Jan Tritten. I am the founder, editor and mother of Midwifery Today magazine and conferences. After having a powerful homebirth with my second baby, I knew I wanted to make sure every birthing mother would have the best birth possible. I committed to trying to make birth the best it could be for everyone, and so I became a homebirth midwife and had an active practice from 1977–1989.

I started Midwifery Today in 1986 and it quickly took over my life! My mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies throughout the world. I would love to meet you at our Midwifery Today conferences around the world!

I have been married to my husband since 1966. We have three children: two girls and a boy. I was blessed to have a small business, the Family Homesteader, where I made lemonade at our local crafts fair for 39 years. It enabled me to earn a part of our living and stay home with my children, except on Saturdays. I recently passed this business to my children.

Besides midwifery and birth, my over-consuming interest is in gardening and permaculture. Growing our own food has been my passion since I graduated from college in 1971. I discovered Mother Earth News my last year of college and found it really helpful. Now with videos, we want to inform you of helpful ideas for your life.

Besides all of this, I love cats. I have five of them. I spent most of my life not liking cats, but then I discovered how amazing, humorous and silly these friends can be. They add a fun dimension to life! And most important, I love and live for God.

Philip Perkhov and Katerina Perkhova are the founders of Domashny Rebenok magazine and Ecodom magazine published in Russia since 2009. Philip is the artist, an expert in organic gardening and ecobuilding, publisher and art-director with 15 years long experience in publishing. Katerina is and advocate for the family rights and rights of woman in childbirth, editor in chief, journalist and videographer with over 10 years of experience. Philip and Katerina have 4 homeborn and homeschooled kids and are traveling a lot with the whole family.

Lora LaPorte. I have had a small shirt printing business called Baby T’s since 1987. I have been part of the Midwifery Today conference team since 1992.

Along with silk screening, I have had the pleasure of working with Home Instead Senior Care, and I have met some of the most interesting and amazing people through my work with them. It is an honor to help people stay in their homes.

I have always had a soft heart toward all kinds of animals and have enjoyed having many dogs, cats and other creatures be part of our family. Now I have three great cats. Two are brothers and are sons to one of Jan’s crazy kitties named Momma. Other than bringing bats in the house, they are perfect kitties!

My husband and I live in the country and enjoy the open space.