Highlights include:  

• The work Beth leads at AgrIInstitute and how the organization serves the agbioscience ecosystem 
• What gaps were identified by Indiana state leaders that led to its founding and how the organization has evolved to meet the needs of today’s industry 
• Wrapping up Agricultural Leadership Program (ALP) Class 21 and how Beth’s differentiated approach to the program has kept it so successful over the years 
• The balancing act of delivering consistent leadership development when industry is in a state of constant change 
• What challenges and headwinds business leaders in the industry are facing as they look to the future and how organizations like AgrIInstitute enable relief in those areas 
• Leadership skills Beth thinks will be most critical over the next decade and how ALP is cultivating those skills inside of its programming 
• Beth’s incoming Class 22 for ALP and what set these individuals apart as they went through the application and interview process 
• Agbioscience’s biggest opportunity right now when it comes to growing and developing young leaders 
• What’s ahead for AgrIInstitute in 2026 that has Beth most excited 

A special congratulations to all of the newly announced ALP members and especially AgriNovus’ very own Karis Witte, who was accepted into Class 22! 

Highlights include: 

• Gener8tor's work with startups and founders and how they serve the entpreneurial ecosystem 
• The organization’s widespread reach – both geographically and in terms of industry verticals – and how that creates their approach to working with early-stage innovators 
• The gBETA Agbioscience that Davide’s team leads in Indiana and how it’s evolved over the years to meet the needs of a changing industry 
• Some of the cohort’s success stories and how Indiana is producing differentiated, impactful work for the agbiosciences on a global scale 
• Emerging trends in agbisocience that Davide sees and how early-stage innovators are jumping in to solve challenges through market opportunity 
• The upcoming gBETA Winter Cohort and its applicant set, growing interest in the program and where the startup winds are taking the accelerator this year 
• How Indiana’s university system has contributed to a base of startup innovators for gener8tor 
• Where Davide sees untapped potential or room for growth when it comes to connectivity between university research and startup development 
• What’s ahead for gener8tor in 2026 

gBETA is hosting an Indiana Showcase on the Future of Mobility, Agbioscience and much more at Tinker House Events on April 30 from 4:30 – 7:00 PM. Register here to attend: https://luma.com/fl0erwho 

Highlights include:  

• The history of Fischer Farms, Dave’s approach to leading the family operation and their scope of service today 
• Regenerative agriculture, soil health and creating an environment where cows are a net positive for sustainability 
• What innovation looks like in practice at Fischer Farms and their differentiated approach across the portfolio  
• Fischer Farms’ growth story and how Dave has balanced scaling while maintaining innovative and sustainable practices 
• The consumer voice and what Dave believes to be the role of the farmer and food brands in this space when it comes to food’s impact on health 
• Fischer Farms’ retail business, focus on tight supply chain and direct to consumer approach 
• How they’ve designed their retail operation for efficiency to guarantee quality products – while also maintaining their commitment to sustainability 
• What technologies – from AI to automation – are transforming how Fischer Farms is operating their processing and packaging business 
• The pursuit to innovate and find the next opportunity, finding great partners along the way and which organizations make sense for their collaborative approach 
• Fischer Farms’ participation in the Beef Research Project with USDA and what they are aiming to accomplish 
• What is happening this year – and it’s a big facility that cranks out a lot of burgers – and beyond 

Highlights include: 

• The work American Autonomy is leading to bring drone software to dealers and farmers that sets their businesses apart 
• AcreConnect as the company’s first software platform designed to assist during the spray season, the gaps in the market that led to its creation and how it enables farmer success 
• What’s happening with drones in the current market landscape and how Mariah sees the future changing 
• Regulatory shifts and their impact on technological adoption on farms right now 
• How American Autonomy defines success in this environment and how this evolution in the industry has created new opportunities 
• Leveraging farmer relationships to refine and improve technologies; and the farmer’s role in defining the future of innovation in this space 
• What innovations Mariah sees playing the biggest role in drone imagery and spraying in the future — from AI to automation, sensing technologies and regulatory advancements — and how might they reshape both farm operations and the broader agtech landscape 
• Momentum for the American Autonomy team over the last year and how that’s enabled them to grow and scale in new ways 
• Integrations as a critical driver for the American Autonomy team’s success and how partnerships have created high-quality tech adoption in the field 
• Mariah’s non-traditional ag background and how that’s positioned her to lead in the space thus far 
• How she sees talent evolving and reshaping the agbioscience industry over the next decade 
• What’s ahead for the American Autonomy team in 2026 

• The launch of AgriNovus research and 2026 Velocity. Apply to participate in this year's cohort here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/velocity/
• Indiana's announcement of a $1B investment in agriculture and bioscience to position the state as a global leader in One Health innovation
• CICP's launch of the Catalyst Scholars fund focused on advanced chemistry talent, research and commercialization in Indiana
• Cal-Maine Foods' acquisition of Creighton Brothers
• Corteva Catalysts's investment in gene editing company Tropic

Join us for Quadrant on 5/13 in Indianapolis! Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/

Are you interested in participating in this year's Velocity? Ten teams will be accepted for each track, so space is limited! Apply to participate today: https://agrinovusindiana.com/velocity/

Highlights include:  

• Tayo’s work at Arrowpoint Labs and who they serve through insights and research 
• The report that his team did for AgriNovus tied to 2026 Velocity, its findings and how it shaped this year’s challenge statements 
• Indiana’s “right to win” across the agricultural value chain, the state’s strongest advantage right now and biggest opportunities to grow 
• A theme in the report that emerges – bridging the gap in innovation among farmer-focused innovation, bioinnovation and food is health 
• Engaging with local, state and national stakeholders to gain insights for this study and how their input provided support or opposition to what had been gathered as existing research 
• The challenges that exist within the food is health space and gaps they identified in the report that could serve as opportunities for startups to innovate for in this year’s accelerator 
• Priorities that were shaped through insights and research on a growing bioeconomy and how entrepreneurs can tackle the challenge being presented in that track for Velocity 
• The value of connecting innovators at the farmgate to create new technologies that impact ROI and help develop new companies that can grow and scale through a program like Velocity 
• What excites Tayo the most about this report and its potential to inform and inspire new innovation 

Highlights include:  

• The company’s origin story out of the University of Virginia and how it has evolved 
• Ourobio’s innovation process, end-to-end, that produces bio-based materials 
• Pivoting as an entrepreneur and knowing when they needed to tilt their business model to capture and offer value 
• The Ourobio differentiation, which includes safety, color of pigmentation of polymer and affordability 
• Alec’s perspective on the regulatory environment, what needs to be defined and how this conversation should evolve as this market continues to grow 
• Biggest headwinds Ourobio has faced as a startup and how they’ve navigated their challenges in the early stage  
• Feedback from companies that are moving to more bio-based materials  
• Where Alec sees the biggest opportunity for bioinnovation reshape traditional industries in the coming decade 
•  Tools and technologies that have had the greatest impact on accelerating innovation for Ourobio’s scale and precision  
• How partnerships and collaboration have paved the way for Alec and the Ourobio team’s entrepreneurial success  
• What success looks like at this stage for the company and what’s ahead for Ourobio that has Alec most excited 

Highlights include:  

• What PFR (Practical Farm Research) does to help farmers grow their operations and how it’s different than other research projects within companies 
• Conversations with growers heading into the planting season; what those entail, how they are preparing and their sentiment given the current headwinds being faced 
• The power of certainty being tied to decision-making and how Jim has seen expectations shift over the years when it comes to seed performance, agronomic support and digital tools 
• The balance of innovation adoption and risk management  
• “Innovation that matters” and what that means to the Beck’s team, their definition of innovation and its implications beyond ROI 
• Launching SeedIQ, what the platform does and how it better serves dealers and farmers 
• The gaps Jim and the team identified that led them to develop the SeedIQ platform 
• Dealer and grower response to the launch of the tool heading into a growing season 
• What’s ahead for Beck’s this planting season that has Jim excited 

Highlights include: 

• The story of Field Atlas and who it aims to serve 
• Biggest headwinds agbioscience companies are facing when it comes to finding talent and buildling a workforce of the future 
• Who Field Atlas is designed for and what makes it different than other talent programs and platforms 
• The brand’s growth into experiential programming and how exposure has created a new dimension of industry recruitment for agbioscience companies 
• Field Atlas as a brand “for students, by students” that is enabled by a network of campus Ambassadors 
• The feedback Karis gets about the impact of Field Atlas – from students, colleges, universities and companies 
• The Company Tours available to students and how that program has created new impact on students with no prior background in agbioscience 
• Launching the Agbioscience Mentorship Program (AMP) and creating new, meaningful connection for late college students and young professionals that are looking to advance their careers 
• How Karis sees Field Atlas evolving as it grows in the coming years 
• What’s ahead in 2026 

Highlights include:  

• The work Indigo Ag is leading and problems their team solves through innovation 
• Conversations with farmers right now as they look ahead to the growing season, their concerns and how they are making decisions based on their needs 
• Indigo Ag’s unique intersection of ag, sustainability and data  
• Balancing opportunities that data can provide with a hesitant mindset that can sometimes linger around a farmer’s data, technology adoption or participation in emerging technologies 
• Benchmarks and measures of success the Indigo Ag team has in front of them over the next 3-5 years 
• Indigo Ag’s launch of Nemora to fight soybean cyst nematode, the leading cause of soybean loss in the U.S 
• How in-field experience with farmers shapes R&D priorities for Indigo Ag 
• PJ’s thoughts on their biggest room for growth 
• Farmers as a part of the solution to climate and sustainability challenges over the next decade and where he sees shifts and changes coming in the market 
• What’s ahead for Indigo Ag in 2026 

Want to try out FoodHealth Score for yourself? Download the Chrome extension for free here! 

Highlights include:  

• What FoodHealth Company does and who they aim to serve through technology 
• Gaps in the market that Sam identified that led to her endeavoring this new startup and systems change 
• How FoodHealth Co. Works across the food system to drive better health outcomes – from consumers to food brands alike 
• Sam’s launch of their flagship product, FoodHealth Score, and what the feedback has looked like across the value chain 
• Retailers and brands using data to better inform purchasing and formulation decisions 
• How FoodHealth Co. Is thinking about impact measured through their platform 
• What food is health means to Sam and her team 
• The role she sees farmers playing in the FoodHealth Score and the opportunity to better align food production and health 
• The company’s $7.5M Series A funding round from 2025 and how it’s enabled them to grow and scale 
• How Sam views partnerships and collaboration as a necessary tool to the growth of FoodHealth Company 
• Where she believes they’ve just started to scratch the surface on their full potential when it comes to FoodHealth Score 
• What’s ahead for the company with the launch of FoodHealth Score in 2026 

Highlights include: 

• The Primient story and who they aim to serve through innovation 
• How Jim has seen the bioinnovation market evolve and what the competitive landscape looks like for bioinnovators like Primient today 
• The collective headwinds facing the industry 
• Primient’s market differentiation 
• Consumer behaviors influencing company priorities and how they set the tone for R&D and product pipelines 
• The critical role of corn and other feedstocks in the work Primient does and how Jim sees that relationship evolving over the next decade 
• Acquiring Primient Covation and what integrating them into their portfolio will enable their team to do 
• The power of partnerships for the Primient team, how they approach collaboration and what it means to their business 
• Jim’s approach to the business of people, his belief in team culture and how he sees building a talent pipeline for the future 
• What Jim believes to be Primient’s biggest areas of untapped potential 
• What’s ahead for Primient in 2026 

Highlights include:  

• How Nutrition 101 leverages food waste management to serve the entire food value chain 
• What conversations look like with producers in this era and how their team is positioned to help drive on-farm impact in a time of unique challenges for their operations 
• Nutrition 101’s relationship with processors on the other end and how they create opportunities for growth, sustainability and more 
• Rick’s tenure as CEO (8 months) and how he sees the company as a differentiator in the agbioscience industry 
• The company’s roots originating on the farm and how that translates to solving problems and generating better feedback to shape priorities for the future 
• What success looks like for the Nutrition 101 team when it comes to working with producers and processors alike 
• How Nutrition 101 focuses on solutions that are practical, effective and easy to implement – and why that’s so critical 
• The company’s acquisition of Value Feeds in 2025 and what it will enable them to do on their growth trajectory 
• Rick’s belief in the company’s greatest untapped potential to date 
• How Rick sees the industry leveraging tech, automation and other innovations to grow a young base of talent interested in focusing on animal nutrition and agriculture 
• Nutrition 101’s impact growing over the next decade as the role of the farmer evolves 
• What’s ahead for the company in 2026 

1. Corteva and bp's 50:50 joint venture, Etlas, and its plans to advance production of biofuels made from crops.
2. Elanco's $400 million investment in U.S. manufacturing, R&D and workforce. Listen to Jeff Simmons on Fox Business here.
3. Primient's 100% acquisition of Primient Covation to advance their competitiveness in the bioeconomy.
4. POET's $203 million investment in their Indiana location with plans to double production and nearly double workforce.
5. Gripp winning honors from the ASABE for advancing agtech innovation.

The bioeconomy is on the move this month! Get our Bioinnovation Playlist on YouTube. Click  .

Gripp was a former winner of AgriNovus' Velocity accelerator, which is set to kick off soon. Learn more about the program here.

AgriNovus' Quadrant is back on March 11! Get details and register here.

