Maria Paola Graziani, Resident Expert
Dr. Graziani is a professor at the University of Rome specializing in food science research, consumer perceptions, trends and quality analyses.  In her distinguished career, she has worked extensively on olive oil (and other seed oils), educated consumers and the general public about food issues, and appeared frequently as an expert in national publications and on radio and television shows in Italy. Dr. Graziani is often consulted on food consumption questions, perceptions of taste and enjoyment of food, and to translate scientific topics into everyday language for general audiences.

Marissa Tejada Benekos, Athens
Originally from New York, Marissa Tejada Benekos is a freelance journalist now based in Greece where she is also the managing partner and editor for greekwindow.com, an independent media services agency.  With Athens as a home base, Greece has proved to be a great inspiration to help Marissa explore her favorite topics including culture, art, travel and food.

Kate Sonders, New York
New York based Kate Sonders writes about food and gastronomical culture. Following a stint in a professional kitchen, Kate set aside knives for pen and paper. After obtaining an Italian language and literature degree from Smith College and spending a year exploring Italy’s finest culinary delectations, Kate settled firmly in the US, her present wanderlust relegated to New York City’s diverse kitchens.

Lindsey Partos, Paris
Lindsey’s knowledge – and love – of olive oil began as a food-obsessed foreign student in Italy. Thirsty to learn more about the green-hued, peppery olive oil, she spent days trawling markets, shops and even olive oil trade shows. As a food business journalist in southern France Lindsey visited olive orchards, pressing factories, laboratories and countless olive oil tastings.

Umut Egitimci, Istanbul
An independent filmmaker and freelance writer/video journalist with 16 years of experience in media, she has produced and hosted several programs for Turkish televisions and currently hosts a food and travel show on TRT (Turkish National Radio& TV) Avaz television. She has also produced two off-off Broadway shows (I, Anatolia & 1001 New York Nights) in New York City and one (Wall) as a part of 15th International Theater Festival in Istanbul.  Read more about Umut Egitimci on her website.

Caroline Prosser, Rome
An editor and writer living in Rome, Caroline’s published work is featured in the worldwide tourist guide WHERE, for whom she’s part of the editorial team, and also Wanted in Rome, and The Roman Forum magazines.

Lori Zanteson, Los Angeles
A food and health writer for more than ten years, Lori’s work has appeared in a variety of publications including Today’s Dietician, QSR magazine, and Environmental Nutrition for whom she is also a contributing editor. In love with fine food, that’s almost always in the name of great health, olive oil is her current obsession. Read more about Lori at lorizanteson.com.

Liz Tagami, Ashland, Florence and Shanghai
Liz is a food lover and visionary merchant with over 25 years of experience as a senior executive for top US retailers, such as Williams-Sonoma, Cost Plus World Market, and Harry & David.  Today, Liz runs Tagami International, LLC an international brokerage for specialty food and wine.  She also operates Tagami Sourcing & Services, LLC, which provides management consulting and factory sourcing  for retailers, importers and manufacturers in the US, Europe and Asia.

Bill Sanders, Washington
As founder and CEO of Washington, DC-based Crush+Press, Bill Sanders is a widely recognized olive oil and wine evangelist and the U.S. spokesman for 100% Tunisian Olive Oil.  While searching for the world’s finest Extra Virgin olive oil, he shares travel adventures and well-informed insights that entertain foodies across the globe.  A selection of Bill’s favorite olive oil and fine gourmet products will soon be available for purchase within the Crush+Press online store.

Chris Canty, Melbourne
Chris has been a journalist for over 10 years, writing for over 30 publications worldwide and focusing on a broad range of travel related topics. He is Australian and has traveled extensively, at one time calling Scotland, Estonia, Vietnam, England and Argentina home. He has a real passion for the food and beverage industry (especially craft beer) and enjoys meeting the people behind the scenes who devote their lives producing extraordinary products.

Lucy Vivante, Rome
Vivante Drawings is where Lucy blogs about old master drawings. She also writes for The Berkshire Review for the Arts.

Emily Monaco, New York
I am an experienced food writer and have been maintaining my own food blog, Tomato Kumato, for the past four years. I have also written several freelance food articles and have been a guest food writer at sites such as Accidental Hedonist and I Prefer Paris.

Daniel Williams, Barcelona

Megan Gordon, San Francisco
I’m a freelance food writer based in San Francisco writing for a variety of local publications and a few national travel magazines. From chef interviews to ingredient theme pieces, I cover many aspects of the food scene here in the Bay Area.

Trafton Kenney, Paris
A recent graduate of Colgate University with a bachelor’s degree in History. Trafton has been living in Paris writing about food and travel.

Sophia Markoulakis, San Francisco
I have been a frequent contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle for many years and a recipe developer where my recipes have been published in several Safeway publications. With a name like mine, well, needless to say, I am surrounded by olive oil from the moment I wake up until the last of the dinner dishes are washed and put away. I am partial to Greek olive oil, but love to experiment with varietals and diverse growing regions.

Lara Camozzo, Florence
Having spent her childhood family vacations in Venice, Lara developed an insatiable passion for food and wine, travel, and the Italian way of life. Over the years she continued to vacation and study in Italy, each time confirming her love for Italian culture and cuisine and her unwillingness to live without it. Upon graduating from the College of Charleston, with a degree in International Business and Italian Studies in one hand, and her Italian passport in the other, she packed her bags and left for Italy. Currently living in Florence, Lara blogs about her culinary adventures and writes as a freelancer for various publications. She steals away to Venice as often as possible.

Cristabelle Tumola, New York
Editor for Italian Cooking & Living magazine and Gourmet Cooking & Living.

Gita Narrayani, Kolkata
Gita is a freelance writer and communications consultant based in Kolkata, India.

Will Dunn, Barcelona
Will Dunn is a freelance writer from England. Last year, he quit rainy London for Barcelona, with plans to spend a year or so eating xipirones, drinking cava and drenching his bread in good Spanish oil. When he arrived, it was raining.

Scott Stavrou, Paros, Greece.
Stavrou is a professional freelance writer and the author of the travel guidebook ‘Wasted Away: The Worldwide Party Guide,’ and has long specialized in food, wine & travel writing to support these very same pursuits. In addition to eating and drinking in excess, he is one of the founders of European Escapes, a European villa rental agency which makes it possible for others to enjoy these very same pleasures abroad. Born among butter-people in the Midwest, he now lives on Paros, Greece,surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, and like some of the very finest Greek olive oil, doesn’t ever get too far from the groves.