Rachael Callahan is the Statewide Agritourism Coordinator for the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. In this role, she assists farmers in diversifying their revenue by participating in agritourism activities, conducts research on the impacts of agritourism, and fosters a statewide network of agritourism stakeholders. Ms. Callahan holds a Bachelor's degree in International Affairs from the University of Georgia and Master's degree in Global Environmental Policy from American University.

Allison Clark is a regional development specialist with RM Consulting Group, focused on strengthening rural economies through agritourism. She is the Founder of Agritourism Tasmania and Co-Chair of the Global Agritourism Network Australia/New Zealand Committee. Allison is also a member of the Australian Women in Agriculture Agritourism Working Group. She leads delivery of Tasmania’s Agritourism Accelerator and has worked with more than 200 farmers to develop, elevate and diversify agritourism experiences. Allison also advocates for regulatory reform that reduces red tape and enables farm diversification. Her work focuses on creating sustainable regional opportunities that connect agriculture, tourism and community while helping farm businesses grow, adapt and thrive.

Marijke Dunselman, founder of Agritourism New Zealand, is a seasoned professional in (agri)tourism business and marketing consulting. Having worked with farmers for over 26 years, her profound understanding of the agritourism sector is truly impressive. In 2019, Marijke took her passion for the field a step further by establishing Agritourism NZ. The organisation seeks to uplift farming communities by promoting agritourism opportunities, fostering income diversification, and enhancing resilience. Marijke achieves this through training programmes, networking, advocacy & research, and marketing. At the start of this year, she set up the Agritourism Academy & Community, an online . Her eclectic professional background includes international corporates like Heineken, Randstad, KLM (Dutch airline), and roles in market research, education, and regional tourism. She also serves as the chair of the Education Committee of the Global Agritourism Network. Marijke brings a rich, multicultural perspective to her work. Having lived in the Netherlands, France, and the USA, she speaks four languages fluently. She emigrated to New Zealand 30 years ago. To take a closer look at Marijke’s work, visit www.agritourism.nz .

Scottie Jones began her sheep farming career with her husband at Leaping Lamb Farm in 2003. In 2008, she added a farm stay to the property after realizing that selling locker lamb alone would not cover rising equipment costs. This decision ultimately led her to launch Farm Stay USA in 2010, creating a central hub for farm lodging across the United States and connecting farmers with travelers seeking authentic rural experiences. Today, she serves as GAN co-chair for the North America region and works as a consultant on several USDA-funded projects.

Jerry Spooner from Vanuatu has over 20 years of experience in both the Private sector and Government. During his time in Government, he led the development of Vanuatu’s sustainable Tourism Policy and Strategy to guide the Tourism industry shift towards a more sustainable one. Co-founder of Regenerative Vanua, Jerry see’s the important role Culinary tourism plays in Agritourism as a behavioral change and a resilience strategy for our small island destinations to better connect travellers to rural communities through regenerative agritourism and gastronomy experiences. He see’s the potential in Culinary tourism to support more meaningful participation of communities through Regenerative Agritourism with the ultimate goal of protecting traditional knowledge and land sovereignty. This initiative can lead to improving the well-being of people based on core values of land, custom, culture, family, community, food, and time to spend connecting to these. Jerry as the Chair of the Global Agritourism Network Pacific Committee is now working with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Regenerative Vanua in rolling-out the Pacific’s Regenerative Verification Program guided by the Regenerative Vanua Framework. Since 2024, he has contributed his expertise as an IGCAT Expert.