Agbioscience

The agbioscience story is one worth telling in many aspects and that’s exactly what Delaney Howell-Groth has done in her career. The ag journalist turned founder of AgCulture Marketing joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about shaping the story of companies across the industry, having affinity for rural America and innovation driving the food system. Delaney also talks about unlocking emotions alongside facts, new technologies as a story and an industry that’s ripe to create excitement and vibrancy in rural communities across the country.

About 25% of U.S. farm products by value are exported annually. That global market fuels demand for producers and the companies that serve them across the Midwest. Ben Forsythe, Director of Sustainability and Value Creation with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, is just back from a global trip to visit some of those foreign markets and joins us today to share new perspective on the markets and the opportunities they create for innovation. 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.

From chocolate to food innovation, True Essence Foods has taken a disciplined approach to making food ingredients taste better. This week, founder and CEO, Matt Rubin, joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about what the food supply chain of tomorrow looks like and the technology helping them pave the way. 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 does a recovering journalist make her way into diagnostics? Answer: agriculture (or as she puts it, the cornerstone of human civilization). Tamara Leigh, EIO Diagnostics Co-Founder and CEO, joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about artificial intelligence and machine learning as a tool for detection and prevention of mastitis in dairy cows. As “super athletes of lactation,” she gets into dairy cows’ productivity, the importance of being able to detect for mastitis and how the EIO Diagnostics is integrated into dairy operations. 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.

Agbioscience was in Melbourne, Australia last week for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress – a gathering of more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, investors and organizations from more than 120 counties - all focused on supporting startups and building the economy of the future. During the conference, the United States – particularly Indiana took center stage. Today we are joined by Mark Marich, EVP of the Global Entrepreneurship Network and David Watkins, Senior Vice President of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, to talk about the conference and its future plans to bring the conference to Indiana in 2025. 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.

From her days as a dance major at Indiana University to the possibility of opening up her own aerial yoga studio, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit runs through Rachel Klein’s veins. This week, the co-founder and CEO of Revival Food Company, joins us to walk through her journey as a food entrepreneur, how the company has grown and scaled to date and what it’s like to be an Indiana startup. 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.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, edge computing … all new disciplines of science that are transforming the future. And, they are as close as the nearest farm field thanks to today’s guest and his team of engineers and technologists. Aaron Wetzel, John Deere’s Vice President, Production and Precision Ag Production Systems, joins us to talk about his journey through the agbiosciences, tech transforming the industry and the company’s recent acquisition in Indiana. 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.

Leaders from agbioscience juggernauts gathered on stage at the Rally Innovation Conference last month to talk about the growing, evolving sector and what’s ahead for the agbiosciences in terms of both challenges and opportunities. This week, we bring the panel to you. Brook Cunningham, Chief Strategy Officer at Corteva Agriscience, Audre Kapacinkskas, Principal at S2G Ventures and Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco, have a candid discussion on their vision for the future of food and innovating to feed a growing population. 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.

Twenty-two years ago, terrorists took to the sky and transformed airplanes into weapons. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the attacks. The nation and the world responded, and much has changed since to enhance U.S. National Security. One area that remains a significant area of focus is here in agbioscience – specifically the food system. To help define this challenge and how the Nation is responding is a former Marine and a national security expert. Today we are joined by U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana to talk about his military service, the events of 9/11 unveiling just how vulnerable Americans were and the correlation between food security and national security. 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.

From the outside looking in, most would be shocked to learn that Mahsa Vazin was once afraid of dogs. The PawCo Foods founder went from a career in chemistry and nanoscience to plant-based diets for humans in her role at Impossible Foods – and eventually, her work trickled into pet animals. AgriNovus spoke with Mahsa during the Rally Innovation Conference in Indianapolis to talk about gaps in the pet food market, key allergens in dogs and her fast-growing line of fresh, plant-based dog foods. 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.

Only 9% of adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s a startling statistic that one agbioscience innovator is seeking to improve through at-home technology. Today we are joined by Scott Massey, founder and CEO of Anu, to talk about his gropod technology paving the way for greater food access and sustainability. 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 AnuAnu™ 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.

