Kathleen (Katya) Doherty has over 20 years of international development experience in agribusiness marketing, agricultural development and food security programming, and plays a key role in supporting business development and implementation efforts as well as designing and strengthening agricultural market systems activities.

Rafael Flor has 20 years of progressive work experience in international development. He has worked with development institutions, in academia, the private sector, and philanthropy; including the Rockefeller Foundation, Earth Institute at Columbia University, MDG Centre | West & Central Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, and Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Zamorano.

Daniel Bailey is an International Agricultural Research Advisor at the USAID Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security, supporting the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. He is a trained engineer with expertise in sustainable agriculture, ethical supply chains, watershed management, and data analysis.

Hazel Malapit coordinates research, training, and technical assistance on implementing the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), and conducts research on gender, women’s empowerment, agriculture, health, and nutrition issues. Currently, she is Co-Lead of the Methods Module for the CGIAR GENDER Platform, advancing the development of methods and tools for high-quality, impactful gender research.

Maria Esther Bucaro is a talented and connected leader with more than 20 years of experience in senior management-level local and international development multi-sectoral projects, financial, administrative, and personnel management. She manages agricultural programs, with a particular focus on food security and commodity distribution, organizational development, rural agricultural development, economic growth, and extension system development.

Dr. Latha Nagarajan is an Applied and Agricultural Economist, with specific focus on project and program evaluation and assessment of agricultural technologies adoption, input market interventions and policy research. She has been also involved in studying the seed systems and markets in south Asia and sub-Saharan African countries with several development partners and works closely the Rutgers University Feed the Future Policy Research Consortium.

Dr. Mary Ann Sayoc represents East-West Seed (EWS) Group globally in various policy-influencing platforms and industry associations that are relevant to the company in this role. She was an Executive Board member of the Global Crop Diversity Trust for six years.

Kushal Naharki is a passionate young changemaker and environment activist from Nepal. He has worked in the field of agriculture, environment and youth empowerment for more than 5 years. He is highly dedicated towards empowering youth and communities through knowledge sharing, training, events, webinars and campaigns. 

As the Associate Director of SIIL based at Kansas State University (KSU), Dr. B. Jan Middendorf conducts research, leads impact assessment and monitoring and evaluation efforts, and is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective partnerships with other U.S. and international institutions, industry, USAID Missions and developmental partners.

Dr. Lusike Wasilwa has over 35 years of research experience in horticulture, molecular plant pathology and horticulture and industrial crop product value chains. Recently, her research efforts focus on mainstreaming biodiversity to contribute to food, nutrition and income security. These efforts are coupled with increased utilization, conservation and commercialization of underutilized fruits. She also promotes use of precision agriculture for increased production and productivity with special emphasis in reduction of losses attributed to pests, diseases, and pre-and-postharvest losses, advancing best production practices.