, influencer relations and marketing, endorsements, public relations, and social media. She has managed campaigns and partnerships for highly visible brands including BMW, Southwest Airlines, Gatorade, UnitedHealthcare and more.She spent 7 years at an agency based in Atlanta, GA as Director Marketing and ascended to Vice President of Branding by 2018. She oversaw all marketing activities for the firm and led branding strategy and execution for the high profile clients represented by the agency. Julia began consulting for brands and non-profit organizations in late 2021, and has helped guide and create marketing strategies that utilize athletes and influencers in meaningful ways - including charitable connections, PR and media opportunities, NIL partnerships, brand building, and endorsements. She joined Brutus Broth in 2023 as their Chief Marketing Officer, and is excited to be a part of a rapidly growing female-founded CPG brand.

Josh Bocanegra is a proud father, entrepreneur, and founder of Persona, where he developed award-winning technologies for some of the most influential brands in the world. Over the past decade, Josh, committed to uplifting the next generation, has mentored hundreds of young people across various domains. He has offered his expertise free of charge, spending years filling gaps in our educational system, one life at a time.​Today, Josh recognizes the profound influence of government policies on people's lives and has chosen to tackle the political system's dysfunction by running for U.S. Congress.​​As Congressman, Josh will concentrate on economic justice, enhancing educational opportunities, expanding affordable housing, ensure safer communities, and fight for small businesses, all while standing firm against partisan influences.Running as an Independent, Josh Bocanegra unites entrepreneurial spirit with the liberty to champion policies, free from any party affiliation. With specialized expertise in AI, he’s dedicated to ethical and responsible technology policies that drive California and the nation toward genuine, lasting change.​His focus is on modernizing outdated systems in education, healthcare, housing, and immigration. His goals stretch far beyond a mere congressional seat; he is committed to reforming key facets of our economy and societal structure, ensuring a more efficient and responsive government.

Josephine A. Lauren, MTS, (she/they) is an internationally-recognized queer and disabled author, activist, and incest survivor. Jo. earned a Masters in Theological Studies, then advanced their career as a minister in national and international contexts, a teacher, then a designer. Through their career path, they learned the value of social equity and the process of design thinking to reshape systems. Then Jo. integrated these skills with content creation and storytelling to build a business that helps mission-driven businesses to improve community development. In 2017, Jo. became an anti-incest activist and community organizer. Their story and suggestions on how to prevent and heal from incest have been published in over 30 outlets including Ms. Magazine, Yes!, America, Spirituality & Health, and Elite Daily. Every month, they author a new piece to subscribers on their Substack, RoadHEAD: Where Travel Meets Mental Exploration. As the co-founder of Incest AWARE, Jo. serves an alliance of individuals and organizations seeking to reignite the anti-incest movement in the US, as well as improve methods of incest prevention, intervention, recovery, and justice.