Innovation is something often discussed but is often under executed across sectors. Earlier this year, the agbioscience economy witnessed a powerful commitment to cross-sector innovation when global ag giant Corteva announced plans to create a new low Carbon fuel with oil giant Chevron and ag processor Bunge. Inspiring more of these cross-sector innovations is believed to hold tremendous opportunity for creating the economy of the future, and today’s bonus guest is laser focused on making that happen with a new event that is underway. Toph Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures and the mastermind behind the Rally Innovation Conference in Indianapolis, joins us to kick off Rally’s inaugural year and talk about our opportunity to bring together disparate stakeholders across innovative sectors to drive new ideas and creative collisions to move faster than before. 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.

Their combined experience in agbioscience leadership has paved the way for Katie Sauer and Scott Keetle’s venture into helping industry companies grow and scale. This week, the Ephiphium Advising co-founders join us to talk about helping companies find their innovative spirit, using insights to help agbioscience companies grow and creating processes and procedures to enable business success. 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.

Artificial intelligence is projected to be among the fastest-growing jobs through 2027 based on survey results highlighted by World Economic Forum earlier this year. Known as AI, the discipline is making an impact on agbioscience, and today’s guest is partnering with a well-known celebrity’s foundation to ensure the agbioscience economy has the AI talent it needs. Dominique Pianeli, Senior Product Manager from Corteva, joins us to talk tech as a way of expressing her creativity and building tech platforms as a way of solving problems being huge in all sectors – from MySpace to Hobby Lobby, enter her career in agbioscience. 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.

Less than 1 percent of startups in the world are funded by venture capital, yet venture remains the focus for many seeking to advance innovation. Today’s guest is a veteran of the venture capital community and is here to shed more light on the role of venture and share a few tips for startups and big companies alike. Ting Gootee, CEO of TechPoint, joins us to talk capital connectivity in startups, big companies investing to create strategic product consolidation and how the venture community is evolving in the Midwest at large. 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.

The labyrinth of navigating foreign worker programs is one that is navigated by many … including many here in agbioscience. It’s a dizzying maze of service providers, forms, agencies and advisors, and it’s a system that a new startup connected to Purdue University is seeking to improve. Today we welcome agtech company Croft founder and CEO Scott Prince. 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.

There will be more than 13,000 job openings annually across the U.S. for data scientists until 2031 – that’s according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics who also shares the median wages for those jobs will be more than 100,000 dollars. These numbers are big and they are across agbioscience. Dr. Sofia Brandariz Zerboni, Senior Data Scientist with Bayer, joins us to share her perspective on the opportunity and new partnerships making data science more accessible to companies and students across the Midwest. 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.

Rankings are important. They provide a quick measure of relative strength, but sometimes the story of how those rankings were made possible are lost. Today’s guest has invested more than three decades delivering the work to make rankings like #3 college of agriculture in North America and #1 Agricultural and Biological Engeering graduate program a reality. He’s a great partner for agbioscience innovators and he is the new Dean of the Purdue University College of Agriculture -- Dr. Bernie Engel. 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.

Renewable fuels and oils – those made from plants – are expected to grow more than tenfold in the next decade in the U.S. alone. Today’s guest is a veteran of the industry and has a unique view of the role plants and agbioscience can and will play in the energy transition. Doug Berven, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at POET, join us to talk about the company’s evolution from family farm struggling to make it to 35 years later being the largest bio-processor in the United States -- and the largest biofuels producer in the world. 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).

The intersection of human health and agbioscience is one rarely discussed, but it is one that is delivering innovation that may save lives. Today’s guest is long-time human health leader who is turning to agbioscience to develop a solution that could transform the way doctors care for patients with chronic, traumatic or surgical wounds. Andy Eibling, President and CEO of GeniPhys, joins us to talk about his journey from Eli Lilly to the leading the startup that inspires him to continue learning. He also talks about GeniPhys solving a problem that the human body cannot: producing collagen to aid the remodeling process that comes from injury, surgical wounds and more. 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.

Analyzing the performance of publicly traded companies provides unique insight into what’s happening in the global market and a view into what could be ahead for both public and private companies. That’s certainly true in agbioscience with public companies including John Deere, Case, Corteva, Elanco and many more reporting quarterly results. Joining us today is an expert in analyzing public company performance. Kristen Owen is Executive Director, Equity Research at Oppenheimer - a full-service brokerage and investment bank. 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.

About 17% of global food production goes to waste according to the World Economic Forum. It’s a massive challenge, and one Indiana startup is bringing new technology to preserve food, reduce waste … and even improve taste. It’s an incredible story of science and innovation. Today we are joined by True Essence Foods’ Head of IP & Licensing Simran Trana. She gets into her experience in private and public sectors, working with entrepreneurs and her passion for coming for the work being done at True Essence Foods. 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.