Highlights include:  

• Traction Ag’s tech stack and how the platform functions to specifically serve farming operators 
• What their team is hearing from customers right now as they navigate challenges in financial management and decision making 
• Gaps in a farming operation’s data that can create inefficiencies and how Traction Ag is designed to integrate for more streamlined impact 
• How farmers respond to a platform like this, barriers to tech adoption and their biggest questions about how it can help their operations 
• Strategic partnerships and integrations with FS and Keystone Cooperative and how they better serve the farmer 
• The acquisition of PcMars and what it added to the company’s tech stack 
• Hannah’s perspective on Traction Ag’s biggest untapped opportunities for growth 
• What’s ahead for the company in 2026 

Highlights include:  

• What Ingredion does and who they aim to serve through innovation 
• Common gaps and challenges emerging for customers across their food and beverage portfolio 
• How Eric sees Ingredion helping to advance Food is Health 
• Consumer preferences shifting and how those translate into operational and R&D priorities 
• Ingredion’s recent $100 million investment in its Indianapolis facility, what it entails, the capabilities it adds and why now 
• What this upgrade to the Indianapolis locate will differentiate from their competitors or others in the space 
• What technologies Eric believes have the biggest potential to transform how Ingredion innovates in the future 
• The food value chain, texture and challenges that have risen in recent years – and how Ingredion has found themselves adapting through headwinds to build resilience 
• Ingredion’s perspective on partnerships and how they’re used to drive outcomes forward 
• The relationship with the farmer and what that means to the Ingredion innovation portfolio 
• Biggest challenges and opportunities facing the food ingredients industry 
• What has Eric most excited for Ingredion in the future 

• United Animal Health’s pursuit to grow and serve a broader range of agriculture and food production 
• Some unique challenges and emerging issues that they’re trying to get ahead of on behalf of producers 
• The state of discussion with producers United Animal Health works with and how they feel about the year ahead 
• How their investment in applied research has defined and differentiated them as a company 
• Trent’s thoughts on the biggest opportunities for transformational change in food production 
• The critical intersection of animal and human health – and United Animal Health’s role in that space 
• What seventy years of business and longevity can bring to a company, Trent’s thoughts on the future of United Animal Health and their biggest untapped potential to date 
• How artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an additive role to the work they’re doing 
• United Animal Health’s focus on joint ventures and striking balance between internal validation and seeking collaboration without outside partners 
• What’s ahead for United Animal Health in 2026 

Featuring the following guests:  

• Wendy Srnic, Corteva Agriscience 
• Jay Hulbert, Ag Alumni Seed (Retired) 
• Ronda Hamm, Conner Prairie’s Food, Farm and Energy Experience 
• Mike Jacob, TerraForce 
• Mark Warner, Liberation Bioindustries 
• Ed Fish, Bay State Milling 
• Sarah Glaven, Princeton University’s Andlinger Center 
• Aaron Schacht, BiomEdit 
• Christy Wright, AgriNovus 
• 
  

We can’t wait to bring you even more fantastic Agbioscience content in 2026! Season 9 starts January 12. 

• The work Nutrien Ag Solutions does to serve farmers and the outlook of growers over the last 12 months 
• What Danny sees ahead for 2026 and recommendations they are making to their customers 
• The relationship of Nutrien Ag Solutions with its parent company and its unique advantage 
• Alternatives for nitrogen fertilizer, new forms of nitrogen or emerging innovations that enable the farmer to be more efficient 
• Generational farming operations and the difference in selling across multiple generations of operators who have different schools of thought on ROI 
• Biologicals past, present and future in agbiosience innovation 
• Global geopolitical pressures factoring into supply and demand for farmers 
• Using the power of partnerships, leverage Nutrien Ag Solutions’ reach, while also tapping into locally to create maximum value for customers 
• The criticality of sourcing talent in areas that are serving rural customers – and Danny’s passion for bringing people from outside the industry into agbioscience 
• What’s ahead for Nutrien Ag Solutions that has him excited in 2026 

•  ASTA as one of the world’s oldest trade organizations and who they aim to serve 
• Where seed production finds itself in the mix of current challenges facing production agriculture and what is unique to them 
• The biggest regulatory discussions shaping the industry, both domestically and internationally 
• How domestic policy impacts the industry’s ability to do business internationally 
• The accelerated trend of food is health, the seed innovator’s role and how ASTA is tackling this with its partners across the value chain 
• How ASTA works to connect seed innovation to the consumer’s understanding of food production 
• Where ASTA sees the biggest opportunities to advance technologies through partnerships and collaborations 
• Big areas of focus for 2026 
• The call to action for seed distributors and innovators that want a seat at the table with ASTA, but don’t know how to get started 

• A high-level perspective on the work FBFM does to serve Midwest farmers through data-driven decisions 
• What the year has looked like for their farmers and how that’s informed their decision making for 2026 
• Tax policies that are changing and how the One Big Beautiful Bill is transforming the way people should be thinking about their farming operations 
• Out of the farmers who have operations that are doing well – what are they doing differently than others? 
• FBFM’s comprehensive farm level financial data and how those models have helped guide their decision-making processes 
• Balancing the adoption of new innovation between the realities of economic pressures for farming operations and what efficiencies could come from technologies coming on farm 
• The importance of financial literacy as farming operations switch hands over the next ten years 
• The one piece of advice Dwight would offer heading into 2026 

• A high-level overview of the venture capital market in 2025 
• The categories of agbioscience that are securing deals – and the areas of the globe that seem to be doing better than others with venture capital deals 
• The shifts in the last 18-24 months across dealmaking and what feedback Jenn has heard while talking with both VCs and startups while writing stories 
• What the startups and entrepreneurs who are winning are doing differently 
• With longer sales cycles, regulatory pressures, etc., does Jenn think we are due for a reset in how innovation is funded in agbioscience? 
• Indiana’s unique models unfolding with Corteva Catalyst, the launch of Elanco’s One Health Innovation District and how those might create a new ecosystem in the Midwest for entrepreneurs to grow and thrive 
• New startups and innovation partnerships out of the Midwest that have Jenn most excited right now 
• Upcoming stories and things coming from AgFunder News that she wants people to know about 

• The work Rian leads with his team to optimize the food chain starting with protein – and how that vision varies from when he started the company 
• Insights that FloVision drives downstream to food processors and the capabilities they have because of these technology 
• FloVision’s market differentiation  
• How Rian sees the company playing a role in this massive food evolution 
• Feedback he gets from working with customers – especially food processors who are very traditional in their operations 
• FloVision’s recent $8.7 million Series A fundraise and what it will enable the company to do 
• The company’s tech stack and how the data drives different decisions and solutions based on their position around the globe, their food priorities and regulatory frameworks 
• Areas ripe for collaboration and what’s ahead in 2026 

• A legislative recap of 2025 and lingering challenges that persist for the industry 
• The broad policy scope that Indiana Farm Bureau has casted heading into 2026 and the “why” behind that 
• Investment in agriculture, the challenges farmers are facing and how Katie hopes some measures move forward to enable operational success 
• Helping rural communities thrive, the uphill battles being faced – from education to healthcare – and where Indiana Farm Bureau plans to be most active 
• Supporting Indiana farmers through helping them to have the resources they need (water, land, etc.) 
• How Indiana Farm Bureau is navigating federal challenges, the shutdown and conversations on behalf of farmers 
• Trade agreements they’re eyeing heading into 2026 that may impact Indiana farmers most critically 
• The call to action for the agbioscience community to drive these priorities forward 

• How he is thinking about his career journey as college winds down  
• Angel’s personal story, why medicine is the path he chose and how he hopes to make a difference in the lives of others 
• The curiosity of agbioscience and wanting to be a Field Atlas Ambassador 
• Agbioscience conversations on Ball State’s campus and how his peers engage when discussing career opportunities in the industry 
• Learning from his peer Ambassadors on other college and university campuses 
• What he thinks students are seeking in a career 
• What employers should know about connecting with students 
• His favorite Field Atlas experience and what it taught him 

• A new global HQ for Elanco and our upcoming One Health Summit co-hosted with BioCrossroads (register here)
• Corteva's restructure into two companies and what comes next
• BiomEdit's $2M Bezos Earth Fund Grant (listen to CEO Aaron Schacht here)
• BioBond launches two new adhesives -- one for fake fingernails and school adhesives
• ARI's new HQ at the 16 Tech Innovation District to secure Indiana's bioinnovation future
• Quadrant is coming on 12/3! Register here.

• What Grain Ecosystem does and how they deploy these waste-to-value solutions 
• How this process looks for each player in the system – farmers, investors and equipment suppliers 
• The Grain Ecosystem model and its adoptability that differentiates it from competitors on the market 
• Feedback they get from the ecosystem as they deploy solutions 
• Grain’s momentum built up over the last three years and the company’s biggest opportunities for growth 
• Working with Elevate Ventures and other Indiana partners to expand their footprint in the state 
• What’s ahead for Grain Ecosystem 

• Sarah’s professional story, from being an outdoors kid to leading critical bioinnovation work on a national scale 
• How she defines the bioeconomy and what she believes is its importance to the US’ future 
• Biggest headwinds we are facing when it comes to the growth and scale of the bioeconomy 
• How her past experiences have shaped her perspective on the critical alignment needed among policy, innovation and research to advance the bioeconomy in the US (and the grade she’d give us on that alignment today) 
• Indiana’s position in the bioeconomy and how reshoring biomanufacturing supply chains can reduce disruption and increase competitiveness in the US 
• Creating a skilled workforce to grow the bioeconomy and examples of upskilling and developing talent that have her most impressed 
• What has Sarah most excited about the US’ bioinnovation future 

• The work his SFA team leads and who they aim to serve 
• How much food companies have to think about in product development and the risks that come up in a product’s life cycle in quality and safety standard aren’t met 
• How laboratory scientists approach their work like consultants to overcome challenges and drive big outcomes for food brands around the world 
• Food is Health making its way into the Eurofins labs and unintended consequences that have come alongside the movement 
• Balancing innovation and scientific discovery with an evolving regulatory landscape 
• Challenges and headwinds on the horizon for the food industry and how those create opportunities for creativity across the value chain 
• Dave’s advice to young talent considering science careers 
• What’s ahead for Eurofins 

• Scott’s story – from leading students in the ag classroom to leading the National FFA Organization 
• What the organization does and who it exists to serve 
• How Scott has seen the makeup of National FFA students evolve over his career – and how that’s changed the organization 
• What National FFA hears from industry partners on challenges they are facing in terms of workforce and talent development 
• How agriculture education will need to shift in the future to meet industry needs 
• The upcoming 98th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, what to expect and why it’s important to unite to share ideas 
• What’s ahead for National FFA  

• Meet our Field Atlas Ambassadors
• Read Christy's Food Dive Story
• AgriNovus Partners with BioCrossroads and Elanco for the Life Sciences Summit 2025
• Aaron Schacht to Speak at Life Sciences Summit 2025 | Watch Aaron Schacht - BiomEdit on Agbioscience
• Keystone Cooperative's Kevin Still Announces Intention to Retire | Watch Kevin Still -- Keystone Cooperative on Agbioscience
• SePro Corporation Announces Two Acquisitions
• Insignum AgTech Raises $2.4M
• Purdue Researchers Develop Rapid Test for HPAI
• Integrated Dynamics (Velocity Winner) Awarded $245,000 from National Science Foundation for Phase 1 SBIR Grant
• Field Atlas AMP Applications Now Open | Apply Here

• How the NutriPop team came together on the campus of the University of Notre Dame 
• What popped water lily seeds are and how they become a nutritious snack 
• The company’s participation in AgriNovus’ Velocity accelerator and how that experienced helped drive NutriPop forward in 2025 
• After winning the Food is Health track for Velocity, NutriPop’s successes, wins and momentum on market 
• NutriPop’s differentiation and what makes them unique in the food is health space 
• The tough realities of the CPG market and why they chose to enter as entrepreneurs 
• Advice they would offer to young student entrepreneurs heading down a similar path  
• What’s ahead for NutriPop 

• An overview of BiomEdit’s innovation pipeline and what has Aaron most excited right now 
• Optavant – BE-101 – and its movement through the USDA regulatory process, what the technology is designed to do and its benefit to the poultry industry 
• Creating solutions that establish certainty for producers – having the economics make sense to where they can realize the full genetic potential of the animal 
• Finding the right messages to connect consumers to straightforward understanding of how their food is produced and why these innovations are so important for them 
• How the BiomEdit team approaches scientific discovery  
• The company’s latest Series B fundriase -- $18.4 M – and what it will enable the company to do 
• New leadership additions and how they add not only competencies, but culture to the BiomEdit team 
• Aaron’s vision for the continued opportunity to marry the AI-driven predictive analysis with scientific discovery to drive this work forward – and some incredible updates for their team in this space 
• What’s ahead for BiomEdit 

• What NanoBio Designs does and who they exist to serve through their technology 
• How the company has evolved since locating their headquarters to Indianapolis in 2022 
• Why they chose Indiana, its entrepreneurial resources and connections, as home base 
• Their technology, IndyStix, and its differentiation from other genetic testing technologies on the market 
• What winning the AgriNovus Velocity accelerator did for NanoBio Designs as a company and what they’ve done post-win to build momentum 
• How IndyStix creates confidence for the entire value chain  
• What Ryan sees as NanoBio Designs’ biggest opportunities for the future 
• The company’s pilot that’s currently running and its end goal 
• What’s ahead for the company 

• The company’s innovation portfolio and what they bring to the energy market 
• How biofuels have evolved in recent years – from policy driving change to sustainable aviation fuel 
• Ag and oil coming together to drive outcomes on policy 
• The $100 million investment in the Mount Vernon facility and how it positions them for the future 
• The benefits of co-processed renewable diesel 
• Why they chose to make this investment right now 
• What’s ahead for CountryMark 

Indiana Farm Bureau is dedicated to supporting youth in agriculture. There are several opportunities for youth to be involved in INFB, with scholarships for graduating seniors and college students; Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters at Purdue, Huntington and Vincennes universities; FFA advocacy days and trainings; grants for FFA chapters and 4-H clubs; and leadership development events, competitions, awards and conferences. INFB also serves as presenting sponsor of the Exhibitor Experience for livestock exhibitors and all showmanship contests at the Indiana State Fair.  You can learn more at infb.org/YFAP. 

