Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman, who tends the same land that his great grandfather settled in 1866. Born and raised at White Oak Pastures, Will left home to attend the University of Georgia's School of Agriculture, where he was trained in the industrial farming methods that had taken hold after World War II. Will graduated in 1976 and returned to Bluffton where he and his father continued to raise cattle using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics. They also fed their herd a high carbohydrate diet of corn and soy.

These tools did a fantastic job of taking the cost out of the system, but in the mid-1990s Will became disenchanted with the excesses of these industrialized methods. They had created a monoculture for their cattle, and, as Will says, "nature abhors a monoculture." In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great grandfather had used 130 years before.

Since Will has successfully implemented these changes, he has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Will is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He is the Beef Director of the American Grass-fed Association and was selected 2011 Business Person of the year for Georgia by the Small Business Administration.

Will lives in his family home on the property with his wife Yvonne. He is the proud father of three daughters, Jessi, Jenni, and Jodi. His favorite place in the world to be is out in pastures with his herds, where he likes to have a big coffee at sunrise and a 750ml glass of wine at sunset.

Taylor has been fortunate enough to have an eclectic career spanning Finance, Tech, Renewables, and Regenerative Agriculture.  After spending almost two decades in renewable energy, Taylor is passionate about bringing awareness and a return to regional-based food systems utilizing regenerative management, stacking benefits to local communities.  Taylor has always believed that FaceToFace is the new FaceBook (has the web presence to prove it), and that the culture of convenience is killing us and our planet. Taylor is driven in both his professional and personal pursuits by a belief that returning to a regional-based regenerative management of our ecosystems and lifestyles provides the greatest opportunity to reverse the impact we've collectively inflicted on this planet.

Dr. Carly L. Redding is an Associate Professor and Department Coordinator for the Department of Sociology and Human Services at the University of North Georgia. Dr. Redding is also the university’s Director of Academic Engagement. She earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and a B.S. and M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Georgia College and State University. In addition, Dr. Redding holds a certificate in Women’s Leadership and Community Development from the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University. Her research is featured in the International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, Journal of Human Services, and the Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice. She is the past president of the Georgia Sociological Association and is a nationally renowned speaker on human rights advocacy. Her research focuses on community development and using evidence-based resources, tools, and ideas to inform actions that strengthen asset-building for practitioners and policymakers to mobilize support in needed communities. Throughout her multi-decade career as a clinical psychologist and academic, Dr. Redding worked nationally and internationally on community development, organizational change, project design, monitoring, and evaluation projects. She has led numerous nonprofits in building the capacity of volunteers and trustees.

Kelly holds an M.S. in Human Services and Delivery Administration and a B.S. in Sociology both from the University of North Georgia. She has experience in both the administrative and hospitality fields, however, ministry has been her primary focus for most of the last 25 years. A former pastor and ministry leader, Kelly seeks to help create and be a part of environments that are inclusive, thoughtful, and respectful, offering a sense of connection to each other and nature. She is passionate about helping people identify the knowledge, opportunity and resources they already possess, and gain access to that which is still needed for healing, growth, health and wellness, for their own resilience as well as that of the shared community.

Jose is an investment professional at Oak Avenue Holdings, a family-backed investment vehicle. Prior to joining Oak Avenue, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Naveos, a healthcare data analytics company. Before that, he was an investment banker at Barclays Capital where he worked on Latin American Mergers and Acquisitions. Jose received a BSc in Finance from Boston College and his MBA from Harvard.

Cole is an experienced generalist working and studying across the fields of finance, business development/strategy, real estate, health and nutrition, hospitality, entrepreneurship, and, most recently, agriculture. He currently works as business Development/Strategy manager at a Fortune 500 real estate company, while separately, but simultaneously traveling across the U.S. meeting with agriculture providers, suppliers, and experts who primarily focus on regenerative practices. Prior to his current role, Cole worked at a middle market investment bank as an equity research associate. He graduated from the University of Virginia with concentrations in Finance and Accounting, is a current CFA charterholder and is studying to be a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.

Julia Johnson works with major U.S. food businesses, supports strategy development, and manages the production of food business assets, all with the central objective of driving improvements in farm animal welfare and environmental sustainability in our food system. She is particularly interested in regenerative agriculture, transitional farming, and ensuring biodiversity in our ecosystems. She holds a Master of Science in Anthrozoology from Canisius College, a Master of Divinity from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.

Outside of her work with Compassion in World Farming, she is an equestrian at heart and lives in Michigan with her family and paint horse.