Dr. Abraham is an Entomologist by training and an agricultural operations leader by passion. After a baccalaureate in Agriculture and graduate studies in Entomology, he joined an agricultural production company wanting a 360-degree experience in agriculture. That not only gave him exposure to commercial agriculture but also became his admission to the University of Hard knocks for all things Business. Currently serving as the Director of Operations, Food Safety, and Entomology at US Citrus, Dr. Abraham was the boots on the ground in building from scratch a certified Citrus nursery that sold 175 different citrus varieties and an ultra-high-density orchard with specialty citrus varieties in South Texas. He has been active in the Entomological Society of America since his graduate student days including chair of the ESA- Student Affairs Committee and also captaining the Linnaean Games(since then named Entomology Games) team from the University of Georgia to the championship in 2012. He is also an ESA Science Policy Fellow from the class of 2017 and enjoys serving the society and community around him.

Dr. Gordon is a Ph.D. entomologist experienced working with bed bugs, mosquitoes, insecticide resistance, surface disinfection, fumigation, and urban pest management. She has worked in the consumer packaged goods and professional products industries developing products and communication strategies for different customer needs ranging from insect control to cleaning and disinfection. She has published her research in peer-reviewed and trade journals, and research she co-authored has been featured by National Geographic News. Additionally, Dr. Gordon is an award winning communicator that has spoken all over the world at scientific conferences, corporate meetings, sales presentations, committee meetings and more. Dr. Gordon uses her knowledge and skills to create compelling scientific narratives that translate into innovative product development, strategic plans, and externally facing customer content (such as print, video, and podcasts).

Chef and entrepreneur, Joseph Yoon, is breaking down barriers & changing perceptions in sustainability, with a focus on accessibility & deliciousness. His work with edible insects is rooted in caring for others, environmentalism, sustainability, creativity, problem solving, gastronomy, innovation, and fun! He is the chef/owner of Yummy Eats (est 2011) and Dinner Echo, and the Executive Director of Brooklyn Bugs. Joseph views his participation in this global food movement as an extension of his commitment to his community, and volunteers his time and resources with both Brooklyn Bugs and Yummy Eats. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, ABC, NBC, CBS, NPR, Smithsonian Channel, and much more. He has been awarded grants, completed residencies, and presented at Purdue University, Tufts University, Culinary Institute of America, American Museum of Natural History, New York Hall of Science, Natural History Museum of LA, and many more institutions.

Rajeev Vaidyanathan, Ph.D., completed his B.S. in entomology from Cornell University, his M.S. in entomology from UMASS-Amherst, and his Ph.D. in parasitology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Hadassah Medical School. He completed postdocs in insect immunity at CNRS-Strasbourg, France, and in mosquito vector competence at UC-Davis. Rajeev served as Associate Director of Vector Biology and Zoonotic Disease at SRI International, where he managed programs in novel target site validation in mosquitoes and bed bug control in lower-income housing, resulting in patents for ectoparasite detection. He then served as Director of Entomology at Clarke Mosquito, where he was responsible for the validation of molecules from microbial, botanical, and invertebrate sources as novel active ingredients (AIs) in mosquito larvicides and adulticides. He has served as a medical entomology consultant for dozens of companies interested in commercializing new AIs for mosquito, black fly, tick, and bed bug control or repellence. He works one-on-one with mosquito and vector control districts throughout the U.S. to assess, improve, and institute mosquito surveillance and control, especially before and after natural disasters. Rajeev is now Director of U.S. Operations at Oxitec, responsible for teams evaluating the efficacy and duration of transgenic Aedes aegypti to control local populations.