Meet the Speakers
Check out this incredible line-up of fermentation wizards. 🤯
Anja Eckert is the creator of Our Gabled Home, author of Sourdough Simplified, and the voice behind a popular YouTube channel and blog dedicated to making sourdough and homesteading approachable for everyone.
Born and raised in Germany and now living in the U.S., she shares her family’s generations-old sourdough method in a way that’s simple, foolproof, and perfect for busy lives.
Through her videos, courses, and recipes, Anja inspires home bakers to create beautiful, wholesome bread without stress or complicated steps—because good bread should be for everyone, every day.
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Austin Durant has been fermenting food for over fifteen years. In 2011, he founded Fermenters Club with the mission of improving lives by teaching why and how to enjoy fermented foods, while fostering communities connected through their guts.
He has taught hundreds of workshops on sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, kombucha, miso, and sourdough, and regularly leads team-building events for corporations, small groups, and multi-day fermentation intensives.
Austin published his first book, Fearless Fermenting, in 2024 and has presented at the Wise Traditions Conference in 2022 and 2024. When he’s not teaching or filling jars,
Austin can be found gardening, practicing permaculture, cooking, doing yoga, writing, or exploring big questions in cosmology, new physics, and the natural world.
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Introduced to milk kefir over 15 years ago, Dr. Caroline Gilmartin never imagined it would spark a new career.
She went on to run her own fermentary, selling everything from kombucha and kimchi to miso, while teaching fermentation to audiences across the UK.
Caroline is the author of two books, Fermentation: A Practical Approach and Vinegar, and now serves on the advisory board of the UK Fermenter’s Guild. She also runs an online business providing fermentation cultures and support for home fermenters.
Passionate about making fermentation accessible, Caroline regularly hosts live sessions on Instagram and Substack, demonstrating how easy it is to make kefir, kombucha, or kimchi at home and inspiring others to ferment with confidence.
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Real talk…I shall need none of these things and I am going to just use good old mother natures provisions to hack my way to the magic!
Cheryl Paswater is the Chief Fermentationist of Contraband Ferments and a Functional Medicine Practitioner, educator, health coach, herbalist, and writer.
She co-organized the NYC Ferments Meetup and NYC Fermentation Festival and has contributed to publications including Edible Magazine, Miso, Tempeh, Natto, and Our Fermented Lives.
Currently at work on her first book, Cheryl teaches fermentation and health through workshops, online classes, and festivals across the U.S. and internationally.
She also hosts the Peeling the Onion podcast, where she explores the layers of health and healing. Splitting her time between Brooklyn, NY and Atlanta, GA, she lives with her partner, dog, cat Koji (named for “moldy rice”), and a lively collection of microbial cultures.
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Emillie Parrish is a writer, photographer, and recipe developer with two busy kids and a love of cooking.
She started Fermenting For Foodies in 2014 and has been developing and photographing recipes since 2010.
She is the author of the award-winning cookbook, Fermenting Made Simple, and writes a food column for two parenting magazines.
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Hannah Ruhamah Crum, known as “The Kombucha Mamma”, has been brewing kombucha since 2004 and sharing her passion for this probiotic-rich elixir with the world.
Author of the bestselling Big Book of Kombucha, she has inspired hundreds of thousands to brew their own at home. Through her company, Kombucha Kamp, Hannah provides education, supplies, and support for brewers of all levels.
What began as a simple love of tangy tea has grown into a lifelong mission: empowering people with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to embrace fermentation.
Her goal is simple—help more people discover how easy and rewarding it is to brew their own living beverages.
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Holly Howe is a fermentation teacher, author, and founder of MakeSauerkraut.com, where she helps people transform their health one jar at a time.
Through her book Mouthwatering Sauerkraut [+Kimchi] and her online courses, Holly has taught thousands of people how to ferment with confidence.
Known for breaking down the process into simple, foolproof steps, she has guided countless beginners through their very first jar, turning fear into excitement and success. Holly specializes in sauerkraut and kimchi but brings the magic of microbes to a wide range of ferments, always emphasizing clarity, precision, and joy.
With her approachable teaching style, she inspires home fermenters to embrace the art of fermentation as both a practical skill and a path to better health.
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Janice is a former research food scientist (BSc Hons, MSc), mum of four, passionate foodie, and lifelong fermenter.
In 2015 she founded Nourished by Nature, a platform to share unbiased nutrition and health information that empowers people to make informed choices for their wellbeing.
She runs workshops, talks, and events on fermentation and gut health, and connects with a global audience through her YouTube channel and active social media presence on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, with over 100,000 followers. In 2022, Janice launched The Wellness Hub, a membership community supporting people on their personal journeys to better health.
Through education, inspiration, and encouragement, she fosters lasting transformation and champions the benefits of fermented foods and a plant-based lifestyle.
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Karen Wang Diggs is a classically trained chef, nutritionist, and author of Happy Foods – Over 100 Mood Boosting Recipes.
After graduating from the California Culinary Academy, she worked at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong and helped open several restaurants before returning to the Bay Area. Seeking a shift from restaurant life, she earned her certification as a nutritionist, where she discovered the powerful health benefits of fermented foods.
Driven by a passion to make fermentation accessible, Karen designed Kraut Source—an elegant system that transforms wide-mouth mason jars into fermentation vessels.
Through her work, she continues to inspire people to create sauerkraut, pickles, and other ferments easily at home.
