AMANDA JONES — founder + creative director
Amanda Jones is the founder and creative director of Potentia Media. For the past fifteen years she has worked as a freelance writer and photographer. Her work appears in books, magazines and newspapers worldwide, including Vogue, Travel & Leisure, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveller, the London Sunday Times, the Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She has been published in many anthologies and has developed stories for National Geographic television. Her photographs were exhibited at the United Nations film festival and she is frequently invited to speak at literary conferences, workshops and festivals. Previously she worked for Condé Nast's Vogue in Sydney, Australia. Amanda was born in Auckland, New Zealand, where she received her university degree. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.amandajonestravel.com

JULIA FLAGG — senior designer
Julia Flagg is the principal designer at San Francisco's Flagg Design, a company focused on innovative book design, packaging, and corporate identity. Previously, Julia spent seven years at Chronicle Books in San Francisco where she art directed and designed an array of high-end, image-driven books. Since starting her own company, she has designed dozens of books and other products for Chronicle Books, Lonely Planet, Weldon Owen Publishing, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Sun Microsystems, Gu Energy Gel, Piper Keller SF, Caymus Vineyards. Among her award-winning titles are Pure Skin, Herbes de Provence, After-Dinner Drinks, and the best-selling Taste Pure and Simple, selected as an Oprah "favorite book." Julia has an MFA in design from the California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC) in San Francisco.

SUSAN BURKS — web and exhibit development
Susan Burks is the CEO of Burks Consulting Group, based in New York and San Francisco. Her company develops innovative, multi-platform projects that blend art and new media. Her clients include major museums, luxury hotels and Fortune 100 companies, among them AT&T, Disney Corp., Silicon Graphics, The Tech Museum of San Jose, and Joie de Vivre Hospitality. Susan has developed programming and exhibitions with the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York; Museum of Fine Arts, New Mexico; SF Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco; SF Camerawork, San Francisco; and the Tech Museum of San Jose. www.burksconsulting.com

KRISTIN CRAIG — web designer
Kristin Craig is the principal designer at 428 Designs, a San Diego web design firm. 428's other clients include Google, Canary Foundation, Loopies Toys, Opus West, Cornish & Carey, among others. She specializes in interactive website development. www.428designs.com

AVITAL BINSHTOCK — editor
Avital Binshtock is a writer and editor. She has contributed to many publications including the Los Angeles Times, where she was an associate editor, and to Frommer's, for which she wrote "Napa & Sonoma Day by Day" (in bookstores now). Previously, she interned at National Geographic Television in Washington, D.C. Avital has undergraduate degrees in political science and communication studies from UCLA, and a graduate degree in journalism from Stanford University.

ANDREA JOHNSON — photographic research
Andrea Johnson is a professional photographer. Her editorial work has been published in National Geographic Traveler, among others. Additionally, she has applied her photojournalist style to working with corporate clients including wineries, U.S. Bank, and commissioned fine art projects. Previously, she sourced photography for companies such as Nike and outdoor sports magazines. Andrea graduated from Northwestern University. www.andreajohnsonphotography.com

CATHY DUPUIS — associate designer
Cathy DuPuis has ten years experience in designing, developing and implementing Web interfaces, graphics and print layouts. Cathy has been the art director for several print magazines and the creative director for a Silicon Valley Internet company. She is also an award-winning photographer, painter and multi-media artist. She has a degree in photography from Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. www.yellowmagnolia.com

LORI BARRA — advisor
Lori Barra is the Executive Director of the Isabel Allende Foundation, funding grassroots organizations focused on helping women and girls. Prior to working with the foundation, Lori owned and operated TonBo designs in Sausalito, California, a high-end studio providing design and art direction on books and magazines. She has designed dozens of books, including Rick Smolan's 24 Hours in Cyberspace; Ruth Bernhard: Between Art and Life; and Aphrodite by Isabel Allende. Lori has a degree in photography from Parsons School of Design. www.tonbo.com

LAUREN CUTHBERT — advisor
Lauren Cuthbert is a San Francisco Bay Area-based writer and editor. For the past fifteen years she has worked as a journalist for numerous international and domestic newspapers, magazines and online publications. Lauren received her master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

ELIZABETH SHARE — philanthropy advisor
Elizabeth Share is the founder of Wise Giving, a consulting firm that furthers the work of nonprofits and philanthropists. She is also the development director for Bread & Roses, a nonprofit that brings live entertainment to people in institutions. In this capacity she has worked with dozens of celebrities, among them Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Tom Waits, Robin Williams, Boz Scaggs and Joan Baez. www.wisegiving.org