Many hands, one living system.
Meet Our Team
Emily Rajcic | Managing Director
Emily leads RAWG's overall strategic vision and industry partnerships, and oversees day-to-day organizational operations, pilot program sites, and university research integrations. She drives the creation, funding, and deployment of our pilot apiaries and directs the coordination of key rancher and farmer stewardship partnerships across the country. Through her comprehensive leadership, she ensures that RAWG’s field practices align seamlessly with academic research and real-world agricultural operations while engaging all stakeholders to build the standard from the ground up.
Douglas Raggio | Co-Founder, Board Chair
Douglas advises on market-driven conservation solutions. As the founder of Pass the Honey, he spearheaded the initial resource allocation and vision that catalyzed RAWG’s development. He supports the organization’s focus on transforming domestic supply chains and establishing economic frameworks that ensure honey production actively restores local landscapes and supports beekeepers nationwide.
Frank Golbeck | Co-Founder, Board Chair
Serves as co-chair, supporting the development of regenerative beekeeping protocols and research program direction. Drawing from his background as the founder of Golden Coast Mead, he brings extensive expertise in ecological design and bee habitat restoration to the working group. He assists when called upon to help bridge the gap between apiculture and large-scale landscape health.
Andrew Maffey | Treasurer
Serves as treasurer and oversees the organization’s financial accounting practices, compliance, and fiscal governance. Bringing a deep understanding of sustainable business operations through his role as Chief Regenerative Officer at Golden Coast Mead, he manages the financial tracking and reporting necessary to back RAWG's verifiable standards.
Our Advisory + Projects Board
Dr. Brian McCornack | Lead Research Advisor
Kansas State University, Department of Entomology & American Honey Institute | Led by Department Head and Professor Dr. Brian McCornack, K-State houses the newly established American Honey Institute and its dedicated honey testing laboratory. K-State serves as RAWG's foundational academic partner. They focus on building independent testing frameworks for honey authenticity, implementing AI-driven hive health analytics, and launching standardized, data-backed beekeeping certifications.
Dr. Judy Wu-Smart | Research Advisor
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Entomology & UNL Bee Lab | Led by Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, UNL houses the UNL Bee Lab and its dedicated pollinator health programs. UNL serves as a foundational academic partner for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project. They focus on evaluating the non-target effects of pesticide exposure on managed and wild bee populations, implementing practical integrated pest management (IPM) applications, and launching regional Master Beekeeping certification programs.
Dr. Jacob Stid | Advisor
Michigan State University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Hydrogeology Lab | Led by Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Jacob Stid, MSU houses the MSU Hydrogeology Lab and its dedicated renewable energy landscape initiatives. MSU serves as a foundational academic partner for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project. They focus on optimizing agricultural and pollinator security through smart solar land management, leveraging remote sensing and machine learning for agrivoltaic co-location, and evaluating how smart energy infrastructure impacts regional water security and local ecosystems.
Emily Schmiedel | Advisor
Lead Beekeeper Jacobsen Salt Co. & Jacobsen Co. Hive Program | Led by Lead Beekeeper Emily Schmiedel, Jacobsen Salt Co. houses the Jacobsen Co. Hive Program and its dedicated organic beekeeping and community education initiatives. Jacobsen Salt Co. serves as a foundational industry partner for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project. They focus on promoting sustainable urban beekeeping practices, educating communities through regional hive stewardship workshops, and evaluating environmental impacts on Pacific Northwest honey bee forage.
Elizabeth Whitlow | Advisor
Policy & Standards Advisor Regenerative Organic Alliance & ROC Framework Advisor | Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) houses the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) program and its dedicated outcome-based verification frameworks. They focus on establishing rigorous, spatially grounded evidence to verify environmental outcomes, designing credible certification standards for producers and global markets, and expanding meaningful farm-to-shelf traceability. Bringing over 25 years of experience in organic and regenerative standards design, Elizabeth Whitlow serves as an advisor for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project to advance honeybee biosensing and honey identity documentation.
Sarah Red-Laird | Advisor
Executive Program Director Bee Regenerative & Bee Girl Organization | Led by Founder and Executive Program Director Sarah Red-Laird, Bee Regenerative houses the Bee Girl Organization (BGO) and its dedicated bee habitat conservation and regenerative agriculture initiatives. They focus on advancing bee conservation across working agricultural landscapes, partnering with ranchers and vintners to document native species and restore pollinator refugia, and delivering community-led educational workshops and field research. Sarah Red-Laird serves as an advisor for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project to integrate grassroots land stewardship and localized habitat metrics into the research framework.
Matthew Beaudin | Advisor
Vice President of Culinary American Dining Creations & Sustainable Sourcing Framework | American Dining Creations houses its dedicated global food systems and sustainable culinary innovation frameworks. They focus on transforming institutional dining through purpose-driven sourcing, auditing supply chains to eliminate performative sustainability, and connecting daily operational food choices directly to planetary and ecosystem impact. Bringing extensive global experience as the longtime former Executive Chef of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and former Corporate Director of Culinary Innovation for the SSA Group, Matthew Beaudin serves as an advisor for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project to bridge the gap between environmental research, market-ready verification, and large-scale culinary operations.
Ryan Zinn | Advisor
Regenerative Projects Advisor Dr. Bronner's & Regenerative Organic Framework | Dr. Bronner's houses its dedicated international fair trade and regenerative organic supply chain frameworks. They focus on shifting raw material sourcing to agroecological smallholder models, establishing transparent ecological baselines for international agricultural networks, and expanding global small-scale farmer advocacy. Bringing over 20 years of experience in climate resilience and international farm justice, Ryan Zinn serves as an advisor for RAWG's Bees as Biosensor Project to bridge the gap between smallholder supply chains, ecosystem-positive validation, and fair market verification.
Research, Industry, & Beekeeping Partners
Ready to Shape the Future of Apiculture?
We are actively expanding our network and invite you to join our growing team. Whether you are a commercial beekeeper, rancher, farmer, land steward, industry leader, chef, or researcher, your expertise can help validate and protect American landscapes. Partner with us to scale verifiable standards, deploy pilot apiaries, and build transparent supply chains from the ground up.
Connect With Us
Reach out today to explore advisory roles, pilot site partnerships, or collaborative research opportunities.