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Kirsten K. Shockey, is the author of award-winning Homebrewed Vinegar, coauthor, with Christopher Shockey, of award-winning The Big Book of Cidermaking; award-winning Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments; Fiery Ferments; and best-selling Fermented Vegetables, now available in the 10th anniversary edition. Check out her books HERE.
She can be found writing about life and fermentation at fermentingchange.substack from her home in the mountains of southern Oregon.
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Leeza Zurwick, founder of Happy Gut Pro, is a pioneer in Canada’s water kefir industry.
Raised in a homesteading family, she developed a deep respect for natural living and a passion for gut health, which inspired her to launch the company in 2017. Happy Gut Pro now produces its own kefir grains and offers DIY kits, flavor infusions, and ready-to-drink beverages that support microbiome wellness.
With guidance from a microbiologist, Leeza created the Happy Gut Method, a simple, approachable system that makes fermentation accessible for all experience levels.
Her innovative approach has gained national attention on Dragon’s Den and built a devoted following through her weekly newsletter, where she shares recipes, brewing tips, and inspiration for living foods.
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Meredith is the author of The Ethical Meat Handbook and Pure Charcuterie, and a co-founder and instructor at The Fermentation School, where her classes focus on a range of fermentation skills, with a particular emphasis on cured and fermented meat products.
A former farmer, and butcher shop owner, Meredith now works in the non profit sector specializing in climate action and decarbonization. When not working or fermenting, she enjoys mountain biking, volunteering in the community, and hanging out with family.
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Nicole Morris has been a professional microbe facilitator for over a decade, exploring fermentation through brewing, gardening, and cooking.
Fascinated by the mystique of yeast and bacteria and humanity’s long relationship with them, she has built a career around sharing their transformative power.
An educator at heart, Nicole’s mission is to “save the world with fermentation” by empowering others to deepen their understanding and experiment confidently. She believes that embracing fermentation fosters harmony of mind, body, and soul—and works to inspire others to build their own meaningful connection with the microbial world.
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Rachel De Thample is an award-winning author who has worked in food, health and sustainability for more than 20 years.
She the author of seven published books including the River Cottage Fermentation Handbook which won a Guild of Food Writer’s Award, Tonics & Teas and Winter Wellness.
Her latest book is River Cottage Bees & Honey.
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“My Kindergarten teacher once said, “Rosemary, today you need to play somewhere other than the kitchen”. That was a sad day…
Little did she know I’d make a career creating recipes and new food products. Trained in recipe development for the home cook, my recipes have been published by Sun-Maid, Häagen-Dazs, Driscoll’s, Del Monte, California Walnuts, Safeway, and many more.
In 2018, a friend introduced me to Wild Yeast Water—a centuries-old German bread-baking method, a no-fuss alternative to sourdough starter.
Since then, I’ve been baking long-fermentation breads with never a ‘knead’ to feed or discard, because Wild Yeast Water stays active for months! An end to lazy starter and messy sourdough jars—WYW is perfect for the occasional baker and the obsessed baker like me.”
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Stephanie Thurow is an author, educator, and food preservation expert dedicated to keeping traditional food skills alive.
A Certified Master Food Preserver, Cottage Food Producer, and Master Gardener, she combines expertise with hands-on experience to teach the art of safe, approachable food preservation.
Stephanie is the author of three bestselling cookbooks—Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving, and WECK Home Preserving—and the co-author of Small-Scale Homesteading.
Through her books, classes, and homesteading work, she inspires people to take control of their food, preserve the harvest, and embrace a self-sufficient lifestyle.
Stephanie’s approachable teaching style makes food preservation accessible to both beginners and seasoned home cooks, offering simple, reliable methods to enjoy homemade ferments, canned goods, and more year-round.
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A good sharp knife ~ because chopping is half the meditation in fermentation
A clean muslin cloth ~ to let the microbes breathe
A handful of local spices ~ to add the local tasty healthy touch
(The glass jar and sea salt, I’ll trust the island to provide 🌊🫙)
Dr. Tejas is an Ayurvedician, fermentista, and holistic health consultant and coach with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.
She bridges the wisdom of Ayurveda with modern microbiome research, sharing this synergy through masterclasses, workshops, and therapeutic-grade ferments.
Her raw, live creations are handcrafted, upleveled with Ayurveda, and infused with the HealingVibes of Energy Medicine.
Beyond her bespoke jars, she offers GutHealth Consults and Reset programs that help people reconnect with their inner ecosystems.
A passionate advocate of “Food as Medicine,” Dr. Tejas makes fermentation both practical and transformative.
She also serves as a Global Wellness Day Ambassador for the UAE, where she champions community wellness and encourages playful, intentional, and holistic living.
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Utkarsh Dubey is a fermentation professional, baker, and culinary educator trained at the Culinary Academy of India.
His career began with the ITC Group of Hotels, followed by consulting for cafés and restaurants and a stint in a Michelin-starred kitchen.
Today, he works at his dream bakery in Oslo while sharing his passion for fermentation. What started with jars on his kitchen counter has grown into a way of life—brewing wild sodas, sourdough, hot sauces, and more with simple, everyday ingredients.
Utkarsh’s community of home cooks, wellness seekers, and fermentation lovers values intentional living and making from scratch.
Through workshops, collaborations, and tight-knit WhatsApp spaces, he makes fermentation approachable, offering gut-friendly tools and joyful experiments that empower people to reconnect with their health.
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