Samantha Wood

Owner and Chief Tasting Officer

A self-proclaimed chocoholic, Samantha has an insatiable appetite for meeting new people, traveling to far off lands, and continually learning. She started this business, initially called Colorado Springs Food Tours, in May 2010 with her mom, Karen Kelley, after becoming disenchanted with her boring desk job. This leap of faith propelled her into figuring out the odds and ends of being an entrepreneur, becoming a voice for local businesses, and finding ways to give her guests the best customer service she could possibly provide. She’s traveled extensively throughout the United States, Western and Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia.

In May 2015, she received her MBA in Innovation Management from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and also holds a degree in Business Marketing and Professional Writing from the same school. Samantha was named the Leadership Pikes Peak Emerging Leader of the Year and a Colorado Springs Business Journal Rising Star in 2014.

Read Samantha’s interview with the Colorado Springs Business Journal and her most recent article with VoyageDenver.

Samantha offers consulting to other aspiring and existing food tour owners. Please inquire to receive a list of topics and templates she can share to help make your business successful.

Roger Hadix

Tour Leader

Roger watched the food scene develop as he grew up here in Colorado Springs. Mom taught him how to prepare family favorites, and Dad showed him how to grill. Being a short order cook got him through college, and later he had the opportunity to travel and experience BBQ from Kansas City, delicious frozen custard in St. Louis, and blackened red fish in New Orleans. Thrilled with the possibilities of food, Roger threw himself into attempting new dishes of his own. Today, he is a published author and loves to share the history of Colorado Springs while feeling pride in how our city is attracting and fostering epicurean delights around every corner. Roger looks forward to exploring the downtown food scene with you!

Jason Gomez

Tour Leader

Jason has called Colorado Springs his home since 2018. Originally from Arizona, Jason lived in the heat for most of his life and earned his B.A. in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Arizona. In college, he worked for a summer camp in the Springs and upon graduating, he landed a full time job with them and moved out in the dead of winter. To this day, he says, “This is the coldest place I’ve ever lived.” When he’s not  managing camps, he is a huge fan of all things entertainment: movies, shows, concerts, and a good meal with friends. He deeply enjoys culture and believes food helps people share their stories and unites us all.

Beth Lueders

Tour Leader

Beth is a small-town girl who loves living in Colorado Springs with its rich Wild West history and plentiful variety of cuisines. Raised in rural southeast Nebraska, Beth still chuckles over summer times in the family’s garden eating more of the sweet peas than she put in the bowl.

Beth’s career as a journalist, copywriter, author and speaker has taken her to nearly 20 countries. She also raises and shows rough collies (yay, Lassie!) earning several AKC championship titles with her girls. Beth also is a pet therapy volunteer with a local hospital system and Schriever Air Force Base.

Beth describes herself as a natural conversationalist and her friends swear she becomes best friends with people she meets in the checkout line. Beth is eager to meet you and share camaraderie over local history, art and standout foods.

Amber Bradish

Tour Leader

Amber was born in New Mexico but grew up outside of Chicago. A resident of Colorado for the past twenty years, she received her bachelor’s degree in History from UCCS and a graduate certificate in Museum Studies from Northwestern University.

Her passion for history drives her free time as she volunteers for the Friends of Fountain Fairview Cemetery, History Colorado, and writes a history-themed blog. Previously, she has worked as a tour guide for the Old Joliet Prison in Illinois.

She works as the Development and Events Manager for PEAK Parent Center, a non-profit in Colorado Springs. She loves to travel and can most often be found hiking in the Colorado mountains.

Kathy Mannerberg

Tour Leader

Kathy has lived in Colorado Springs since 1988, in Germany during the early 1980’s and a smattering of places all west of the Mississippi.  She has traveled to over 25 countries and hopes the adventures aren’t done yet. 

She has been a docent at Rock Ledge Ranch in the Garden of the Gods since 2016 and loves hiking in the “Garden” several days a week. She interprets the Homestead era of 1867-1874  and loves to dress in period clothing, meeting interesting guests and talking about history.

Kathy, though semi-retired, is also a licensed massage therapist with her own practice since 1989.  She taught science and technique classes at the Colorado Institute for Massage Therapy for 16 years and still loves talking all things muscle related.  

Adam Wright

The magic of food has been a part of Adam’s life since childhood. He grew up on a 40-acre apple orchard in Asheville, North Carolina, a food mecca with more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country. With master’s degrees in Sustainable Agriculture and Creative Writing, Adam received a Julia Child Foundation food writing award in 2015. Before moving to Colorado, Adam travelled extensively throughout New Zealand and Australia, and in total he has worked on more than two dozen farms around the world. He currently runs a school garden program for 1st – 8th grade students. Adam strives to use food as a way to uplift others throughout Colorado Springs, leading to his nomination as a 2021 Mayor’s Young Leader Awards finalist.