More than 34 million people, including nine million children, in the United States are food insecure. It’s a staggering reality that has become a call to action for innovators seeking new approaches to better connect food supply to food demand. Today’s guest is a pioneer in innovating to improve access. Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, Chief Health Officer of Elevance Health gets into the criticality of better nutrition to drive positive health outcomes and innovative, digital worlds colliding to create an ecosystem where food is medicine (and is accessible to all). 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.

Forty chances – that’s the number of times a farmer has in his or her lifetime to optimize growing a crop. It’s also a title of a great book by Howard G. Buffet who describes the realities, challenges, maximization of profit and preservation of legacy that go into the decisions farmers make each season. Critical to optimizing those calculations and managing the complexity, is ag retail or co-ops. And joining us today is the leader of one of the largest coops in the Midwest is Jeff Troike, CEO of Ceres Solutions. 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.

The power of technology to transform how America serves its hungry is the focus of the HungerTech Innovation Challenge. Presented by Elevance Health and supported byShipt, TechPoint and AT&T, this year’s winners join us today to share how they are harnessing the power of innovation and technology to connect food supply with food demand. 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.

Sustainability investments have gained headlines and attracted support and ire of many across the country and around the world. However, one of the leading global animal health companies is proving that innovation is making it possible for sustainability and profitability to coexist. Today we are joined by Katie Cook, Vice President of Farm Animal Global Innovation and Marketing at Elanco. From growing up on a Michigan farm to launching her Elanco career out of college, she talks leading farm animal innovation strategy, what the company is doing today and looking ahead to the future of animal health. Katie talks about Elanco’s growth into pet health, the opportunity for innovation in farm animal to create a positive sustainable impact and the industry’s shift from treating farm animals to preventing disease. 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.

Unlocking the power of data science is a relatively new endeavor for many across the economy. However, one industry was literally built on the concept generations ago; gleaning insights from troves of data, using it to calculate and project risk is the very underpinning of insurance and today’s guest is a veteran of that industry and brings his data-centered approach to agbioscience. Wes Sprinkle, CEO of Indiana Farmers Insurance, joins us as the premiere sponsor of the podcast to dive into data informing decisions and creating opportunities for the innovation economy to solve the biggest challenges farmers face regularly. He also talks on-farm trends backed by data, technology’s role in making farms safer and how collaboration can help manage risk in the future.

The innovation economy and the broader global economy runs on capital and the underlying banking system has experienced significant challenge of late. Since March 2023, three regional banks have failed; most notable: Silicon Valley Bank (a bank with deep connections to venture capital and tech companies). Today we are joined by Aaron Gillum, Senior Vice President at 50 South Capital, to help us make sense of what’s happening and what it means for the future of agbioscience. He gives us an understanding on how the banking system functions and what broke to put us in the position we are in today. Aaron also talks about bank collapses being more common than we realize, the ripple effects of one collapse paving the way for more instability and what is ahead for the macro economy (and venture capital).

Farming is a vocation, a calling that for generations has fed, clothed and fueled the world. As innovation continues to advance and supply chains become even more globalized, the role of the American farmer has never been more important to the future of our economy and our national security. Today we are joined by Indiana Farm Bureau’s executive director of administration, Megan Ritter, to examine serving rural communities and their role in advancing the future of our food system. She also talks about innovation and its connectivity to the farmer, the intersection of food security and national security and its ability to create a better, more politically stable world. What challenges and complexities do farming operations face on a daily basis? Megan dives into that challenging question and the opportunity for new innovation to address those hurdles in the future.

Would it really be May in Indiana if we DIDN’T talk about milk? Each year, Indianapolis is flooded with race fans from around the globe to watch The Indianapolis 500 and its winning driver be presented with a cold glass of milk by an Indiana dairy farmer at Victory Circle. 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.

According to Capital Market’s database, Pitchbook, more than 100 agtech companies were acquired in 2022 and this year is on pace to top that total. The market isn’t far from historic levels, but the question remains: is 2023 the year that agtech consolidation accelerates? On the heels of their own acquisition, Intelinair CEO Tim Hassinger joins us to talk the agbioscience’s biggest hurdles, how those are driving innovation and introducing a new wave of talent to the sector. He also gets into Intelinair’s recent acquisition of Aker Technologies, the winner of AgriNovus’ 2022 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge and what they bring to the company’s technology platform. As agriculture moves through another cycle, what opportunities lie ahead for agtech and this new wave of innovation potentially being equally balanced between quality of product and farmer adoption rate. Read more about Intelinair's acquisition of Aker Technologies here.