• The announcement of a potential merger between Premier Companies and Superior Ag
• A recap of the Indiana Farm Bureau Critical Issues Summit -- including bonus audio from President Randy Kron and a look at the Future State of Ag Report of Idealyst Innovation
• Intelinair's 2nd Consecutive Win at the AgTech Breakthrough Awards
• FloVision Raising $8.7M to Expand AI Tools for Food Processing
• Field Atlas Company Tours recap -- we are recruiting companies for 2026! If you're interested in hosting students, contact fieldatlas@agrinovusindiana.com.

• What The Glass Barn is and what it is designed to do for someone who has never visited 
• Why that name? 
• Over ten years in, how has The Glass Barn evolved to meet consumer questions and the evolution of innovation in agbioscience 
• The use of the facility well beyond the 15 days of the Indiana State Fair – The Glass Barn welcomes 10,000 students each year + the integration of their virtual learning programs 
• How the experiential is positively affecting the perception  
• Commonly asked questions by consumers 
• Features inside of the barn, including live farmer chats, games and more 
• The growing need for experiences like this in a time where consumers have pressing questions about their food 
• What’s ahead for The Glass Barn 

• Cindy’s perspective on the 2025 Indiana State Fair, its new attractions and consumer feedback 
• Marrying time-honored traditions with new themes 
• The underpinning of agbioscience innovation and education as the foundation for the Indiana State Fair and its 15 days  
• Bringing veterinary science to the fair via a partnership with Purdue University that allows Q&A opportunities between consumers and vet students on modern agriculture practices 
• How young leaders are developed through the spirit of 4-H, competition and hard work each year 
• Leveraging the other days of the year to invest in the Indiana State Fair property in order to give back to the state 
• What’s ahead for the Indiana State Fair 

• Dave’s background in computer science and risk management + what drew him to agbioscience 
• Massive validation in the form of GDM’s agreement to acquire AgReliant Genetics and what that means for the farmer 
• How Dave thinks through the investment of innovation in agbioscience in a time of uncertainty for farmers and companies alike 
• The AgReliant Genetics portfolio heading into acquisition and its strengths in corn genetics 
• His perspective on the relationship between seed brands and customer 
• Dave’s finance background and role as CFO – in a time of uncertainty – planning for oversight of what’s ahead and how to stay innovative in the process 
• What has him most excited about what’s ahead with GDM 

The following conversation discusses the recent announcement that GDM is seeking to acquire AgReliant Genetics. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals in the United States and other customary closing conditions and approvals. Until the necessary approvals and closing conditions are obtained and satisfied and the transaction has closed, GDM and AgReliant Genetics will continue to operate as independent entities, maintaining their current business routines and commercial structures. 

• Michele’s boots on the ground perspective from scientists, farmers and industry professionals on what’s evolving in how they share their stories with consumers 
• How Cause Matters Corp. came to be and how new eras present a fresh set of challenges for her tackle and communicate in her business 
• The biggest gaps agbioscience has in bridging the technical to the practical  
• Helping others adapt and stay nimble in their communication and acceptance of new information in a fast-paced world 
• Artificial Intelligence, its role in how consumers learn about agbioscience, the pros and cons and how it can be leveraged as a trusted source in the future 
• Disinformation vs. Misinformation – the distinction and the dangers between the two 
• How she would compare agbioscience today to other decades of her time in the industry – from a communications and consumer acceptance perspective 
• Finding emotional center in your agbioscience story – and the importance of making it personal to seek understanding when you communicate 
• Her new book, Science Story Speak, and its opportunity for readers to connect with science understanding on a more meaningful level 
• What’s next for Cause Matters Corp. 

Don't forget! AgriNovus Quadrant is August 20 -- Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/

• USDA Reorganization Announcement + Memorandum
• ISDA's Don Lamb Talks to Hoosier Ag Today on USDA Reorganization
• AgReliant Genetics Announces Acquisition Agreement by GDM
• BiomEdit Announces Series B Raise, Advances Product to Final Phase
• AgFunder News Talks with BiomEdit on Designer Probiotics
• CountryMark Completes $100M Diesel Expansion Project
• Phytoform and Corteva Partner on AI to Boost Disease Resistance in Corn

• The macro gaps in the way we produce and consume food and its overall impact on our health 
• Corteva’s launch of the Chief Health Officer role and how they’re approaching new audiences to tell the story of farming around the world 
• Putting this platform into practice – Claudia talks about where you see and experience her team’s work 
• What reception has been like from different audiences thus far 
• Corteva’s focus on farmer health and how current headwinds facing the industry impacts their physical, mental and emotional well-being 
• Claudia’s vision for how Corteva’s health platform evolves 
• Her background and how this role – and agbioscience – feels custom-built for her 
• Where Claudia believes the food is health movement is headed and Corteva’s role in that movement 
• What’s ahead for her team – and what has her most excited 

• His high-level take on the current market overview for talent relative to the workforce needs of other industries 
• The headwinds facing the agbioscience industry that are uniquely their own when it comes to talent and leadership 
• A history lesson on how agbioscience got here – and the generational waves that have created the talent disparity we are facing today 
• How companies will need to adapt in the future to fill their talent needs 
• Executive and senior leadership positions aging out of the workforce, how those positions will need to be developed and what organizations need to do today to prepare for tomorrow 
• How Blaze sees the next 10-15 years of talent evolution shaking out in agbioscience – and it looks a lot different than is has in the past 
• What’s ahead for Vivayic

• The overall ingredients market and the perspective on how consumer health is creating new opportunities 
• Who Bay State Milling aims to serve through innovation, the company’s 125-year family-owned legacy and its growing portfolio 
• Unique differentiation, being nimble and knowing how to connect food to agriculture 
• Leveraging their Rothwell Grain Essential Center to work with customers on refining and troubleshooting products – and how their customers participate in the process 
• New products being rolled out by Bay State Milling in the food is health space, including HealthSense™ (a high-fiber wheat flour) and SowNaked Oats™ (a higher-protein oat) 
• How the relationships work for Bay State Milling across the value chain – farmers to food companies 
• How Ed believes the winners of tomorrow are innovating today 
• What’s ahead for Bay State Milling 

• What biologicals are and how they benefit farmers 
• How they work in tandem with other fertilizers and modes of crop protection to drive yield 
• BW Fusion’s approach to scientific discovery and innovation 
• How the company got into the agbioscience industry – it wasn’t its first vertical 
• Bain Capital Double Impact’s support that led to the strategic alliance between BW Fusion, Biodyne USA and Agronomy 365 and what that has allowed them to do from an innovation perspective 
• The farmers’ role in advancing innovation at BW Fusion 
• Why Tanya, a career academic, made the switch to working with the BW Fusion team and coming to the agbiosciences 
• Her advice for young scientists 
• What’s ahead for BW Fusion 

• Updates to what you can expect to hear and see on the podcast moving forward!
• What's going on with the CEO search -- and how you can apply to be our next fearless leader
• Velocity Demo Day, the three winners and our power outage networking party; watch our Directionally Speaking video series here
• Field Atlas Company Tours are coming 8/14-8/15 at Corteva and Ingredion; if you know a college student interested in learning more about agbioscience, have them apply by 7/13! Register here.
• Community of Practice webinar on AI in Agriculture coming on 7/23; Register here.
• Quadrant is back on 8/20 and we are talking leadership in action! Register here.

• A look back at the last five years of agbioscience innovation 
• Mitch’s vision as a leader and why he chose growth as a focus for AgriNovus 
• The importance of creating the conditions for industry to grow 
• Seizing the opportunity – and which of those opportunities agbioscience should be looking to in the years to come 
• The power of a small team to drive outcomes 
• His favorite part about hosting more than 230 episodes of the podcast 
• Learning from some of Indiana’s best and bright leaders while in agbioscience – and what lessons he plans to take with him 
• His favorite down to business – and unserious – moments at AgriNovus 
• Mitch’s personal signoff on Agbioscience 

• The overall landscape in the food manufacturing market, what Jason is seeing and what’s driving growth for brands 
• Popcorn is a commodity and a finished good – are the challenges and turbulence the same on both sides of the coin? 
• Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing’s history, how it became its own entity in 2019 and their overall innovation portfolio  
• The massive footprint that is Weaver Popcorn – from grocery brands to private label 
• Jason’s take on emerging trends on snack foods and where popcorn fits in the market 
• How food has changed over the last decade, including difficulty for startup innovation to grow in the space, better for you ingredients and automation on the manufacturing side 
• The supply chain lessons learned from COVID and how companies have maybe pivoted to vertical integration to eliminate uncertainty       
• If and how the regulatory challenges are affecting Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing’s business 
• What’s next for the company  

• What he’s hearing from veterinarians in the field and those he works alongside on research 
• How his past experience as Indiana’s State Veterinarian and now the Dean at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine has shaped a unique perspective on where this segment of the agbioscience industry needs to evolve 
• Balancing the need for veterinarians in the field with a deep need to continue innovation at Purdue University – and the need for veterinarians to do that, too 
• The latest updates of what’s happening at the Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital 
• Areas that have Bret most intrigued right now – from avian influenza vaccines to OneHealth 
• His optimism for the incoming class of veterinary students at Purdue and their insurmountable opportunities 
• The top challenges that will need to be overcome in the industry in the coming years 
• What’s on the horizon for Purdue’s College of Veterinary Science 

• What big companies are looking for right now when it comes to ingredient formulation, specifically around functional foods 
• What a peptide is, and how it works 
• Nuritas’ need product launch, PeptiSleep, and its ability to improve all four phases of sleep 
• How Nora’s conversations go with big food brands when they understand the power of peptides 
• The moments where she understood her own differentiation as an innovator 
• Data’s value and the duration it takes to accrue it – and AI as a tool to fuel the system 
• What’s ahead for Nuritas 

• The overall animal health market from both the veterinarian and producer perspective 
• Animal fertility challenges and how Verility seeks to innovate in this area 
• How farmers and ranchers currently manage a lack of fertility in production agriculture 
• Verility’s platform, Fertile-Eyez, the first true AI fertility device in the animal health industry and its ability to remove all subjectivity of sperm analysis and ovulation detection 
• How artificial intelligence is being leveraged to create accuracy and profitability for the producer 
• Liane’s leap from Purdue student to Elanco employee to entrepreneur – including a stop to observe a technology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital 
• Lessons she’s learned as an entrepreneur along the way and advice she’d share with those who might have an innovative idea in agbioscience 
• What’s ahead for Verility 

• Mark Warner talks Vivici partnership on the podcast: https://podcast.agrinovusindiana.com/public/215/Agbioscience-8a9a4381/50e60709
• Velocity Demo Day is coming on 6/18. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/velocity/
• The Global Entrepreneurship Congress kicks off in Indianapolis next week! Agbioscience listeners can use the code ECOSYSTEM50

• Ben’s connection to Indiana and how a farmer went on to create a trucking company that became The Ugly Company as it is today 
• How damaged fruit with scars or other cosmetic issues because big business for Ben – The Ugly Company can now be found on store shelves of Target, Sam’s Club, Walmart and Whole Foods 
• The Ugly Company’s goal to prevent food waste, where they are at in that target and how they hope to accelerate that goal in the future 
• How the fruit becomes the product on shelves – The Ugly Process, if you will 
• Ben’s advice for aspiring farmers, business owners and entrepreneurs and lessons he’s learned from leading his business and his time serving in the US Army 
• What service looks like to him versus what it maybe looked like as a 22-year-old soldier 
• What’s ahead for The Ugly Company – including further distribution and availability in schools 

• What exactly is precision fermentation? 
• The challenge facing companies, particularly early-stage innovators, that Liberation Labs saw an opportunity to solve for with contract precision fermentation 
• The company’s recent announcement of its first customer for the Indiana facility, Vivici, what they will do for them and what’s exciting about the partnership 
• How Mark saw an opportunity in the pharmaceutical space that could be replicated in fermentation for agbioscience innovation 
• Mark’s journey to fundraise for Liberation Labs 
• Reflecting on the decision to put their facility in Indiana for access to talent, corn and transportation 
• The biggest opportunities for growth – not just for Liberation Labs – but for precision fermentation as an industry 
• Biomanufacturing’s importance to economic growth, but in urban and rural America 
• What’s ahead for Liberation Labs 

• The complexity and challenges of the ag labor market – from seasonality to workforce shortages 
• How the Department of Labor’s H-2A program is designed to help farmers overcome labor challenges, but the administrative hurdles they face in the process 
• What the process looks like for farmers to participate in the H-2A program and why Croft was developed as a streamlined solution 
• Identifying this as a critical need to automate for the farmer 
• What Scott is hearing from customers using the platform 
• What’s ahead for Croft – hint: it includes expanding their analytical intensity capacity 

• The existing challenge between landowners and farmers, especially as farms grow to significant acreage 
• Oaken as a platform not only manage multiple contracts for large acre farms but to also manage the unique specifics of each individual deal  
• How the migration to cloud-based technologies like Oaken balance in an industry like agriculture that is largely relationship-based 
• The feedback farmer customers are giving on the Oaken platform thus far 
• Shashi’s background in payments and financial services and how it paved the way to him connecting with Purdue DIAL Ventures and eventually leading Oaken 
• What to expect from Oaken in the next 12-18 months  

• Recent travels and discussions around how the Midwest can add additional value to its commodities, an existing strength and something we've done time and again.
• Mitch recently spoke with AgFunder News' Elaine Watson on challenges meeting opportunities in this tough environment right now and how "pessimists might sound smart, but it's the optimists who will win. That story is here.
• Our next Quadrant event is coming up in Indianapolis focused on the evolution of food ingredients based on shifting consumer preferences, how food companies are responding and what that means for farmers. You can register for the free event here.
• Quadrant's discussion aligns nicely with a gigantic event -- The Sweets and Snacks Expo (learn more here).
• Field Atlas just closed its May Company Tour application window, but August is still open for college students to apply. Learn more here.
• Velocity Demo Day is coming up June 18 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Register for the free event here.

