Our Team

A unique collaboration of resources manifesting from personal connections that have developed over decades of shared interests in Taiwan. 

Andy Kincart

Andy Kincart

Andy has mostly lived in Taiwan since 1989. 

In 1993, his appreciation for the locally-grown tea led him to the home of a family in the Lugu Township of Nantou County. Since then, it has been an ongoing exploration of the world of tea, which has provided a fulfillment that is unique to this island.

Since 1997, Andy has been sharing his passion for tea as an exclusive online exporter of quality teas from Taiwan. After more than 25 years of avid appreciation for this cultural treasure – he is endeavoring to represent the local tea industry a progressive and sustainable way.

The couple that Andy initially visited in 1993 have become his tea mentors as well as his adopted Taiwanese family. Over the last two decades, Andy has observed Tony and Lisa Lin play central roles in a renaissance of traditional Chinese tea culture in Taiwan that is unsurpassed in any other country. This personal friendship that has grown out of the context of tea has become the most meaningful cultural connection in Andy's life. Andy has translated Tony's work for the Lugu Farmers' Association in their bilingual publications for many years.

In 2014, Andy published his MBA thesis at Providence University, in Taiwan, titled Sustaining The Product Value And Quality In A Growth Industry: Case Study Of Traditional Taiwan Tea. This research was based on developing the brand of Eco-Cha. Since co-founding Eco-Cha in 2013, Andy has been invited on several occasions by national universities in Taiwan as visiting lecturer to present about his work with Eco-Cha. Andy has also presented for the Taichung City Government on the topic of promoting local culture and specialty products. He has appeared on several television broadcasts in Taiwan, including TVBS, Da Ai Television, Formosa TV, and more — representing his promotion of the local tea industry on an international platform through Eco-Cha. He has also repeatedly interviewed with Radio Taiwan (中央廣播電臺) to talk about his life and work in Taiwan. He has been featured in CSR@ 天下 and Business Today Magazine on the same topic.

Tom Lin 

Tom has grown up amidst tea culture as it has been embodied by his parents. He lives in the heart of tea country - in Lu Gu, Taiwan.

He has a Master’s Degree in Agritourism, and has taught in the public school system in Taiwan. Recently, Tom has pursued education in the micro-brewing of beer, woodwork, and western cuisine with aspirations of designing and operating his own tea house/micro-brewery/cafe.

He is a highly innovative and motivated individual and we are very inspired to have him on board as a local liaison in the tea industry as well as an active contributor to the development of Eco-Cha.

Nick Fothergill 

Nick has been living and working in Taiwan for the last 15 years.

He naturally assimilated into the local culture by quickly developing a firm command of Mandarin Chinese and integrating into the mainstream society. Before co-founding Eco-Cha, he worked in the technology sector and on multiple other entrepreneurial projects

Nick and Andy met in Taiwan, and have been good friends for many years, living in the same neighborhood and supporting each other in common interests. This has finally led to their commitment to sharing the local tea culture, that they both find compelling - with the ever-growing population of tea lovers abroad.

 

TEA ADVISORY TEAM 

Tony Lin

Tony Lin

Tony is the Director of the Agricultural Extension Dept. at the Lugu Farmers’ Association in Nantou County, Taiwan. His work includes:

  • Organizer of the world’s largest and most prestigious oolong tea competition (鹿谷鄉農會葉比賽) since 1986. 
  • Government certified tea judge since 1987.  
  • Founder and former Director of Agricultural Recreation Dept. 
  • Director of Lu Gu Farmers Association Tea Competition Judges Organization 
  • Chief Editor of The Living Art of Tea (Bilingual Farmers Association publication)
  • Chief Editor of Lu Gu Township History of Tea

Tony received the Distinguished Award for Agricultural Extension by the Federal Government in 1999. Returning to get his Master’s degree after more than 20 years on the job, he received the Agricultural Promotion Association Award for Exemplary Thesis. Other experience includes:

  • Chairman of the International Farmers Youth Exchange (IFYE) since 2010. 
  • Producer of the Nantou County Global Tea Expo for the county government since 2010. 
  • Da Tong University – Instructor of Courses on Tea  
  • Designer and Teacher of courses throughout Taiwan on Tea and Tea Culture
  • Taiwan Delegate of Tea Culture in France and the U.S.A.

Lisa Lin

Lisa Lin

Lisa Lin has also been a certified judge and served on the team of judges for the Lu Gu Farmers' Association Tea Competition for over a decade.

Lisa is a highly creative person who has brought a distinct element of design and decor to the courses and events that she has facilitated, including the The Living Art of Tea Club annual events. She is an accomplished ceramicist and is highly skilled in the art of tea tasting and roasting. Her deep understanding of tea and refined palate have gained her wide respect in the industry, despite her utterly modest and down-to-earth character.

This husband and wife team have been among Taiwan’s most prominent representatives of tea culture - continuously innovating and developing the cultural and professional components of the tea industry for decades. Together they founded the Living Art of Tea Club and have facilitated dozens of unprecedented private activities and public events, promoting tea culture for the last twenty years.