Cooperatives have long been an integral part of the production ag system and agricultural economy. Today that role remains and is rapidly evolving as precision agriculture, technology and new entrants like biologicals and biostimulants become increasingly important in the pursuit of farm profitability and yield. Today we are joined by Co-Alliance Chief Strategy Officer, Phil Brewer, to talk about the co-op's rise to the 80-location powerhouse it is today, identifying innovations that hold promise for the farmer and keeping pace with the speed that innovation trickles into the agbioscience economy. He also talks about driving net farm income through data-driven insights, managing risk and the role of the organization in the future to ensure farmer success.

Small businesses of 500 employees or fewer make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses; and of the new jobs created between 1995 and 2020, small businesses accounted for nearly 2/3 (or 12.7 million). Our guest today is a journalist, an author and a bold visionary who sees the next chapter of America’s economy coming from what some may consider to be surprising places. Founder of Times of Entrepreneurship, Elizabeth MacBride, joins us to talk about her coverage of the Middle East, high finance and business paving the way for where she saw her greatest impact as a writer: covering a new wave of cities with emerging innovation ecosystems. She gets into commonly held misconceptions surrounding entrepreneurship, her passion for telling these stories on a national stage and the power of storytelling to create meaningful change. Elizabeth also talks about her recent visit to Indiana to cover small businesses and entrepreneurship and our exceptional (and compelling) strength in agbioscience. How does Indianapolis compare to other cities? And what other cities are in that comparative? Elizabeth tells all. Learn more about her coverage of entrepreneurship. Visit timesofe.com.

Agronomy – the science of soil management and crop production – is critical to advancing the profitability, sustainability and durability of modern agriculture. However, science alone is not enough. An emerging agtech company is combining that science with technology and people to create the next generation of precision crop production. Today we are joined by Advanced Agrilytics CEO, Kay Kuenker, as the company celebrates one million acres of farmland served. From 29.6 years as a mathematician (her words) at Dow Chemical to her leadership at Advanced Agrilytics today, she gets into math and risk assessment paving the way for better on-farm decisions defining her career. She also talks what Advanced Agrilytics does differently, treating sub acre environments to create on-farm efficiency and optimal productivity. Kay also talks about the company’s growth story over the last few years, growing her team five-fold during that time (and the variety of careers they are hiring for) and what’s ahead at Advanced Agrilytics.

About 90% of US seafood comes from abroad, resulting in a $17 billion trade deficit. With a new $10 million grant from USDA, a Purdue professor is working to eradicate that deficit with a new sustainable and integrated aquaponic production system. Today we are joined by Dr. Jen-Yi Huang, Project Director and Associate Professor of Food Science, at Purdue University. He talks about innovation in this area creating more environmental and economic sustainability, and how the Midwest could benefit from aquaponics. Jen also gets into the timelines for products to be commercialized and what’s ahead for his team. Learn more here.

The agbioscience economy is the only economy that touches every person on the Planet given that it centers on food. It’s necessary for life; and for generations, Indiana farmers have served a critical role in the global food supply chain. Now the state has a farmer leading the charge to shape the next chapter of the state’s ag economy and he joins us today. Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), talks with us about always wanting to be a farmer and the season of life being right for him to lead ISDA. Like many Indiana natives, he talks basketball as a metaphor for the role of production agriculture in the agbiosciences. He also gets into farmer adoption of new innovations, his advice to innovators that want to bring a product to market and the role of farmers when it comes to helping companies develop new innovations. He highlights soil conservation, mental health of the farmer and ISDA’s Indiana Grown initiative as three things he sees as big opportunities for the organization in the future.

Indiana soybean production eclipsed more than 330 million bushels in 2022 making it the state’s second-largest commodity crop. Twelve Purdue University student teams set out to transform those soybeans into new products during the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s New Uses Competition and a winner was selected to receive the top prize of $20,000 just a few short weeks ago. Today we are joined by Team StyroSoy, winners of the competition, to talk through their innovative soy-based styrofoam product. They get into the critical problem that current styrofoam packaging presents, their varied backgrounds coming together to create a healthy team dynamic and all the challenges that come when creating a new product. The team also talks about the sustainability aspect of StyroSoy, its ability to serve multiple facets of the packaging industry and what’s ahead for their team. Congratulations to Team StyroSoy! Members include Louis Edwards Caceres-Martinez, of Bogota, Colombia, a PhD student at the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue University; Alyssa Choi, a Purdue sophomore studying biological engineering from Addison, Ill.; Valeria Tellez Gallego, a PhD student studying industrial and physical pharmacy from Bogota, Colombia; and Amy Tang, a Purdue sophomore from Sao Paulo, Brazil, studying biological engineering and pharmaceutical sciences.

