Alysia grew up around the maritime industry and started sailing on tall ships on Hawaiian Chieftain in 2008. She attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and now works in the commercial industry as Chief Mate of Endeavour, a cable-laying ship. She holds a Master Unlimited Oceans license, and a 200 ton Master Oceans Auxiliary Sail endorsement. She sails with organizations on the East & West coast and Great Lakes as much as she can between work.
Cassie Sleeper was born in Long Beach, CA and has always been keen on adventure. In high school, she received the Gold Award in Girl Scouts while being squadron commander and commander in charge of special teams for her AFJROTC class.  It was through Girl Scouts that she started sailing spending a few weekends a year on the tall ship Swift of Ipswitch at Los Angeles Maritime Institute.  While in high school she swam and lifeguarded for her city’s swim team as well as taught and coached swimming, water polo, and diving. Cassie graduated from Whittier College in California majoring in Psychology and minoring in film.  She worked as a developmental specialist for the state of California for 3 years and started a master’s in clinical psychology.  In 2007 she was offered a position on the tall ship Lynx.  She left her job and master’s program and started her career sailing. During her professional maritime career, she has sailed on over 20 vessels including tall ships, private yachts, and training vessels for the government run maritime academy in the US.  Cassie has primarily worked for a college semester at sea program going from Third Mate to Captain.  She has crossed the Atlantic and Pacific 3 times, the Equator 5 times and has gone through both the Panama and Suez Canal.  She particularly likes long voyages with no port stops and teaching celestial navigation. Cassie holds a USCG 1,600-ton ocean masters, 3,000-ton officer in charge of a navigational watch, wilderness first responder, and PADI advanced open water.  She currently works for Seabourn Cruises as a submersible pilot, surface officer, polar bear guard, zodiac driver, and lecturer.  When she is not working, she can be found knitting, crocheting, reading bad fiction novels, or captaining the Matthew Turner in Sausalito.
Chris Nolan is a captain with Sea Education Association, having sailed with SEA for over 7 years, and is also the owner/operator of Practical Navigator Training, which is an approved maritime training provider.  Chris lives in Washington D.C. and enjoys teaching about navigation and seamanship, and currently works primarily in the online education space; he is also a Coast Guard reserve officer at the National Maritime Center.  Mentees interested in original Coast Guard licensing, celestial navigation, oceanography, and license upgrades are best suited to working with Chris.
Originally hailing from Erie, Pennsylvania, Jamie Trost has been Captain of more than 12 tall ships on the East, West, and Great Lakes coasts. Throughout his career he has encouraged crew development and advancement. He is currently captain of the Schooner Manitou, out of Traverse City Michigan.
Capt Jen Haddock is currently an assistant professor in the Marine Transportation Department at Maine Maritime Academy.  Before returning to Maine she was the Port Captain  and faculty captain at Sea Education Association in Woods Hole Ma, spending time with their vessels and crew in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific and New Zealand.  Jen was responsible for working with regulatory agencies, crewing hiring and ships logistics. She also worked for School for Field Studies as the Safety Director and Hurricane Island Outward Bound as an instructor and program director. When Jen isn’t out on the water teaching she is messing around on other boats including her paddle board.
Captain Jonathan Kabak is an internationally recognized expert on maritime training and education under sail. Originally hailing from New York City, Jonathan’s maritime career began in the Sea Scouts and aboard the ships of the South Street Seaport Museum. Over the course of his career he has sailed in command of vessels ranging from landmark tall ships to high performance racing sailboats, maritime academy training vessels to luxury motor yachts. When not involved in vessel operations, he is sought after as an instructor and curriculum developer, specializing in STCW and Coast Guard approved training for commercial mariners, and as well as teaching at US and World Sailing Safety at Sea Seminars.
Sarah enjoyed a full career sailing as crew on tall ships, including on the East and West Coasts, Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, US Virgin Islands, and abroad. Sarah worked as an educator, deckhand, mate, and captain in the industry. Sarah has a 1600 Ton Ocean Masters license w/ Aux. Sail and STCW and a masters degree in Education. She is now raising a family in Southern California and works as Waterfront Campus Director at Orange Coast College.