• The current state of biosecurity across the Midwest, avian flu’s impact three years into its reign and how farmers are working to attempt further spread on their operations 
• Consumer pressure being felt by avian flu and how egg prices are being impacted 
• The migration of the disease from birds to other species – from cattle to cats – and why it’s happening 
• As a regulatory body, IBOAH balancing the heightened state of alert, practicality of science and emotion 
• Where Kelli sees new innovations emerging on farms to combat the spread of disease 
• The best defense to avian flu – is a good offense 
• What IBOAH sees ahead with disease pressure and their call to action for farmers and industry alike  

• The complex labyrinth of threats and risks affecting agriculture in the Midwest and across the United States 
• How threats to agriculture are evolving and what that evolution means for farmers and agbioscience companies alike 
• As Special Agent in Charge, what Herb has witnessed as the most prevalent cyber threats to ag across the Midwest in recent years 
• Herb’s perspective on the relationship between food security and national security 
• What controls farmers and agbioscience companies can put in place to be prepared 
• Action items Herb hopes attendees take from the event – from the simple to the complex 

• The overall macro challenges in the pet health market, including obesity in dogs and cats 
• How the pet food market is responding to a consumer desire and demand for more nutrient-dense food for their companion animals 
• How plant-based brands are capturing market share in the pet health space 
• PawCo’s leveraging of AI in tandem with nutritionists to optimize recipe formulations 
• The company’s recent venture capital raise and what it will enable them to expand and do in the future 
• Investor feedback, questions and response to the PawCo model during the recent fundraise 
• Mahsa approach to driving sales for PawCo  
• What’s on the horizon for the company as it continues its growth trajectory 

• Keystone Cooperative’s footprint across Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan and the health of farmers heading into planting season 
• The evolution of the cooperative system over the last two decades – from service provider to business partner 
• How the farmer-led model of a cooperative ultimately drives adoption of new innovation and fills gaps for its members on their operations  
• Areas where Keystone needs to move quicker and capture market opportunities to deliver value to farmers 
• How they approach working with small companies and early-stage, venture-backed innovators 

• Ronda’s scientific background and how she’s seen biology accelerate innovation over the last two decades 
• Her love for entomology – that’s it – she loves bugs 
• The exciting idea that science is continuing to educate itself, always evolving – and the endless career possibilities that it can present  
• The Food, Farm and Energy Experience at Conner Prairie – what it is, what it’s designed to bring to consumers and industry alike – from grower to grocer 
• How she hopes this new addition to Conner Prairie engages a new generation of agbioscience workforce – and to understand that it expands well beyond farmers to supply chain, food scientists, data analysts and more 
• Her ambition for this site to become The Smithsonian of the Midwest focused on food and agriculture 
• A call to action for industry wanting to be involved in this project and timelines for when to expect this to be rolled out at Conner Prairie 

We also cover:  

• A March Quadrant recap and a look ahead to our May 14 event. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/ 
• Big pre-seed funding news for startup Gripp. Listen to their recent episode of Agbioscience here: https://podcast.agrinovusindiana.com/public/215/Agbioscience-8a9a4381/f0137c47 
• ReproHealth Technologies as the winner of the first-ever Agbioscience Innovator Award at the TechPoint Mira Awards 

• From speed to precision, Claudia lays out the differentiation of gene editing to other types of plant breeding 
• Crops of focus for Inari right now and stresses they’re focused on to enable farmer success 
• The company’s recent venture capital raise, their value proposition and educating investors 
• Inari’s unique advantage (knowing what to do, having the tools to do it and being able to do those at the same time) 
• The status of field trials and what commercialization will look like for Inari 
• Biggest problems in-field to be solved through gene editing – from yield to resource efficiencies 
• Regulatory hurdles and Claudia’s perspective on the acceptance of gene editing as a technology 
• When will Inari technology be in customer fields? And what’s next? 

• The overview of the farm labor market, its challenges and where TerraForce specifically focuses right now in the specialty melon crop market 
• What challenges face melon producers when it comes to harvest 
• How Mike sees this new era of AI and computer vision shaping precision in agbioscience innovation 
• What TerraForce does, solving labor challenges and how they plan to tackle a real problem facing farmers 
• Mike gets into seeing his first melon harvest, identifying the problem to be solved and innovating from there 
• The criticality of melons – yes melons – to make an impact on his community as an entrepreneur 
• Where the TerraForce product sits today and how regional producers are the critical testbed to the company’s success 
• TerraForce’s recent fundraise and what it will enable them to do 
• Mike’s take on the ag’s jobs to be done: ag becoming less optimized and finding ways to become more resilient to big changes 

• A volatile market – and the reminder that it’s also cyclical 
• The tipping point for investors and the critical questions they have beyond just yield at this point in time 
• Corteva’s balanced approach between internal and external innovation and the company’s areas of focus when it comes to investment and partnership 
• How Kearney is advising companies seeking investment – of all sizes – in this volatile time (hint: don’t go it alone) 
• Areas of innovation that are seeing traction from investors 
• The importance of creating certainty around the noise – from regulatory to policy and beyond 
• How they both see this market cycle differently than past cycles 
• The role of food and consumers in this next evolution of food and agriculture 
• Crystal ball: what are the conversations at World AgriTech like five years from now? 

• What’s on farmers minds given the current state of the ag economy 
• Big trends Brad is seeing aside from the macroeconomic headwinds and tailwinds 
• The role of biologicals and seed traits in this current economy 
• Beck’s approach to innovation and helping emerging companies bring new ideas to market 
• The differentiation of go-to market in ag versus other industries and the criticality of patient capital from VCs 
• Areas for great impact in agtech right now as Brad sees it 
• The importance of staying lean when you’re starting up and recalling really great technologies that didn’t hit the market because they ballooned and got too big, too fast 

• Where the market sits today and how it is evolving 
• Akston Biosciences’ 2024 partnership announcement with Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine focused on a therapeutic for canine oncology 
• His approach to animal health innovation through precision proteins creating affordable, effective treatments for companion animals 
• What sits in the Akston Biosciences pipeline currently and the company’s approach to cost-effectiveness while also staying innovative 
• Todd’s past work in human health, how he sees two sides – animal and human health – coming together to push innovation further, faster 
• The regulatory hurdles faced by both human and animal health innovators that delay getting safe, effective treatments to market 
• A big need for more risk capital coming into the animal health innovation market  

• The current state of venture capital – and the criticality of taking a step back to understand where things sit today 
• Investors’ increased focus on profitability and not being able to cut your way to growth 
• Artificial intelligence as an enabler – not a vertical  
• Does the future include a shift to debt versus venture 
• The cost of innovation and the role of an investor in this era of venture capital 
• What the current conversation with portfolio companies looks like for Elevate Ventures 
• What Matt sees as emerging trends in agbioscience 
• The most important jobs to be done in the industry 

Learn more about the Indiana Ag Threats and Security Summit: https://agrinovusindiana.com/2025/02/11/indiana-ag-threats-security-summit/

• Seeing the world and the globalization of agriculture in his career 
• Biotechnology as a step-function change to revolutionizing the row crop world through improved genetics 
• His perspective on the future of gene editing in agriculture and what’s on the horizon 
• Jay’s support of entrepreneurs and the importance of their flexibility to make business models work long-term 
• His extensive background in specialty crop and some of the market intelligence that has paved the way for new products we see in produce today 
• The job that needs to be done as he sees it – or more like, the resources that likely need to be shifted toward climate resilient crops 

• The macro perspective on the health of farm balance sheets across the Midwest 
• Big trends that she’s looking at from a financial health standpoint of farms and agribusinesses 
• Consolidation – from both the farmer and innovator perspective – as a factor in the economic system of agriculture in the US 
• New investments being made on farm or within agribusinesses to better connect to the end market of food is health 
• Natasha’s perspective as a farmer and how she prioritizes where to place her bets for her operations 
• The criticality of surrounding yourself with good partners, knowing your options when it comes to strategic planning and investments and asking the right questions for your operations or business 
• The innovation she’s most excited about in 2025 

• The current perspective of the farmer, their natural optimism and knowing the challenges that lie ahead for 2025. 
• Trends he’s noticing that are operational changes to drive net farm income – particularly biologicals – and why that’s challenging. 
• Property tax reform as a major topic in the Indiana General Assembly and making this issue relatable to the general public – because it does impact them at the end of the day. 
• The biofuels tax credit bill in the Indiana General Assembly and its potential economic impact and jobs to the state of Indiana (not to mention better burning, more sustainable fuel). 
• On a federal level – trade wars – and tariffs potential impact, good or bad, on farmers. 
• Farmers needing certainty on The Farm Bill to make plans for the future – it does not appear to be a priority at the moment.  
• Reason for optimism from farmers moving forward. 

• Talking to two kinds of people – those that grew up on the farm and those who stumbled into it and are happy they did. Cameron is in the latter  
• Wanting to originally be a doctor until getting connected with Field Atlas at a career fair and learning more about agbioscience. 
• Finding a new path and forging your way forward as a college student 
• Their six-month internship with Corteva Agriscience as a greenhouse assistant in Puerto Rico 
• Field Atlas Ambassadors – what do they do? And what has Cameron’s experience been like in their five semesters with the team? 
• Cameron’s advice for companies searching for young talent (hint: it’s not ping pong tables in the breakroom and pizza on Fridays) 
• Working on their thesis as they wrap up their time at Rose-Hulman  
• Cameron’s plans headed into graduation this spring – pssssss – they're currently looking for a job....  

• What has kept Dan in agbioscience all these years, his connectivity to the farm and wanting others to feel the same sense of reward that he did.  
• The macro perspective and many cycles of the agbioscience economy – it's down for now, but it’s never forever. 
• What innovations excited Dan the most throughout his decades long career; but also, which ones did he not see coming? 
• Indiana’s unfair advantage – its people. 
• Dan’s biggest lessons in leadership, giving those you’re leading a map to success and the criticality in finding joy in the work that you do. 
• Finding a mentor as a guide to growing in your career – and beyond – and an update on what’s ahead for Dan. 

• Investing in small communities while also honoring their heritage to make them a destination for newcomers to move to and hometown kids to return to for their careers. 
• The steady decline of entrepreneurial activity in rural America and The Pantheon’s vision to create the economy they want – not the way they’re given. 
• Vincennes as Indiana’s first city has big stats to tout – including Knox County leading in ag receipts, being the #1 producer of fruit and vegetable production in Indiana and #2 in the United States for melon production. 
• The simple, but effective, equation to building an agtech ecosystem: bring really smart, progressive farmers to the table with innovators to solve critical problems facing their operations.  
• Creating community buy-in and the importance of local support to drive local economies. 
• What’s ahead for The Pantheon and Indiana’s first city. 

• What is gene editing and how does it differ from genetically modified crops? 
• How gene editing affects that broader value chain and food system at large. 
• Corteva’s partnership with Pairwise via their investment vehicle, Corteva Catalyst, and how they plan to leverage gene editing to make fruits and vegetables more accessible and nutritious. 
• The objective of Corteva Catalyst to advance external technologies that align with the company’s internal R&D strategy – and the importance of staying nimble to seize opportunities and drive outcomes whether they are joint ventures, acquisitions, investments or traditional collaborations. 
• Wendy’s perspective on where we’re at in the evolution of biotechnology, what’s emerging and how artificial intelligence (AI) is speeding up – and de-risking – the scientific discovery process. 
• What does AI bring to the future of a partnership like that of Corteva and Pairwise? 

• What exactly is the bioproducts market and how is demand growing? 
• How BioBond’s sustainable adhesives and protective coatings created a eureka moment for Marc as a serial entrepreneur. 
• The Generation Food Rural Partners Fund and its partnership to help BioBond grow its business in rural Indiana. 
• BioBond’s strategy as a technology execution platform that licenses from universities and how its position near Purdue has created opportunities for innovation + talent. 
• Indiana farmers as a critical piece to BioBond’s future and how the state is a perfect storm of location, logistics and people to aid in their success. 
• What’s ahead for BioBond? Hint: continued focus on the customer and of course, revenue. 