Rapid identification of pathogens in food and water holds the power to save lives. Katherine Clayton, Founder and CEO of OmniVis, has developed a technology that puts the power of a pathogen lab in hands around the world. She joins us to talk about her personal story paving the way for this innovation, her passion for proactively stopping disease from happening and moving from California to study at Purdue University. So what does a handheld lab entail? Katherine talks about her device, iSpyDx, and its ability to quickly turn results (40 minutes), a focus on ease of use (it weighs under 2 pounds) and COVID-19 rapid tests as market validation for the work the OmniVis team was doing at the time. She also examines this innovation as a tool for crowdsourcing insights on infectious diseases and what’s ahead for the company. Learn more at omnivistech.com.

Last year, the federal government invested nearly $120 billion to combat food insecurity with its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but the challenge still remains. As AgriNovus works to inspire innovation in food security through a new category of agtech we call HungerTech, it’s important to understand the scope of food insecurity in America and how we can improve. Today we are joined by Head of Economics at Purdue University and Distinguished Professor, Dr. Jayson Lusk, to discuss new research from AgriNovus that examines factors driving food insecurity across Indiana and areas ripe for private-sector innovation to increase proper access to nutrition. Read the full report here.

In the US, more than 42 million people don’t know where their next meal is coming from and nearly 1/3 of those are children. Today we are joined by HATCH for Hunger Executive Director, Danny Leckie, to talk about the organization’s mission to unite Midwest poultry producers and a distribution network to combat hunger. They talk about how the organization was founded, building a sustainable model for food insecure populations and animal protein as a key to building healthy lives. Danny also gets into COVID, inflation and manning a difficult pricing era for eggs. So why eggs? Danny gets into that, eggs as a powerful tool to do great things and what’s ahead for HATCH for Hunger. Learn more here.

The agbiosciences offer one of the most approachable areas of modern innovation. From new foods to sustainability advances and new tech, agbioscience touches every human being on the planet. Today we are joined by Elevate Ventures CEO, Toph Day, to talk about a new global event where agbiosciences will link arms with other modern focuses of our economy: RALLY Innovation Conference, which is coming to Indianapolis on August 29-31, 2023. They dig into what attendees can expect for the world’s largest cross-sector innovation conference (including a $5M pitch competition), why Indianapolis and RALLY as a launch pad for big ideas and authentic connections. From high school and university talent to venture, entrepreneurship, industry and beyond, RALLY is Indiana’s time to put their game face on and seize an opportunity. Get your spot for RALLY today! Visit rallyinnovation.com.

Pork’s place on the plates of people around the globe continues to grow with a global pork market expected to reach more than $418 billion by 2028. Indiana hog producer and National Pork Board President, Heather Hill, joins this week to talk a growing demand for the protein paving the way for new innovation. She dives into her work at the National Pork Board, emerging trends in pork consumption and a continued dedication to sustainability (and also what that actually looks like on a farm). Heather also gets into the criticality of public education, emerging innovations she sees on the horizon and the one thing she wants others to know about raising pork.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 13.5 million households – more than 10% of the population – experience food insecurity. Innovation, especially in the category of agtech, holds tremendous promise to lower that number. Today we are joined by AgriNovus Indiana Senior Director of Innovation, Geoff Zentz, to announce the launch of the 2023 HungerTech Challenge. They talk about what this year’s challenge entails, the intersection of doing good and doing well and what’s at stake for this year’s winning team (hint: it includes a $25K prize to accelerate their solution). They also dive into the role of innovation to eliminate food insecurity, not needing to know food or agriculture to solve this problem and the importance of food and nutrition to drive better health outcomes. Are you ready to take on the 2023 HungerTech Challenge or do you want to learn more about AgriNovus’ work in this space? Click here. Special thank you to Elevance Health – our presenting sponsor of the HungerTech Challenge – for their commitment to tackling food insecurity. Hear Dr. Shantanu Agrawal’s episode of Agbioscience here.

