Conference Speakers

Denisse Padilla is one of the founders of Boochman Kombucha the first Kombucha Bar to open in the Bay Area and Northern California. We are a certified organic kombucha company that was founded in 2018.

Hannah Crum, aka “The Kombucha Mamma,” is a longtime educator and Kombucha advocate. Her popular educational site, KombuchaKamp.com, is the most visited website in the world for Kombucha information, recipes and advice. In 2014, to further her mission of “changing the world, one gut at a time,” she co-founded KBI with her partner, Alex, who serves as Chairman of the Board and Hannah is President. Together, they have directly mentored and consulted Kombucha brewers from start-up to scale-ups since 2007 and co-wrote the authoritative “The Big Book of Kombucha” (Storey, 2016). Taking KBI’s mission to promote and protect the Kombucha industry worldwide to heart, Hannah has been a featured speaker at conferences, festivals and on television as the leading expert in Kombucha.

Ian Griffin is the publisher of Booch News and the editor of SYMBIOSIS Magazine. Over the past five years he has met with and interviewed dozens of kombucha producers in Europe and the States. Since buying his first SCOBY from Hannah Crum in 2010 he has been an avid home brewer. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jake Ahles is the Director of Strategy + Creation at Morel Creative, where I spearhead the transformation of brands through intentional visual storytelling and strategic content planning. I empower food and beverage brands to uncover their Brand DNA to position themselves unforgettably in the minds of their target audience. It's about moving beyond playing the content lottery - spraying and praying content, hoping something sticks - to crafting winning strategies that truly resonate.

Leonardo Andrade is a multifaceted visionary whose professional journey seamlessly bridges technology, design, photography, and most notably, the art of fermentation. Beginning his career in the tech sector for ten years, Leonardo made a bold shift to the world of fermentation, driven by his passion for sustainability and nutrition. As the co-founder of both Companhia dos Fermentados and Fermentare School of Fermentation, he has distinguished himself both nationally and internationally for innovation and excellence in fermented beverages. Author of Regulatory Instruction 41, which establishes the Identity and Quality Standard (PIQ) for kombucha in Brazil, Leonardo has also shared his extensive knowledge through the book "Brazilian Way Of Fermentation," published by Editora Melhoramentos, and "Sugar, Alcohol & Vinegar" by Editora Fermentare. Furthermore, Leonardo expanded his impact in the sector with the development of the Fermenta Apps franchise, demonstrating his unique ability to merge technology with fermentation. His work not only raises the standard for fermented beverages in Brazil but also educates and inspires a new generation of fermentation enthusiasts.