Farmer Focused Innovation 

1. AGCO and Trimble come together via a joint venture acquisition – listen to Andrew Sunderman from AGCO here; 
2. Corteva Catalyst launches as a new investment and partnership platform designed to accelerate the development of early-stage, disruptive technologies for farmers – listen to Corteva’s Tom Green here;  
3. Gripp wins the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge to reduce administrative burden faced by farmers – listen to Tracey Wiedmeyer from Gripp here. 

BioInnovation 

1. Primient and Sustainea announce $125 million investment to establish Lafayette, Indiana as the world’s largest Bio-MEG facility for bio-based plastics;  
2. AgroRenew breaks ground on an $83 million Indiana-based production facility to leverage the power of the region’s melon crop to produce bio-based plastics – listen to Brian and Katie Southern from AgroRenew here;  
3. BioMADE announces Indiana as one of six finalists to compete for the next chapter of bioinnovation infrastructure – listen to BioMADE’s Melanie Tomczak here. 

Food is Health 

1. Anu wins the HungerTech Innovation to better connect food supply with food demand using technology – listen to Anu’s Scott Massey here;  
2. Purdue and Elanco announce the OneHealth Innovation District to establish a globally recognized research innovation district dedicated to optimizing the health of people, animals, plants and the planet – listen to Jeff Simmons from Elanco here;  
3. Corteva’s $25 million equity stake in Pairwise to accelerate gene editing solutions, providing growers with another critical tool to keep pace with challenges facing food production. 

• Where things stand for the agtech and ag equipment industry right now.  
• How the acquisition of PTx Trimble and the launch of AGCO Ventures has launched a new wave of startup activity in agbioscience. 
• Matching supply and demand of innovation in the industry; Alex also talks initial investments from AGCO Ventures. 
• The AGCO Ventures Thesis and how agriculture’s downcycle impacts their strategy. 
• What challenges are emerging that will require innovation for the farmer, quickly. 
• Her experience with the power of partnership and investment between big companies and startups.  
• The seismic shifts that will drive the next wave of innovation in agbioscience.  

• His journey as a three-time entrepreneur turned university president and how his experience has shaped his approach at Purdue 
• Being on the cusps of the AI revolution, bringing new jobs to market and its elimination of old ones – and its potential to transform the physical world 
• Balancing AI’s opportunity for productivity versus its potential to become an adversarial threat  
• Connecting dots from the past to the future to develop job creation and prosperity in the state – and the critical role of agbioscience to make that happen 
• Purdue has a top 5 college of engineering and a top 5 college of agriculture – and President Chiang talks about the university’s differentiation to drive big outcomes using demand-driven education  
•  President Chiang’s eye on the future of Purdue and its continued service to Indiana    

• The current state of the ag equipment market (not such a spoiler: it’s tough on everyone). 
• Challenges facing farmers when it comes to the maintenance of existing equipment – from depreciation to staff coordination on-farm. 
• The greatest opportunity for innovation in the ag equipment market right now and how Gripp was born. 
• What it’s like for producers to interact with Gripp + their feedback. 
• How their partnership with Purdue DIAL has accelerated growth on the farm. 
• Bringing tech talent back to their roots. 
• What’s ahead for Gripp. 

• The existing gap between farms, food and people – and the opportunity to leverage today’s media landscape to connect all three. 
• His time at Panera and how it shaped his viewpoint on storytelling for brands. 
• How Scott’s background brought him to Make Hay + what the company aims to do. 
• Make Hay’s relationship with Purdue’s DIAL Ventures and High Alpha, and how it’s accelerating their business. 
• Scott’s vision for Make Hay – creating content for food transparency at scale, consumer awareness and farmers at the center of it all. 
• Where Make Hay is at today and what’s ahead. 

- The election's impact on farmers and agbioscience innovation.

- Creating certainty for farmers in this new environment to plan for their operations.

- Bain Capital investment into a merger of Biodyne USA, BW Fusion and Agronomy 365.

- Entrepreneurship Week in Indiana.

- Quadrant coming up on December 4!

- Announcing a winner of the 2024 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge.

We discuss: 

• What are ag biologicals and their role in modern production agriculture. 
• Biologicals as an important piece for growers as they manage a tough farm economy. 
• The challenge of change when it comes to farming practices and the criticality of clearly describing ROI for growers. 
• Movement in the biologicals market from big players like Corteva’s acquisition of Symborg and Stoller. 
• DPH’s focus on differentiation and value to its growers + a deep dive into the conversations they’re having at the farmgate right now. 

The biologicals market has come a long way, but is it still early innings? Alex talks how the technology has evolved what’s on the horizon for DPH Biologicals. 

Sarah gets into regulatory topics – from immigration to sustainability – and talks through what the industry might expect from a second Trump administration, its new players as well as Congress. She also talks innovation, removing barriers to market entry and what lawmakers have to get done in order for farmers to plan for their operations. 

Sarah founded Agri-Pulse with the idea that someone should be telling the story of how policy affects the hard work of farmers and, ultimately, the food we consume. With eyes on the future, Sarah talks what’s ahead for Agri-Pulse and what issues her team has an eye on headed into a new era of leadership in our country. 

Rilynne dives into her accidental discovery of agbiosciences via the Field Atlas Company Tours program and how she instantly saw herself applying a chemistry degree to the industry. She’s been connecting with her peers on campus to share the agbioscience story – and talks their reaction to the opportunities in front of them. 

What are college students looking for as the enter the workforce? Rilynne gets into striving for purpose, doing something you love and making an impact on our world.  

Tremendous troves of data exist on the farm and, surprisingly, Carlos says the problems facing farmers in the U.S. are much the same as they are in Brazil. He gets into decision science and stresses the importance of mindset for tech adoption – despite the size of the farm.  

So how is Sensix uniquely solving this problem? A tech guy at heart, Carlos says he realized the amount of data needed to adequately manage farms. He tells the Sensix story, consolidating software and creating one interface for the farmer.  

In a time of tight farm margins, tech adoption is a tough sell. Carlos dives into their mission for a clear return on investment and putting money in farmers’ pockets in the short and long-term. On his recent visit to Indiana, he marvels at farmers’ data logs, appetite for decisions and looks ahead to what’s next for Sensix. 

From perishability to socioeconomics and beyond, nutrition access has many challenges to overcome. Scott gets into how Anu has brought their innovation to market – from homes to larger community-based organizations such as hospitals, churches, schools and beyond. He talks balance between developing top-notch hardtech and building a business for scale – and emphasizing their mission to not build the biggest tech system for indoor farming, but one that is most distributed. 

As the recent winner of AgriNovus’ HungerTech Challenge, a grant from the National Science Foundation and beyond, there is wind in Anu’s sails. Scott dives into what’s next, staying strategic and his advice to entrepreneurs who aspire to get started. 

Bethany gets into culture as a living organism that needs fed and its foundation being a series of behaviors rather than words. She also talks about culture and brand working together, how their team fosters culture at Beck’s and getting new people integrated into the company successfully – starting with their interview process.  

How does culture keep going as employees age with the company? Bethany stresses the importance of loving and caring in the workplace and how what happens inside the company shows up on the outside of the company. Beck’s has expanded significantly over the last several years and as they’ve scaled, Bethany gets into the notion of “you cannot create culture, you have to catch it.”  

As one of the world’s largest airlines, Anthony gets into Southwest’s proactive approach to sustainable aviation fuel, their investment arm aiding new companies in this space and seeing agriculture and aviation industries come together. He also talks about sustainable aviation fuel as a new market for ethanol producers and the critical role of the Midwest economy – farmers, universities, large-scale airline hubs and more – to lead in this space.  

So what will it take for sustainable aviation fuel to become a reality? Anthony talks economic and environmental sustainability, the current challenges facing SAF consumption and how ethanol producers can begin the process of increasing demand. He also talks alternative feedstocks and other byproducts in SAF production – and the Southwest Airlines investment approach to new technologies that that help bring innovation in this space to market. 

Anthony talks through this journey with Southwest Airlines and their stance of being “one of many.” Airlines are trying to make a big leap in this space and he’s optimistic that small steps forward in this space will create long-term lasting impact. 

Agriculture is a cyclical business and the industry is certainly going through it now. Tim talks managing today for how you want to come out of this economic turbulence, what he hears from farmer customers (hint: it’s realism) and how innovators should be operating for success.  

Where is Intelinair finding their success? Fresh off winning AgTech Data Analytics Company of the Year at the AgTech Breakthrough Awards, Tim talks growing and scaling their business and their continued pursuit of adding tools to their suite that help the farmer make better decisions and – ultimately – save money. 

How does the former leader of Dow AgroSciences and Lindsay Corporation feel about his time as CEO of Intelinair? Tim talks about new challenges, adjusting his mindset to meet the needs of the business and what has him excited as he looks to the future. 

- Artificial intelligence (AI) moving from hype to help + the recent conversation at AgriNovus' QUADRANT with Kristen Owen (Oppenheimer + Co.), Aaron Schacht (BiomEdit) and Brad Fruth (Beck's Hybrids)

- The collaboration and joint venture between Corteva Agriscience and Pairwise (via Corteva Catalyst) -- a $25M investment to advance gene editing

- A recap of NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture) + audio with Chuck Magro (Corteva) and Jeff Simmons (Elanco)

- A preview of our December QUADRANT. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/

Past episodes mentioned:

Aaron Schacht + Eric Bonabeau (BiomEdit): https://podcast.agrinovusindiana.com/public/215/Agbioscience-8a9a4381/7d349933

Elliott Parker (High Alpha Innovation): https://podcast.agrinovusindiana.com/public/215/Agbioscience-8a9a4381/a43e4c6c

Insignum AgTech’s traits allow for the farmer to detect when disease is coming – nearly a week before you would actually see symptoms – an opportunity for farmers to treat with precision and before things are past a point of no return. Kyle gets into the farmer feedback surrounding the technology in action and how it serves as a decision-making tool for their operations. 

Fresh off a win at the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition, Kyle talks scaling via test plots across the Midwest. He also talks great milestones for Insignum AgTech in 2024 and where they hope to be headed in the future. 

Key Takeaways:  

• The farmer perspective headed into harvest including some stress surrounding commodity prices, input costs and declines in farm income levels. 
• Challenges for Land O’Lakes and WinField United ahead of next growing season – from access to labor and investment decisions – and how they’re helping the farmer with those hurdles. 
• Data as a decision driver and the Advanced Acre Rx program as a prescription suite of tools based on a farmer’s most pressing individual needs. 
• The cooperative model as a differentiator for farmers and the emerging innovations that have Leah most excited – including AI biologicals and evolving new markets (Carbon, water, etc.).  

Key Takeaways:  

• The Directions Group’s recent Farmers of the Future research dives into how farmers are evolving, what they need and how his team sees this landscape changing in the future – including consolidation. 
• Agbioscience’s critical role in human health and its impact on our national security and military service.  
• Mark’s work with Indiana farmers to define the critical challenges facing their operations as the launch point for this year’s Producer-Led Innovation Challenge and The Directions Group’s methodology of tackling this feedback. 
• Labor management and administrative burden as huge hurdles for farmers to be successful – and why talking with a farmer will drive better outcomes for innovators. 

Read the study, Producer-Led Innovation Challenge Opportunity Identification, at agrinovusindiana.com/research. 

Lucas dives into the challenge at hand – methane – and Rumin8’s differentiated approach to innovating in this space. Rather than focusing on methane knockdown, their team is redirecting methane emission back into productivity, returning investment back to the producer.

With an uptick in innovation happening in this space, we had to ask: why now? Lucas talks through the rise in focus surrounding cattle, their bold mission to decarbonize 100 million cows by 2030 and the hurdles they’ll face to get there, from regulatory to capital.

Part of his optimism starts with a major event kicking off in Indianapolis this week – the 2nd Rally Innovation Conference. Toph stresses the value of other vertical perspectives, bringing a wide range of expertise together at Rally and what attendees can expect at the event this week (in one word: Toph says to expect magic).

What’s so different about Rally, anyway? Toph acknowledges that innovation doesn’t happen 1 on 1 between investor and entrepreneur and introduces a critical figure to the process: the disparate stakeholder (the figure upon which the event was launched). Between the demo floor, nationally renowned keynote speakers and a multi-million-dollar pitch competition, Rally is designed to bring together leaders across multiple disciplines to drive new, creative waves of innovation.

With over 3,000 attendees in year one, Toph has a big vision for Rally’s sophomore season. This includes keynotes from Tia White, Alex Rodriguez, Marcus Lemonis and Jann Mardenborough (think creative collisions) + fantastic breakout sessions across food and agtech (among other verticals).

Learn more about Rally at rallyinnovation.com. Use code RALLYAgrinovus to get 40% off your ticket.

Tim talks Elanco’s bifurcation between pet and livestock health, the dynamic challenge of bringing innovation to market in both categories and their unique individual challenges and opportunities. He also gets into investment dollars flowing heavily into the pet space – and how to balance that against innovation in livestock as potential to transform our food system and planet.  

Innovation in livestock has been focused largely on methane reduction in cattle and Tim shares Elanco’s approach to creating products for the animal health space while also giving farmers a pathway to economic and environmental sustainability. Tim talks their partnership with Athian, the launch of Bovaer in the U.S. market and Elanco’s role in the future of the agricultural industry.  

