SEBASTIAN BECKWITH, FOUNDER Sebastian is a ranking American tea authority based in New York City. He teaches educational tea seminars at New York City's China Institute and the Institute of Culinary Education, as well as at museums and other venues. He also leads presentations with the internationally known, integrative health expert Dr. Andrew Weil at New York City's Columbia University. It was in the 1980s, while working as a trekking guide for the adventure travel company Geographic Expeditions in Bhutan, that Sebastian's interest in tea began after spending time with tea growers in nearby Darjeeling and Sikkim, India. He spends several months a year in Asia sourcing teas.

FRANK KWEI, PARTNER Frank grew up drinking tea. The son of a Chinese diplomat and intellectual, Frank's travels span the globe, covering Asian, Africa and the Americas. As a partner and owner he oversees marketing strategy, operations, customer relations and sourcing. He owned and ran a teahouse in Seattle for a short time before deciding to devote his time to In Pursuit of Tea.

ALEXANDER SCOTT, FOUNDER Alexander's passion for tea began over a decade ago while living in Bhutan. One of only three Americans in the country at the time, he worked on an agricultural development program for the Royal Bhutanese Ministry of Agriculture. By the end of his two-year stint, even yak butter tea tasted good! After returning to the U.S., Alexander earned an MBA and entered the business world. While working for the American subsidiary of a major Japanese pharmaceutical company, Alexander traveled extensively in Asia. His interest in that part of the world grew and, with it, his passion for tea. Alexander next ran a subsidiary of the audio equipment company, Cello Music & Film Systems, Inc. However, his interests in travel and tea lead him to establish In Pursuit of Tea. Embodied in every cup of tea is a journey. Exploration of the larger world is combined with examination of the inner one. In forming this company, Alexander has created a forum in which to pursue his interest in these two kinds of exploration.

SUZANNE WANG, COMPANY MANAGER

Suzanne is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and lived in New York for a number of years. After several years of working in film & theatre, a life-changing solo trip to China piqued her interest to find out more about her culture. She spent the last four years living and working in Guangdong province, Hong Kong and England, overseeing product development for various companies. Her apartment in Hong Kong was above a small tea shop, and her love of tea began there. Tired of pollution and city life in Asia, her nomadic temperament brought her to In Pursuit of Tea. As Office Manager, she can now happily consume large quantities of Pu’erh and Oolongs while surrounded by trees and fresh air.

It was only recently revealed that she came from a prominent tea merchant family in Fujian province.