Rebecca Lazarou’s work is an ecology of different disciplines spanning across medical science, ethnopharmacology, herbalism, holistic healthcare, cannabis and psychedelics. She is also an activist, writer, speaker and herbal formulator.

She is currently a PhD candidate at Kew Gardens and UCL School of Pharmacy with a focus on ethnopharmacology and herbal medicines. She was the science and managing editor for the ESPD55 volume, is currently co-editor for education charity Herbal Reality and founded Laz The Plant Scientist to bring quality, sustainably sourced herbal medicines and education to people.

She is passionate about democratizing knowledge, and rekindling ethnobotany and herbalism from being marginalised disciplines to part of common knowledge again.

Ultimately her aim is to help nurture our relationship with nature through natural medicines, and support our species return back to Earth centred living. She is devoted to science to demystify these topics, but equally I am committed to rekindling the magic, awe and healing we find on our precious Earth.

Wade Davis is an ethnographer, writer, photographer and filmmaker whose work has taken him from the Amazon to Tibet, Africa to Australia, Polynesia to the Arctic. An Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society from 2000 to 2013, he is currently professor of anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia. Author of 24 books, including One River, The Wayfinders, Into the Silence, and Magdalena, he holds degrees in anthropology and biology and received his Ph.D. in ethnobotany, all from Harvard University. Primarily through the Harvard Botanical Museum, he spent over three years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer, living among fifteen indigenous groups in eight Latin American nations while making some 6,000 botanical collections. A professional speaker for 30 years, Wade has spoken from the TED main stage on five occasions, delivered the CBC Massey Lectures, and lectured at 200 universities and some 250 corporations and professional associations. Davis is an Honorary Member of the Explorers Club, Honorary Vice-President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a recipient of 12 honorary degrees, and a Member of the Order of Canada, among other distinctions. In 2018, he was made an Honorary Citizen of Colombia. Named by the National Geographic Society as one of the Explorers for the Millennium, he has been described as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity.” His latest book, Beneath the Surface of Things, became a national bestseller within days of its release by Greystone in April, 2024.

Lee Kaiser was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin in the 1980’s and is a wildlife ecologist who has lived in various communities throughout the Americas. He has worked on permaculture projects, natural building endeavors, hosting and organizing events and retreats, performing surveys for conservation investigations, agricultural and natural medicine initiatives, conducting artesanal essential oil distillation, taking part in music production, volunteering in educational workshops, and generally participating in cultural, scientific, and international exchanges. Lee met Dennis in 2016 when they both were in Minnesota, and their mutual interests in Amazonian and Andean ecology and ethnography have kept them in contact over the years. He currently lives with his partner in Argentina, and has primarily lived over the last decade in Colorado, Minnesota, Perú, and México. His travels and experiences in foreign lands as well as living with people from many different cultural backgrounds have allowed for him to dive deep into a broad range of fields and settings, while also staying plugged into some broader networks of connectivity and interdisciplinary explorations.

Dr. Bruce Damer is a scientist working in the field of Astrobiology with his passion being working on the mystery of the origin of life and where life might arise in the universe. Back at our ESPD conference in 2022 he 'came out of the psychedelic scientist closet' in his talk 'Its High Time for Science'. This talk, at which I was sitting in the front row, sparked a movement that has today led to a new organization: the Center for MINDS (Multidisciplinary Investigation into Novel Discoveries and Solutions). MINDS is modeled on MAPS and seeks to go beyond psychedelics in therapeutics and bring online practices and tools to use them to catalyze creativity, in science, tech, design and even leadership.

McKenna Academy was there at the very beginning of MINDS and I am sure we will hear about where it is today, and a bit about its deep history back to the 1950s and 60s.

Deborah has published over 40 books through her publishing house Synergetic Press, Ltd. in global ecology, regenerative agriculture, ethnobotany, psychedelics, and social justice, since establishing it in 1984. In 1986, she was on the team that designed and built a large-scale closed ecological system, Biosphere 2, developing the publications and educational programs for the complex. In 1990, she started The Biosphere Press, an imprint of the Biosphere 2 project, producing a dozen books and a classroom curriculum for children on biospheres and biomes.

While at Biosphere 2, Deborah met Richard Evans Schultes, the grandfather of contemporary ethnobotany. She went on to publish his two books of photographs he made documenting people’s use of plant medicine in the NW Colombian Amazonia. Deborah is a director and VP of the U.S. non-profit, the Institute of Ecotechnics, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico at Synergia Ranch. The Institute owns the RV Heraclitus, an 84-foot ferrocement Chinese Junk design that sailed 270,000 miles around Planet Ocean, with two years up the Amazon on an ethnobotanical expedition inspired by Schultes (1980-1982). Deborah currently lives at Synergia Ranch organic farm and retreat center where she lives, contributes to the farm operations when she can, and continues publishing books.

Joshua Bloom was born and raised in Hackney, London, to a Filipino mother and Jewish father. He grew up in a culturally rich area, sandwiched between Hackney's infamous ‘Murder Mile’ and Stamford Hill, home to Europe's largest ultra-Orthodox Jewish community with over 100,000 residents. Much of his early years were spent exploring the local parks and Hackney Marshes nature reserve, where he developed a deep fascination for the flora and fauna, particularly birds. This love for nature naturally led him to pursue studies in Microbiology and Genetics, driven by a desire to comprehend the inner workings of organisms at a fundamental level. Following his university education and a stint in a genetics lab, Joshua embarked on a significant chapter in his life. For two years, he dedicated himself to working at a drug and alcohol rehab clinic in Camden, an area known for its struggles with substance abuse. Reflecting on this period, he often describes it as a "PhD in real life." The experience exposed him to individuals born into tragic circumstances, with little hope for a way out. It also shed light on the shortcomings of mainstream medical approaches to helping the less fortunate, sparking his interest in the potential of psychedelics for treating addiction and PTSD. In the subsequent years, Joshua explored the world extensively, immersing himself in different cultures. He transitioned into freelance photography, focusing mainly on capturing the beauty of nature and landscapes. It was during this time that his curiosity about consciousness deepened, fueled by a couple of near-death experiences and altered states of mind. This journey culminated in the completion of a master's degree in neuroscience and psychology, although he firmly believes that firsthand experience surpasses all. Twelve years ago, Joshua made a significant life change by moving to Switzerland to pursue a career in IT. Although this choice was made for practical reasons, to pursue a career in IT. He also collaborated with charities and NGOs that share a vision for a better future in harmony with nature. Today, he is the creator of "Reality in Bloom," a website and podcast that explores topics ranging from nature and consciousness to reality and psychedelics. In recent years, Joshua has taken up marathon running for its health benefits and stress management. This newfound passion (or mid life crisis as his wife would call it!!) has now brought him to the starting line of one of the "Toughest footrace on earth": The Marathon Des Sables, a grueling 250km race through the Sahara Desert. He eagerly anticipates this mammoth challenge as he prepares to embark on this extraordinary journey later this week.

Michael Coe, PhD, is an applied ecologist and ethnobiology research fellow at the French National Institute for Research and Development (IRD) and Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) in Marseille, France. Michael is working to help promote the revitalization of ethnobiology at academic institutions in the United States, to help provide a global synthesis on the sustainability and of non-timber forest products, and to help Indigenous-led efforts aiming to facilitate sustainable ayahuasca management in the Peruvian Amazon.