Back to the People

Barry Arata served as a firefighter and Fire Engineer with the San Jose Fire Department in California. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to public safety, responding to emergencies and advocating for strong community preparedness. In 2021, he became a prominent voice opposing vaccine mandates for city employees, emphasizing individual rights and the operational integrity of emergency services. Barry also joined legal efforts to challenge public health policies that he believed could impact the safety and efficiency of first responders.

Ron Johnson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 after successfully running a manufacturing business in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for thirty years. From 2015 to 2021, he served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and remains a member of the committee. In September 2024, Senator Johnson led a roundtable discussion titled American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion, where he and an assembled panel provided a foundational and historical understanding of the changes that have occurred over the last century in agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries, which impact the current state of national health. He currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and is also a member of the Budget and Finance committees. Senator Johnson was re-elected to his third term in the U.S. Senate in 2022 and resides in Oshkosh with his wife, Jane. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Mad Agriculture is a credit fund (think bank) that lends to farmers converting farmland to regenerative practices, at a profitable spread. Their mission is to help farmers and ranchers thrive ecologically and economically. They work on-the-ground with producers to create Regenerative Farm Plans, and don’t shy away from dreaming big about the ecological, social and economic potential of regenerative farming. They are healing landscapes that have been mismanaged and need love, care, and stewardship.

Philip Taylor, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of Mad Agriculture. He co-founded the organization in 2016 with his life partner, Nicole Brinks, to reimagine and restore our relationship to the land, sea, and each other through good agriculture. Philip’s work has been published in numerous journals, including Nature, Nature Climate Change, and Ecology, and he has diverse international experience in both private and public sectors, having led research and business efforts throughout North America, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Brandon Welch is on a mission to create a regenerative revolution in agriculture. In late 2017, he helped launch Mad! to help farmers transition their land to regenerative organic agriculture by providing agronomic and business planning support, building new crop markets, and providing access to aligned capital. Brandon led the launch of Perennial Fund I and Mad Capital, which is now working with farmers on over 79,000 acres in 15 states in the US, on track to transition 10,000 acres of land to certified organic. He manages the Mad Capital team and works actively across the company, spanning sales, credit, operations, asset management, fundraising, and strategic planning.

Nestled in the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley, Burroughs Family Farms is dedicated to sustainable practices that nurture the land, respect the environment, and provide high-quality, organic products. Our family has been farming for over five generations, combining innovative techniques with a deep respect for tradition.

Dr. Shawn Baker is the leading authority on an animal-based diet and author of The Carnivore Diet, promoting a zero-carb, high-protein approach to nutrition. With over 30 years of experience practicing as an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Baker shifted his focus to nutrition after observing the transformative health benefits of a carnivore diet, emphasizing the consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy, on his own health and his patients. He is the Chief Medical Officer and Director of Revero Inc., which focuses on reversing autoimmune and chronic diseases through medical nutritional therapy, addressing root causes through low-carb diet sources from animal fats, and some fruits and vegetables. Through his work and prominent social media presence, Dr. Baker has inspired many to explore the carnivore diet as a way to optimize health, improve energy, and treat chronic conditions naturally. 

Tom O'Neill dedicated 20 years to uncovering the truths behind the CIA, MKUltra, and the violence of the 1960s. What he uncovered is both chilling and revealing, exposing a convoluted network of government sponsored experiments studying behavioral modification and mind control. O’Neil’s investigation ends in 1975 but many of us question whether the legacy of these programs still impact us today.

Steven Bailey, born in Northern California, was raised by a farmer and an elementary school teacher. Through his time on the family ranch, he learned resilience and discipline. Inspired to serve, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves as a young adult. After completing his degree at California State University, Sacramento, Bailey worked for Governor Deukmejian as a Deputy Director in the Department of Social Services and attended law school at night. He later established an 18-year law practice, specializing in criminal and administrative law, including complex cases like those involving the death penalty. In 2008, Bailey was elected as a California Superior Court Judge, handling intricate criminal and civil cases until his retirement in 2017. In 2018, Bailey ran unsuccessfully for California Attorney General, winning 36.4% of the vote. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he defended businesses and individuals affected by harsh mandates and continues to advocate against unconstitutional practices. Married to his wife Kathleen for 47 years, Steven resides in Northern California, where they enjoy time with their family, including their children and grandchildren.

Winston Marshall is the host of The Winston Marshall Show and co-founder of the Dissident Dialogues festival of ideas. In 2007, he co-founded the UK folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, which enjoyed a 14-year run, winning multiple accolades including 2 Grammy Awards, 2 Brit Awards, and an Ivor Novello. The band also performed with legendary artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Elton John. Marshall's written work has been featured in The Free Press, The Jewish Chronicle, The Spectator, The Daily Mail, and more. From 2022 to 2023, he hosted the podcast Marshall Matters for The Spectator. He has appeared on prominent platforms such as BBC, Times Radio, LBC, Fox News, Fox Business News, UnHerd, Triggernometry, Sky News Australia, GB News, and The Daily Wire.

John Kempf is a farmer, agronomist, author, and founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture, a platform dedicated to revitalizing soil and plant health that benefits the consumer and the grower alike. He is a leading advocate for regenerative agriculture practices, boasting their economic returns for farmers, climate cooling capabilities, and enhanced biological function of crops. Kempf has become a trusted voice for those looking to increase yields while restoring ecosystems, and he hopes to make regenerative models of agriculture management globally mainstream by 2040. Kempf is the host of The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, where he interviews top growers and scientists, sharing cutting-edge insights into sustainable farming practices. Kempf's work is grounded in the belief that healthy soils produce healthy plants and, in turn, healthy communities, making him a pivotal figure in the future of sustainable agriculture.

Sally Fallon Morell is a nutrition activist and author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. She works to challenge conventional beliefs about the role of fats and cholesterol in the human diet, and she advocates for their benefit in supporting healthy growth, proper function of the nervous and immune systems, and optimum energy levels. Drawing inspiration from the work of Dr. Weston A. Price, who studied traditional diets in healthy communities around the world, Morrell promotes the use of nutrient-dense ancestral foods and traditional preparation techniques. In 1999, she became the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which has grown to include over 15,000 members and nearly 600 chapters worldwide. Morrell’s work has driven public health discussions on the benefits of animal fats, high-cholesterol diets, and raw milk as she furthers her mission to promote the evidence for vibrant health through nutrient-dense foods.