How does Elanco view their balance between internal R&D and external partnerships? Tim dives into the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize solutions to problems more quickly and what emerging trends will create a bigger footprint moving forward. He also talks the OneHealth Innovation District coming to Indianapolis, innovating for overall health and what’s ahead.  

Christy dives into what unites farmers and consumers: the desire for a safe, affordable food supply created sustainably. She also gets into the convergence of food and health, Corteva’s role in optimizing nutrition across the globe through farmer inputs and linking arms with food companies to optimize ingredients.  

As food continues to optimize for health, what emerging trends excite Christy? She talks biologicals, regenerative agriculture and other “leveling up” solutions that create healthy crops that meet the needs of a growing population.  

As for how the needs of farmers are being met on the other end of the value chain, Christy also gets into Corteva Catalyst, bringing innovation to market and what she sees as the next chapter of our food system. 

As on-farm technologies continue to advance so does its role in cooperatives’ product portfolio. Kevin dives into Keystone Cooperative’s approach to being a trusted advisor on products and solutions that create value for their farmers – from data management to labor.  

Keystone Cooperative is just a few months old and Kevin gives an update on their people, processes and bringing synergies together. Looking ahead, he talks investing in new technologies at scale and being a conduit between emerging technologies and the farmer. He also gets into the next four decades of agriculture and a new evolution of the farmer.  

• Accelerate 2050 – a new study that highlights three priority opportunities for the agbiosciences including Food is Health, Farmer-Focused Innovation and Farmer-Focused Innovation. We also hear RTI’s Jim Redden’s comments on what these areas of focus mean for Indiana – and around the world. 
• Heartland BioWorks – recently announced a nearly $51 million implementation grant made possible by the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program created by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.  
• Vital Farms – expanding its supply chain to Seymour, Indiana with plans to break ground in 2025 and be fully operational in 2027. This will add 150 new jobs to the area. 
• IBJ 250 – celebrating agbioscience representation on Indiana’s list of most prominent leaders! 
• We are hitting the road for more! West Lafayette and Bedford – join us! Click here to register for these free events: https://agrinovusindiana.com/events/accelerate-2050-driving-growth-in-the-future/ 
• QUADRANT is also back in September. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/ 

Other episodes of Agbioscience mentioned:  

• Dr. Kofi Essel, Elevance Health - https://podcast.agrinovusindiana.com/public/215/Agbioscience-8a9a4381/6d11d81a 
• Dave Roberts + Andrew Kossack, Applied Research Institute: https://podcast.agrinovusindiana.com/public/215/Agbioscience-8a9a4381/22551e39 
•  

Poor diet is one of the leading risk factors for decreased quality of life and premature death. A former pediatrician, Kofi talks about food as medicine being great healthcare and social drivers of health being critical to what happens within the four walls of a doctor’s office. He also stresses the importance of thinking beyond those experiencing food insecurity to nutrition security – ensuring access to the right types of food for their overall health. 

The innovative intersection of human health and food is headed for a revolution – and digital is a big piece of that. Kofi gets into Elevance Health’s role in this space and bridging the gap between nutrition supply and demand. As he speaks on hunger as a pervasive problem in the United States, Kofi talks about the innovative solutions that will be needed – and that includes the AgriNovus HungerTech Challenge – designed to create digital solutions that increase access to food and nutrition.  

How will we know if food is health is making a difference? Kofi talks health outcomes data, costs of healthcare and thinking about nutrition equity no matter your location. 

1. Farmer-Focused Innovation 
2. Food is Health 
3. BioInnovation 

Why these opportunities? Amanda gets into the study’s methodology, marrying economic data with strategic foresight and creating the conditions for a future economy you want. These aren’t ideas bouncing off the wall but are grounded in existing assets that make Indiana unique. She also talks economic data, establishing a benchmark for future competitive analysis and how the data compares relative to other industries.  

This study was largely about the future, so what’s ahead? Amanda talks about possible future scenarios for agbioscience on a global scale and the importance of operating and innovating at unique intersections to drive big outcomes – for people, plants, animals and the planet. 

How do farmers actually manage their books? Dustin says it’s a patchwork of solutions that take lots of time, spreadsheets and occasional uncertainty – something Traction Ag is well positioned to solve. He also gets into the vote of confidence from investors of late, all centered around the idea of improving the economic prosperity of farmers. Dustin also talks about their approach to responsible growth and building something that lasts so that farmers count on it as a trusted source for years to come. 

In a tough time for innovators trying to fundraise, what is Traction Ag doing different? Dustin stresses the importance of demonstrating value, telling your story well and the vision you have for your business. How will AI create more help at the farmgate? Dustin talks about AI not being a hero for bad solutions and how his tech background has paved the way to the opportunities he’s had to date.  

With Jaleh’s rich background in education and focus on science, what unique opportunities have been created for her? She talks doing good for humanity, trailblazing for women in science and seeing innovation through a scientific lens. Jaleh talks investment in agtech being in the “early innings” and big trends getting a lot of traction – including biologicals, gene editing and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Jaleh gets into digital and its potential to transform agriculture – from the farmgate to the dinner plate – and the opportunities to innovate in a tightening farm economy. She stresses the importance of understanding the needs of farmers and her excitement surrounding upstream innovation to create better margins and profitability for farmers around the world. 

For Bodie, everyone’s “why” looks a little different when it comes to the adoption of biologicals and farm economics are certainly a piece of that. He gets into the farmer mindset around adopting innovation to leverage net farm income and Biodyne being an education company to help farmers learn where their dollar has the most value. Bodie also talks about needing economic impact right away but also balancing that belief with the value of economic impact in years two, three, four and five. 

With his experience in ag retail, how has Bodie seen innovation evolve? He talks about positioning, investment and companies being afraid of the unknown. Looking ahead, Bodie talks about that fear being outweighed by the urgency around innovating – and Biodyne USA doing it with speed. 

Hear from animal health innovators including Dr. Johanna Majamaa of GekkoVet and Celine Halioua from Loyal on bringing new solutions to market, the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead in the future. We also dive into Elanco’s announcement of FDA approval for Bovaer, a feed additive for lactating dairy cows that reduces methane emissions.  

We also welcomed nearly 30 college students from campuses across Indiana to tour agbioscience companies over the last month! Hear from Ball State chemistry student, Rilynne Puckett, on her experience and what she learned. 

QUADRANT is coming July 17 in Indianapolis! Register here at agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant. 

Lastly – Agbioscience is adding video! Watch, listen – whichever you prefer.  

How was this bolus developed? Mark talks about the mini pilot that launched Ruminant BioTech and the growing conversation around methane emission suppression. He also gets into factors that are paving the way for innovations like this to emerge and creating value -- starting with the rancher and moving all the way through the food system. 

What makes Ruminant BioTech different than other aiming to mitigate methane emissions? Mark talks about their differentiation, acquiring funding (good returns for doing good) and their plans to scale outside of New Zealand.  

Eve gets into how the platform works and success her team has experienced since spinning out of Scotland’s Rural College. She also talks the importance of partnerships to drive innovation forward.  

With diseases like Avian Flu and African Swine Fever threatening the global food system, how can a tool like MI:RNA help? Eve talks combatting disease in animals and how an increased awareness of microRNA is driving interest in her team’s work. 

From greenwashing to social media allowing people to be “kind of informed” about the state of the planet, Daniel says sustainability has to coexist with strong economics. He dives into how he sees the future of food and Atarraya tackling the fastest-growing source of protein: shrimp. 

Atarraya’s innovation in aquaculture has been evolving for over a decade at this point and Daniel talks about the best resource for developing their technology: conversations with people. And it’s paid off. TIME Magazine named Atarraya one of the top 200 inventions of the year. The team also was a gold recipient of The Edison Award; with all this momentum, where do they go next? 

Daniel talks expanding production, the importance of partnerships and bringing food production back into its natural cycle. 

Leo gets into the company’s evolution since its expansion to the U.S. -- from developing technologies to identify problems to new solutions that also solve them. As a technology company, he also stresses the importance of creating concepts that are tested, refined and – candidly – co-created by farmers. The launch of their Solix sprayer addresses all the things Leo says Solifntec aims to accomplish: to create more food, sustainably, while also making the farmer more profitable.  

As a seventeen-year-old Brazilian company that started in the sugar industry, Leo talks about lessons learned as they’ve grown and expanded into new markets. Farmers plant crops once a year, so listening to their needs is critical to timely success. Leo also shares Solinftec’s objectives for the future and how agtech will continue to evolve. 

Elanco and Purdue announced a OneHealth Innovation District as part of the company’s new campus west of downtown Indianapolis. The facility is designed to deliver and scale up innovation where industry and academia can collaborate including office, wet lab and incubator space. Elanco plans to also contribute up to $2M of initial funding to jumpstart a new Animal Health Ventures Fund to support early-stage innovators, in close coordination with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), to take advantage of available tools and programs that support startup activity in this space. 

From GES it was also announced that Elevate Ventures will launch a new $100M fund focused on cross-sector innovation driven growth stage companies with a $500M total addressable market (TAM) or greater. The fund will commence formation in late Q2 with targets to make first investments in 2025. 

Traction Ag also announced a $10M Series A round led by Cooperative Ventures and joined by Plymouth Growth and existing investors. The investment was designed to support platform development and business growth. 

With feed as a gigantic expense to producers, Ben gets into BinSentry’s technology creating economic efficiency and how better data allows farmers to see things they might not see coming. He also explains BinSentry’s tech platform and being able to manage variables they’ve not been able to before, ultimately impacting their bottom line.   

 How does BinSentry think about the next evolution of AI? Ben talks about the full automation of logistics and planning – and he says we are much closer to that than anyone thinks. 

Where are the greatest opportunities for growth in bioinnovation? Melanie talks cross-sector collaboration and pushing things from early-scale to commercial scale – getting entrepreneurs out of the “Valley of Death.” She also gets into creating resilience and sustainability in U.S. supply chains in a post-pandemic world also experiencing political unrest and geo instability.  

What’s ahead? BioMADE recently named six states (Indiana being one) to a short list of geographies that could fill a need that doesn’t exist in the US today: allowing innovators to start the scale-up process without the investment into new facilities, allowing for emerging technologies and products to flow through the U.S. more quickly. 

Todd also gets into data as a differentiator when it comes to lending and risk management, the current challenges in the agbisocience landscape – from tight commodity markets to interest rates – and how Growers Edge is navigating those waters. He also talks backing innovation for farmer confidence to drive efficient decision-making and creating incentivize gpt farmers alongside ag retailers.  

As experts in fintech, how does Growers Edge see themselves when it comes to the adoption of new and emerging technologies? Todd talks about where the company has been, where it’s headed and how he sees the next chapter of agtech coming to fruition.    

From taste to mouth feel, Tim gets into Maizly’s differentiated product and functionality. He also talks about its environmental impact versus other milk alternatives and Maizly’s commitment to sustainability – from product creation to packaging.  

Why milk? And why corn? Maizly’s founding expands well beyond a business getting off the ground. Tim discusses their passion project in Sub-Sarahan Africa, nutrition access for infants as a challenge and their ability to deliver life-saving solutions to young babies.  

As Tim looks ahead at Maizly, the U.S. market is on the horizon; so what’s next? He talks working with corn growers, who is driving the next wave of food innovation (hint: he thinks there is a lot of smaller competitors coming) and when Maizly will hit store shelves and e-commerce sites near you. 

He also gets into big announcements and items on the move as it relates to bioinnovation, including an investment announcement from Liberation Labs and conversations with BioMADE.  

Innovators also made big moves this month and Mitch gets into students winning big at the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Annual Soybean Innovation Competition. And oh yeah, we’ve got details on this year’s HungerTech Innovation Challenge winner, Anu, and their unique value and potential to deliver nutrition to homes across the world.     

Also, an invitation for college students over the age of 18. Join us for upcoming Field Atlas Company Tours coming up in May and June. Learn more and register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/2024/04/09/field-atlas-agbioscience-company-tours/  

Courtney talks Brazilian companies seeking to understand the U.S. market, and the shared opportunities and challenges for farmers selling commodities in Mexico. There may be a cameo in this episode – shout out to Governor Holcomb – and Courtney talks through how trips like this one shape the future of our state’s economy.  

How low for how long? That’s a big question for the markets and one Scott dives into during the discussion. He also talks about his book, Back to the Futures, looking at the ag markets as an implication on the broader economy and educating a widespread audience using stories from his childhood on an Iowa farm.  

Now this isn’t a hot take: Elliott believes in efficiency, but not as a lone strategy. He talks about controlled chaos, a systematic approach to experimentation and uncovering ideas to challenge things we think we know. 

So what do companies do? Elliott talks new funding mechanisms, finding the best home for innovations to grow and being contrarian to win over the long-term. 

The Illusion of Innovation comes out tomorrow, April 16. Learn more here. 

From ingredient labels being more closely examined by savvy shoppers to the uptick of wellness-related products gaining more traction, Lorelei lays out what is driving consumer behavior and purchase patterns. She also gets into data creating insights for food companies to get the ultimate in-store commodity: shelf space.  

