In these rapidly changing times, BEST expertise, processes, and strategies for identifying and developing the right talent for your organization, guiding leadership succession and exit preparation, and supporting the continual improvement of your Human Resource practices will inject energy and health into your organization.

BEST Human Capital & Advisory is a total talent and HR solution partner for horticulture and specialty agriculture companies. Our talented team:

-Identifies and develops professionals who align with the culture, behaviors, and results valued by your organization.

-Develops customized strategies to solve your human resource challenges.

-Helps business owners prepare for, guide them through the succession, and exit of their business.

Katie Dubow is president of Garden Media Group , a second-generation women-owned and run public relations firm specializing in the green industry. Author of the annual Garden Trends Report, Dubow presents the report worldwide – from Italy to Chicago.

Dubow is also a guest host on QVC for Cottage Farms, judge at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the inaugural recipient of the Emergent Communicator Award from GardenComm, serving her third term on the board of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association, and a member of the Forty Under 40 from Greenhouse Product News.

Follow along @KatieGMG and on Facebook at KatieGardenGirl

Katie Elzer-Peters, owner of The Garden of Words, LLC works with businesses ranging from mom & pop shops to multinational corporations developing marketing strategy, creating B2B focused collateral, executing B2B marketing plans and elevating awareness and, consequently, sales for her clients. Katie specializes in tech stack evaluation and marketing integration, web development, email marketing, SEO, and trade show marketing optimization.

For 17 years Katie and her team have helped businessy businesses find the fun and personality in their work and gain more customers by showing it.

Katie has a B.S. in Horticulture from Purdue University and an M.S. in Public Garden Management from the University of Delaware. She is a Longwood Fellow and has lived and worked around the United States. Katie is the recipient of the Emergent Communicator Award from GardenComm, an author of 12 books, producer and co-host of the podcast Open & Awkward: Shop talk with Katie & Amanda, and frequent industry speaker. Katie stays busy teaching green industry growers how to make marketing suck less and do more for their businesses. Stay in touch @katie_gardenofwords on Instagram.

Like most in our industry, Rayne’s experience started young working with the family business. The wholesale nursery business started in the heart of Louisiana in the early 2000’s growing containerized product for our local businesses and customers throughout the southern United States. This gave the opportunity to build a nursery from the ground up. After years working for the nursery, watching it grow from the humble 10 acres to over 100, Rayne gained experience in every aspect of running a successful nursery.

To pursue further knowledge and experience Rayne graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science with a focus in horticulture. While there, he invested time into working for retail garden centers, research associates, research facilities, and internships at some of the biggest names in the wholesale nursery business.

Entering the professional world, and searching for resources that are made specifically for nurseries and landscapers, it quickly became apparent that there are very limited tools to help those in the green industry.

Starting his career at a wholesale growing operation in Louisiana, Rayne quickly rose from inventory management to sales, and then to general manager. This proved to be where the hidden passion for analyzing and building businesses from the inside out was found. He became profound in the art of logistics, production, purchasing, budgeting, spray programs, and facilities, just to name a few of the improvements made.

Since then, Rayne has worked with businesses across the southern United States helping them build their companies and achieve their goals. To further expose and help others in the industry he has worked with both the LNLA (Louisiana Nursery Landscape Association) and TNLA (Texas Nursery Landscape Association) helping collaborate with businesses in the industry to solve issues and create a community to be heard on the national scale.cription goes here

Megan Taylor Morrison (MSJ, ICF PCC) is an executive coach, facilitator, mediator, and speaker. For the last 10 years, she has helped leaders and teams enhance their emotional intelligence and communication skills, build confidence, and reach meaningful goals. Meg believes that effective coaching creates a ripple effect, transforming entire teams and organizations.

Meg has worked with leaders from NASA, Siemens, Dell, Daimler, and the US Soccer Foundation, as well as Fortune 500 companies and government agencies like the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (coaching leaders up to the Senior Executive Service level). She has also worked with leaders in the gardening industry and is a featured speaker at Cultivate. Meg is known for her ability to challenge clients while incorporating humor and compassion into her sessions.

Before becoming a coach, Meg worked in the world of startups and nonprofits. She also founded a travel company that led retreats across six countries, equipping her with a deep understanding of the pressures leaders face in dynamic, high-stakes environments. Meg committed to coaching full time after experiencing how her coach training improved her ability to lead, communicate, and achieve better results. Inspired by the positive changes in her own life, she wanted to help others achieve similar transformations.

Meg has completed extensive training, including programs with Co-Active Coaching and the Strozzi Institute for Somatics, and holds a master’s degree in science journalism, grounding her approach in evidence-based methodologies. She also completed an 18-month private internship with a leading Silicon Valley coach, supporting founders at venture-backed companies.escription goes here