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.

Samantha’s entrepreneurial journey was featured as an “alumni success story” on the UCCS Communique in October 2024. Read the article here.

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.

Jason Gomez

Lead Tour Guide since 2021

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 since 2021

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.

Kathy Mannerberg

Tour Leader since 2022

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

Tour Leader since 2022

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.

Behr Boswell

Tour Leader since 2023

Behr has lived in Colorado Springs his entire life and is proud to be a native. Growing up, Downtown Colorado Springs was a wonderland for him, and he was delighted whenever he was able to enjoy the tasty treats of the Tejon strip. But it was not until a trip to France during his senior year of high school that he discovered a very important thing about himself: how much he loves trying new food!

Since then, Behr has had many jobs working closely with people. Whether it be working at a coffee shop, directing a summer camp, assisting special needs kids on a school bus, or teaching at a K-12 school here in town, Behr loves being with the community. In addition to teaching people about food and history, Behr is a server at the fine dining fondue restaurant, The Mona Lisa, in Manitou Springs.