Gerardo Martinez is a Naval Academy graduate and former Marine Corps Officer. After his service, inspired by a community farm he visited in Cameroon, Gerardo returned to the U.S. with a mission to recreate that spirit. He purchased a rundown property in Edgewater, Maryland, and transformed it into Wild Kid Acres, a thriving regenerative farm. Gerardo is also the founder of the Maryland International Agriculture Conference, which promotes global collaboration on food accessibility and climate awareness. As the CEO of the Global Alliance for Latinos in Agriculture (GALA), a pioneering initiative, he leads with a wealth of experience, energy, and a relentless drive to get things done, making him the perfect leader for this endeavor aimed at empowering Latino farmers and ranchers worldwide. In his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing, competing in the Mexican Rodeo (Charreada), and spending time with his wife and two young children.

Winson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Afterlife Mushrooms, a circular farming startup that is diverting food waste from landfills and turning it into a substrate to grow sustainable, local, and fresh mushrooms. Winson grew up in a food services family and spent his weekends helping his family business with customer service, packing bags of food, and operations. Before building Afterlife Mushrooms, Winson was the Co-Founder of Leap Venture Studio, investing in sustainable pet care startups. He also led business development for Twitter’s enterprise products working with CPG and hospitality companies. Winson is a fourth culture immigrant (born in Hong Kong, lived in Taiwan, grew up in Australia, and currently working in the USA). He is based in Brooklyn with his 15-year-old pup, Marlow.