Mitch and Lorelei take time to walk through consumers’ increased focus on health, GLP-1 drugs, how it’s shaping what goes in grocery carts and the food system’s response. How does a focus on health function in a tightening economy? Lorelei says food is first and a “better for you” lifestyle is staying resilient in these times. She also looks ahead to trends we could see impacting the food space and how that impacts consumers – no matter their budget.  

In a time where it could be easy to say no to new tech or innovation, how does AGCO differentiate? Andrew talks control and accuracy, usability and optimizing outcomes. From their retrofit tech approach that helps to leverage smaller bets on-farm to improved performance of current equipment, he gets into solving problems that have never been met before and how the joint venture with Trimble will add continuation to their work. 

Show Notes:  

Food Security as National Security Episode with U.S. Senator Todd Young: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/253-food-security-is-national-security/id1412179095?i=1000627443801 

QUADRANT 7/17 registration: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/ 

Field Atlas: https://myfieldatlas.com/ 

Tom talks through the areas of focus for Corteva Catalyst and the types of companies that would be a great fit for the platform. Engaging in technology – no matter the stage – is the approach and he talks about the criticality of their partnership with Corteva’s larger M&A team to drive meaningful results.  

Corteva enters the market with this program at a time when commodity prices are low, investment in agricultural innovation is down and so the question has to be asked – why now? Tom talks about the long-term view that Corteva Catalyst will take, the excitement of being in agbioscience (despite the volatility) and what he envisions for the program in the future.  

Vince talks about the challenges facing Indiana, where we are uniquely positioned to lead and the criticality of collaboration to elevate the state’s profile. Of course we also dive into the idea of plant, animal and human life sciences coming together to create new biotechnology innovation. Vince scratches the surface on what’s possible on the heels of Indianapolis’ designation as a U.S. Federal Tech Hub. 

How does Frank and his team match innovation to the right community? Frank talks customers driving outcomes, the importance of corporate partnerships and the growing list of universities partnering with the firm to create new companies. He also dives into trends in IP across food and agriculture – including cellular meats, bio-based materials and animal management – that are creating a better rural America.  

Looking ahead, how do you create technical companies in rural America that also attract investment? Frank talks about Big Idea Ventures’ secret sauce, making food and ag an investment clear of confusion and their call to the rest of venture capital: come join us, we welcome your competition and it’s necessary to feed a growing world, sustainably. 

Elizabeth also talks new applications and ensuring innovation is accessible. She talks Amazon’s Project Kuiper to increase global broadband access, providing service to early customers by the end of 2024 and agriculture’s opportunity to be in the midst of the early customer base.  

As an environmental science major, did she ever think she’d be here? Elizabeth gets into spotting the opportunities to make a difference using innovation and how she sees the future of agtech. 

The 2024 HungerTech tasks innovators with developing market-driven tech models that ensure increased and equitable food distribution that is both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. The winning team will receive $25,000 to help accelerate commercialization of their solution. 

Solutions could find, but are not limited to, opportunities for innovation in the following areas: 

• Infrastructure - current critical inefficiencies exist in capturing, managing and redirecting surplus food from points of excess – such as producers and retailers – to communities grappling with food insecurity (this is exacerbated for perishable goods). 
• Forecasting - deployment of tools for accurately forecasting the production of surplus food and quantifying demand from food-insecure populations have significant deficiencies. 
• Preservation - there are shortfalls in current food preservation technologies to prolong shelf life of perishables without detracting nutritional value or safety. 

Registration to join this year’s HungerTech Innovation Challenge closes March 12. Learn more and connect with Geoff at agrinovusindiana.com/hungertech. 

From collaborative partnerships with Nutreco and funding from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, what’s ahead for BiomEdit? Aaron and Eric get into new challenges, leveraging the microbiome to reduce methane emissions in cattle and taking advantage of studying things in animals that can be translated to humans. 

Show Notes: 

QUADRANT is coming 3/6. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/ 

HungerTech Innovation Challenge registration closes 3/12: https://agrinovusindiana.com/hungertech/ 

Kristen Owen, Oppenheimer + Co. Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-ai-moving-from-hype-to-help/id1412179095?i=1000641950597 

Originally launched in Canada, Kevin talks through CCE’s 5 million tons of ag carbon offsets, the $50 million dollars for Canadian farmers and how Trimble plans to roll this program out in the United States. From data security to education, he also talks about the challenges of carbon markets today and their potential for growers and CPG companies in the future.  

In the launch of Connected Climate Exchange, what has Trimble learned? Kevin says it’s about keeping the grower first in mind, connecting sellers and buyers in the marketplace and continuing to tell the story of its measured impact on the climate. 

Sarah gets into Barn Owl’s inception, creating new innovation to supplement a massive labor problem and listening to what growers need today, tomorrow and what would be nice in the future. She dives into how a Barn Owl robot functions and what factors are driving the need for more agility on-farm. As a serial minded entrepreneur, Sarah also provides insight into launching an idea into a business, creating solutions to problems and making a difference through your work (even when it hurts).  

Ag equipment today has more in common with an airplane than a pickup truck and there is an under-appreciated level of knowledge required to operate this machinery. Ryan talks about Premier’s cutting-edge work-based training program with Ivy Tech designed for workers to better understand and function in high-tech agriculture. He notes the ripple effect of talent starting in the program and learning more about the industry, and the earning potential for someone in the program. 

Mitch Frazier recently joined Ryan’s podcast, The High Ground, which can be heard here.

GRYFN focuses on remote sensing and spatial data to help automate business processes and bring objectivity to time-intensive, human work like plant breeding. Matt gets into the question they’re always asking: what else? From defense to oceanography, he talks about a creating a wide swath of tools to create multiple insights that solve problems across different industries. 

As a CEO, Matt gives us his entrepreneurial leadership lessons, too. He talks about providing clarity on your value proposition, pricing discipline, knowing what you’re good at and hitting base hits rather than home runs.  

Listen to Matt’s past episode of Agbioscience here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-30-asking-new-questions-on-using-big-data-in-ag/id1412179095?i=1000433274065 

But her advocacy wasn’t always on behalf of the farmer. Michelle talks about her time on Rodeo Drive, her once belief in the misinformation surrounding agriculture and how life changes also changed her mindset. Whether it’s biotech or artificial intelligence (AI), she talks about how she’s approached those topics with consumers – hint: it starts with empathy for those who are trying to learn more.  

What excites Michelle about the future of agbioscience and modern agriculture? From animal health to plant science, she talks about the future of our food and how farmers will continue to do more with less. 

From global turbulence to urban sprawl and a growing population, how does AgReliant view their next wave of innovation to meet the demands that evolve globally? As Brian says, that corn kernel is more like a microchip than anything else and getting everything you can out of the plant will remain their focus. From gene editing to analytic tools, the new wave has just begun.  

What’s ahead for AgReliant Genetics? Brian says it starts with AgReliant’s people and doubling down on what they do best. 

One of the big ones from CES? Artificial intelligence (AI). With the cost of capital still high, AI has a chance to move from hype to help. Kristen examines where it can impact productivity in agriculture – from equipment to the bio-economy – to reduce variability for farmers’ operations. 

As we brace for economic turbulence, what does Kristen see ahead for the broader food and ag economy? She talks about the investment landscape that will impact the next wave of agbioscience innovation, austerity creating opportunity and the one big trend she sees for the industry in 2024. 

All the right factors came together to make this new company possible. Knox County is known for specialty crop production (watermelons, cantaloupe, pumpkins) and the Southerns have worked closely with The Pantheon to bring this idea to life. Brian and Katie talk about the science behind the product, their long-term vision to blend with other crop waste streams and contributing to a circular economy that generates more sustainability in the agbiosciences. 

So what comes next? Brian and Katie discuss their long-term objectives and potential, adding value to the farmer’s operation and the timeline of getting AgroRenew plastics in stores. 

Tyre joins us today to talk about how Elanco thinks about innovation for both farm animal and pet health, what the company is uniquely positioned to solve and how that mindset focuses her team when it comes to bringing new products to the market. She also gets into the importance of partnerships when it comes to innovation, spinning out technologies and striking the right balance to create the most value to farmers and pet owners.  

As a career scientist, what has Tyre seen as the biggest advances in the industry over the last two decades? And how do those set the tone for the next 20 years and what’s to come? Tyre talks automation and the intersection between human and animal health solutions. She also gives advice to future scientists looking for their role in the agbioscience industry. 

Listen to Dr. Jennifer Miller’s episode on Elanco’s monoclonal antibody for Parvovirus in puppies here.

Indiana has evolved rapidly under his leadership and Holcomb has established a new approach to economic development – from the READI program and the LEAP concept just north west of Indianapolis, to name a few. How do these assets shape our future? Holcomb talks about being ready for what's coming and making sure we’ve not put our eggs in one industry basket. He also talks leadership, having a plan and being ready to keep eyes and ears open to adapt to the moment. 

Heading into the fourth turn (a little IndyCar reference), where is Holcomb focused? This is our time, he says, and carpe diem. And because we like basketball in Indiana – it's time to step up to the line, block out the boos and knock down those important shots to make great things happen. 

In the meantime, take a walk back through 2023 with us – from agtech consolidation to new companies emerging, Indiana has a lot to celebrate. We talk about the big themes in agbioscience over the last year, how the industry is evolving and emerging trends we feel are here to stay for a while. You’ll hear from past guests and get a glimpse on what to expect in the new year.  

FiberX, the winning team of this year's challenge, works with corn growers to source and convert corn stover into a feedstock for the chemical and materials sectors. The company’s product portfolio includes natural fiber-reinforced plastic polymer pellets and fiber for the plastic injection molding industry, focusing on customers producing durable products for long-term use such as outdoor furniture. Their team, comprised of Dave Skibinski, Wade Lange and Tom Santelli, has already received a Manufacturing Readiness Grant from Conexus Indiana and an Innovation Voucher for Elevate Ventures. As winners of the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, FiberX receives $25,000 to help accelerate commercialization of their solution. 

Dave Skibinski joined us following the winners announcement to talk about how the FiberX team will use their $25,000, creating new revenue streams for the farmer and what's ahead for their company.

Asking “what if” has been the cornerstone of Karen’s career and she talks all things innovation at Purdue and where they see their greatest opportunities for impact – from agbioscience to aerospace. As the former dean of the College of Agriculture,  she explores the idea that technologies across different disciplines have meaningful effect on food. Karen also talks research influencing legislation, commercializing and conducting basic research that will drastically improve lives in the future. 

So, what are the next gigantic leaps for Purdue? Karen talks about students being at the core of the university’s success, new intersections for driving change and agbioscience’s critical role in the future. 

The daughter of an immigrant, Audre found her love for the food space when her mother opened up a bakery. That love took her on a professional journey to s2g Ventures where she focuses on helping their nearly 100 portfolio companies in food and agriculture thrive. She gets into solutions that create more balance across the value chain, removing the brunt of risk and cost to the farmer and aligning financial incentives to drive impact. Audre also talks about the importance of having farmers at the discussion table when it comes to innovation and what she’s seeing in terms of valuation, time to close and how entrepreneurs and investors are working together during a tumultuous time; she stresses patient capital in the agbiosciences as being important. 

So what will the capital landscape look like in the future? Audre talks big corporate investment, aligning incentives for all stakeholders to drive innovation and how she sees the agbiosciences evolving from an era of great moderation to one of great volatility. 

How will farmers play a role in the new innovative energy sources coming to market? Matt talks about lessons learned from E-85 and how changing the gasoline standard could open up a wide array of new options for fuel (and agriculture). He also looks ahead and how CountryMark will continue to innovate to stay reliable and serve the farmer. 

Becky talks all things poultry in Indiana – ranging from key innovators like Miller Poultry and Maple Leaf Farms – to the well-informed at-home farmer with a smaller flock. She also dives into turkey’s growing presence in many forms (deli meats, sausage links and more) on your grocery store shelves, With poultry demand on the rise, where are the opportunities for innovators to disrupt the industry? Becky talks nutrition, genetics and environment as spaces ripe for new discoveries and how poultry farmers approach adoption of new innovations. She talks about the critical role of Indiana corn and soybeans to poultry farmers’ success and what’s ahead for the industry. 

What is parvovirus, how is it caused and what were the treatment options before Elanco’s breakthrough monoclonal antibody? Dr. Miller talks about its severity, its commonality and why this innovation was so critical for puppy owners. She also gets into the years it takes to bring innovation to market and the rewarding feeling of watching it save lives in clinics across the country.  

How does this become the next wave of innovation at Elanco? Dr. Miller talks about the transferable opportunities to other animals and to human health. She also gets into the collaborative spirit working to advance the innovation ecosystem and what she sees as the future of animal health. 

What exactly is wargaming and how can it impact agriculture? Mark talks about its nexus of art and science, understanding the industry better today – and tomorrow. Geopolitical tension continues to spread across different parts of the globe. How will uncertainty drive innovation? Marks lays out our opportunities, science creating new efficiencies and asking a really important question: who are the farmers of the future? And what will they require of us? 

They talk about how the tech hub came to be, Indiana’s strengths on the balance sheet – from agbioscience to advanced manufacturing – and our ability to collaborate across industries in the application process. A question you might have: what exactly is a tech hub? Dave and Andrew get into what the Heartland Bioworks tech hub means for Indiana, our future potential and how see animal, plant and human science coming together to advance the state’s economy. 

Scott talks all things company culture and keeping that as you grow and scale a business. He also reflects on returning to the company after graduating from Purdue in 1987 (he was the 12th employee), shifting their focus from being a seed company that has marketing to becoming a marketing company that has seed, and viewing all things through the lens of the farmer. That includes relationships with many agbioscience companies to bring diversity and value to the farmer.  

What’s ahead for Beck’s Hybrids? More of the farmer, of course. Scott talks R&D, looking into the future to help the farmer and how he sees the company innovating in the future. 

David talks about getting the economy you want versus the one that comes to you, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) becoming a strategic organization and agbioscience’s role in building our state’s future. He also gets into Indiana’s evolving talent pipeline and creating the necessary tools for companies to fill jobs. David also talks about growing the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, venture’s growth and opportunities in Indiana and shaking the humble Hoosier mindset.  

With all this momentum and a little bit of time left under Governor Holcomb’s administration, what’s next for IEDC? David looks ahead at what needs to be done, the strength of their team to make it happen and his excitement for Indiana’s future. 

From his travels to The Netherlands to Indonesia, he gets into the unique challenges each country faces, how Indiana farmers can help solve those challenges to meet the needs of the world’s markets. He also talks about gleaning inspiration from other countries that could validate and improve the great work we already do here. No matter where they're at in this world, farmers speak a universal language; so what did their shared communication look like on the trip? Ben talks common themes and conversations taking place in agriculture across the world. 

Matt also gets into sustainability, balancing flavor and water to create delicious, shelf-stable food at commercial scale, and the growing list of partners in collaboration with True Essence Foods. As the company recently announced a $27.6M growth investment from AFM Capital Partners, what do they plan to do next? Matt talks all things expansion – both in terms of equipment and talent – in order to grow and scale the business. 

How is the dairy industry evolving? Tamara talks about perception versus reality, dairy being more than just beverages and driving efficiency to create sustainability and profitability for farmers and the planet. She also talks about their solution being shaped by farmers, gleaning innovative inspiration from other sectors and what’s ahead for EIO Diagnostics. 

Helping entrepreneurs flourish is what the Global Entrepreneurship Network does – no matter where they are located across the globe. Mark and David get into what the conference entails, why they chose Indiana as their destination for 2025 and the rapidly evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem across the state. Indianapolis will be the first U.S. city to host the conference since it was originally founded and there will be a chance for Indiana to spotlight its entrepreneurs. What people can do ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress to prepare for what’s to come? All that and more is here; learn more. 

Rachel also talks about her gut check moment of choosing to grow Revival Food Company instead of staying small, the challenges of being a female founder and connecting with Walmart to get her products into 1,000 stores in 2020. Revival is focused on bringing new energy to the market, so what’s next? Rachel talks about the future of her company and what consumers can expect as she continues to grow (hint: it’s well beyond nut butters). 

Revival Food Company was a finalist for the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition. To learn more, click here. 

How does John Deere balance the creation of their own tech versus acquisition? Aaron gets into how they walk that line, marrying strengths and how Smart Apply came to be a part of their portfolio. How will this next chapter of innovation unfold? Aaron leans into the discussion of a growing population and less land creating challenges for the farmer – and John Deere’s readiness to answer that call across the globe to enable farmers to be more efficient to grow more food with less resources than ever before.  

They get into how they are approaching the challenge of feeding more people with less resources, how funding will impact new innovators entering the market and streamlining new innovation from the outside looking in (rather than internally at large companies). How do companies think about internal research and development versus acquiring innovation from the outside? Brook and Jeff break down their approach in this area, collaborating cross sector to drive new solutions into the market and doing what you’re good at (or as Brook says: fit and focus). 

What innovations do Brook, Audre and Jeff see as potential game changers for the agbioscience? They discuss emerging technologies, sustainability as profitability and barriers that exist that keep innovation from the farm gate. 

Once deemed by Senator Young as “a moral imperative,” he dives into hunger within our country’s food system, the proximity to anarchy and crises when food access is removed and the importance of sustaining and nurturing these systems to keep our nation secure. He also talks about the role of innovation in creating better food security, The CHIPS and Science Act to enable this innovation and Indiana’s enviable position to lead the way in creating a better food system for a growing population.  

She gets into the emerging trends surrounding plant-based foods for humans and animals, approaching the direct-to-customer subscription sales model and her plans to grow and scale PawCo (hint: it involves the Midwest). Masha also talks about her advice to entrepreneurs and what’s ahead for her company. 

PawCo Foods was announced as the winner of the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition and could receive up to $1M in funding for her company. Learn more here. 

From delivering the student newspaper at Purdue University at night to cover costs of growing his business, Scott talks about habout his entrepreneurial journey, his Purdue roots helping to get his innovation off the ground and what consumers could expect from the company’s gropod system in their home – from leafy greens to tomatoes and herbs.  

With momentum on his side, including a READI grant to manufacture his systems, the question remains: what’s the long-term goal for Anu? Scott gets into his vision for the company and the rewarding feeling of connection consumers to nutrition. 

About Anu

Anu™ is a health and wellness brand that empowers consumers to grow Pure Produce® within the convenience of their homes through their proprietary Rotary Aeroponics® technologies. 

This 'Nespresso for plants' business model supplies consumers with recurring seed pod subscriptions to sustainably grow Pure Produce that has superior flavor, nutrition, and food safety. 

Anu was founded by former Purdue University NASA research engineers, and is now commercializing these technologies funded by the Purdue University Research Foundation Venture Capital Fund, the NSF (National Science Foundation) to develop computer vision AI algorithms, and State of Indiana Manufacturing Grants accelerating their seed pod mass manufacturing capabilities to support commercial partnerships. 

From brain dates to a $5 million pitch competition, high-level keynote speakers like Moira Gunn and Peyton Manning, Toph gets into what visitors can expect from the event in downtown Indianapolis (hint: Peyton Manning opens for an AgriNovus led panel discussion on Thursday at 10 AM).  

Tickets are still available for Rally and single-day passes are also available for purchase. Visit rallyinnovation.com.  

How do you help entrepreneurs grow while you’re also trying to grow a consulting business? Katie and Scott talk about the key ingredients that startups and medium-sized businesses need to consider, slowing down to speed up and making sure you focus as much on whole business growth as much as product growth. They also talk about digging deep into your organization to find great ideas from your team and staying curious to unlock new potential.   

Dominique gets into AI as it relates to agbioscience, Corteva’s partnership with The Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp and bringing high school students along to learn more about their future career opportunities; hint: there’s another one coming soon and an opportunity to register! She gets into what students can expect from Camp Corteva, where to apply at markcubanai.org/cortevaai and how the camp paves the way for young people to imagine the future of AI.  

Ting also talks about investor interest in agbioscience and driving momentum using the customer voice. As the past Chief Investment Officer at Elevate Ventures, she lays out quick tips for entrepreneurs getting ready to make their first pitch including and how to create an “aha” moment rather than a “so what” moment. Ting also lays out for big companies the benefits of working with startups and entrepreneurs to expand their portfolio of solutions and looks ahead at agtech and its acceleration in Indiana. 

Scott is no stranger to startups. He gets into his passion for starting and growing businesses, what Croft aims to solve through innovation and what it would mean for the challenge to go un-solved. Farms struggle to find seasonal talent to help their operations run efficiently and Scott dives into the H2A program, the experience for the farm operator and the employee and how this streamlined option creates better trusting work relationships on both sides.  

So why does an IU grad get into a venture studio at Purdue University? Scott gets into the go-to-market resources and opportunity to collaborate with a base of professionals that allow them to accelerate quickly and optimize their product. He also talks Indiana’s agtech ecosystem and what’s ahead for Croft. 

Sofia talks about data science informing better decision making, Bayer’s approach to innovation and the average day of a data scientist in agbioscience. She gets into the company’s partnership with The Data Mine at Purdue University and enabling students from various backgrounds to understand the application of data science in the agbioscience. Diving into data making a better world, Sofia shares her advice for young people considering their career and agbioscience being a good fit for them. 

Bernie gets into Purdue’s growth story in the years he’s served at the university, their big focus on driving innovation and entrepreneurship and looking beyond agbioscience in the College of Agriculture. He talks about his deep connection to engineering, Purdue’s unique strength in partnerships and bringing those together to grow and accelerate meaningful connections.   

How will Purdue continue working to meet the talent needs of a growing agbioscience industry? Bernie gets into the sector’s pace of change and helping students to adapt to that as they enter the workforce. He also talks about Purdue’s innovation portfolio, research paving the way for it to happen and what’s ahead at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture.  

Doug also talks about the opportunity at the intersection of biofuels and fossil fuels, electrification’s role in the energy transition and getting more resources from the surface of our land rather than from the center of the Earth. He also talks about the potential for agriculture globally being currently untapped, creating market conditions for countries dependent on agriculture to succeed with biofuels and our ability to feed the world (and then some) while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change through the production of biofuels. 

What can we learn from ethanol’s emergence in the early 2000s? Doug dives into its rejuvenation of rural America, expanding that impact globally and what’s ahead for this growing piece of the agbioscience economy (including the opportunities for decarbonization).  

Andy gets into the opportunity for GeniPhys to cross into multiple verticals, how the agbiosciences help the company to source their collagen and working alongside Indiana’s 5th nationally ranked pork production industry to make this a statewide success story. He also gets into GeniPhys’ fundraising to date and their plans for refining the manufacturing process, adding talent to their team and what’s ahead as they grow and scale. 

Kristen gets into what an equity researcher does, her focus on agbioscience (hint: it’s expansive) and big trends that are emerging in our current economic cycle. She also talks about allocating capital where it can make a difference, informing investment decisions and the application of technologies in other spaces to drive agbioscience innovation forward. In a time where inflation is high, supply chains are flimsy and challenges loom, agbioscience is finding the opportunity for new technologies and innovation in the space.  

How does Kristen see this cycle of innovation driving forward? Kristen sees opportunity for mature technologies, finding scale and moving from single-opportunity innovation to being multi-faceted solutions. She also talks plant science, sustainability and continuing to do more with less.  Lastly, she talks about other industries shaping the future of agbioscience and vice versa, acquistions and what’s ahead for our industry. 

How do you create truly tasty food and do it sustainably? Simran talks about True Essence Foods’ focus on preserving texture, flavor and consistency of foods through their technology and removing “off-flavors” to eliminate sharp bites that can be unpleasant to eat. In a world where food insecurity is a macro challenge, she also examines the role of technology to connect food supply with food demand.   Simran looks ahead to how food companies can leverage innovation to do what they already do, better, and what’s ahead for True Essence Foods.    

As a country so well resourced, how do we address a growing problem that is food insecurity? Shantanu gets into our HungerTech Innovation Challenge, digital connections creating better access to food and nutrition and it being a part of the Elevance Whole Health toolkit for their users. He also talks about nutritious food as a right in America, kicking the stigma surrounding SNAP and how Elevance Heath views innovation in nutrition security. To learn more about Elevance Health’s investment in food and nutrition security, click here. 

Jeff talks about the consolidation of co-ops and the evolution of meeting the needs of farmers to fuel growth. He also gets into innovations driving profitable growth, being a source of decision-making for farmers and areas ripe for new opportunities when it comes to development and innovation. So many changes have come in the last ten years – what comes in the next five? Jeff gets into automation, efficiency and systems of accuracy to make sure that the one percent focused on growing and producing food can make that happen for 100% of the population. 

GreenBasket developed CropSpots, a click-and-collect model that delivers farmer’s market goods to areas of frequent community engagement instead of homes. With delivery costs not being covered by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), participants can opt-in for group deliveries that allow that cost to be divided and much more manageable. GreenBasket’s team is comprised of IUPUI students Shreyas Patel, Drishti Dinesh Jogadia, Nisarg Hiteshkumar Rajpura and Aditya Suresh Nair. 

South Bend, Ind.-based Cultivate Food Rescue received a runner-up prize of $5,000 co-sponsored by AT&T and TechPoint. Their platform, ShelfLife, is a customer-facing software solution intended to connect the upstream food supplier and donor in the value chain with a Food Hub central organizer that can easily connect to downstream distribution centers (food pantries) and ultimately the pantry end-user. The company’s model is already in use and has helped to expand the amount of food rescued and distributed to over 2 million pounds per month. Cultivate Food Rescue’s team includes Jim Conklin and Maxxamillion Hamm. 

Learn more about AgriNovus Indiana’s HungerTech Innovation Challenge here.  

The conversation also dives into sustainability and profitability going hand-in-hand, especially during a time of high input prices for the farmer and examining the “must-haves” versus the “would be nice to haves” when it comes to innovation and remaining profitable. What’s on the horizon for animal health? Katie gets into Elanco’s investment into sustainability across species, providing farmers and ranchers the data tools to make more informed decisions and changing the conversation around food animal production and environmental impact.  

The state is home to over 700 dairy farms and, together, provide a home for more than 174,000 dairy cows (generating more than 4.5 billion pounds of milk per year). Today we are joined by Jenni Browning, CEO of American Dairy Association of Indiana, to talk all things nutrition, consumer-focused innovation and the diversity of product and technology found on the state’s dairy farms. Jenni also gets into innovation on dairy farms as she sees it today, how it’s feeding growth to the industry and its potential for transformation in the future. Lastly, she talks the platform of Indiana dairy farmers, being an upfront feature and tradition for The Greatest Spectacle in racing a la The Indianapolis 500 and how dairy can and will continue for future generations. 

To learn more about the tradition of dairy at The Indianapolis 500, click here.