Growing an economy is part art and part science. It requires a bold vision, deep understanding of a region’s assets and an ability to unite leaders across business, academia and government, all to take action and drive growth. Today we are joined by Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, to learn how a former lawyer, deputy mayor and leader at Cummins came into her new role last month. She talks about the uniqueness of CICP as an organization, serving the community in an impactful way and being a proponent for innovation. How does Indiana continue to grow and what is the role of agbioscience in that story? Melina also talks about refusing to sit still, looking up and out and seeing what’s ahead before it comes.

Companies and governments across the world have made commitments to decarbonization; but one of the key technologies, electrification, is still years away from being applicable to the high-horsepower, high-torque requirements of production agriculture. BJ Johnson, founder and CEO of ClearFlame Engine Technologies, has developed a technology to transform high-horsepower diesel engines to run on 100% ethanol. He joins this week to talk about ClearFlame starting as an academic exercise and accelerating into a high commercial-potential product, the economic and environmental impact of this innovation and the necessary long-term focus on net positive emissions. BJ also dives into ClearFlame’s collaboration with Beck’s Hybrids, their innovation as one tool for the overall sustainability toolbox and how he thinks about growth in the future. ClearFlame’s research and development is located in Columbus, Indiana. Learn more here.

Worldwide, an estimated 20-40% of crop yield is lost to pests and diseases every year. Coupled with a growing desire to reduce environmental impact in crop protection and you’ve got a growing opportunity for innovation. From a central Indiana farm to Purdue University and then onto Scotland, Insignum Agtech founder and CEO, Kyle Mohler, joins us to talk stress detection in crops using his tech-enabled solution that taps into a plant’s visible natural pigments that signal a problem is coming. He also talks about farmer’s love for the tangibility of what Insignum offers, enabling responsiveness to whatever nature throws in their path and help boost yields while also being more sustainable. Kyle and Mitch also talk about making sense of on-farm data and Insignum integrating into existing systems. They wrap up with what’s ahead for Insignum Agtech including expanding partnerships. Insignum attached the close of a pre-seed rounding of funding the day this episode was released. Read more here.

Tackling food security in America often centers on programming and funding; however, innovators are turning to tech and new models to better connect food supply with food demand. Today we are joined by Khadijah Abdullah, Vice President of Economic Development and Social Impact at Shipt, to talk about the company’s fundamental shift in how access to grocery and goods happens and how they are using that to improve food security. From her time as a lawyer and past experience as an educator, Khadijah considers her career path the perfect straight line to where she’s at today. She talks her passion for changing big systems, impacting communities and Shipt leading innovation in how America gets its groceries. Khadijah also dives into the challenges our country faces with food insecurity, technology reducing barriers to food access and scaling solutions that create meaningful change. Shipt recently launched their accelerator program – LadderUp - to create conditions for innovators to solve these big problems surrounding food insecurity. Learn more here.

Agtech continues to be one of the fastest-growing categories of the agbioscience economy as producers and those that serve them seek to deliver greater value, efficiency and ultimately, improve net farm income. This week, we are joined by Dr. Brian Lutz, VP of Agricultural Solutions, at Corteva Agriscience. They dive into optimizing solutions for the farmer, the transformation of agtech and where we are at in its maturation cycle. Brian also talks about digital solutions letting farmers transparently see the value of the products they’re investing in for their operations and how Corteva Agriscience is formatting their business in accordance. Lastly, he talks through energy, sustainability and what’s ahead for the company’s digital platform.

Happy Valentine’s Day! It is estimated that 58 million pounds of chocolate have been purchased over the last seven days in honor of the holiday, fueling a global market of more than $46 billion. Today we are joined by an Indiana leader in sweet treats: founder and president of DeBrand Fine Chocolates, Cathy Brand-Beere. From a high school student making wedding cakes to the specialty chocolates that come from DeBrand’s today, Cathy talks about her love for sweets, allowing her creativity to fuel a growing business and working alongside her husband and kids. She also talks innovation not always being new, but improving what’s right in front of you. Lastly, what are the trends coming in chocolate? She has your answers and why trends aren’t always the answer. DeBrand Fine Chocolates is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana with an additional retail location in Indianapolis. Learn more here.

Fermentation has become a catalyst for new food innovation and Mark Warner, co-founder and CEO of Liberation Labs, is bringing a new approach to scaling a solution to support food companies and the customers they serve. With the recent announcement that Liberation Labs would build a new facility in Indiana, we sit down with Mark to talk through his background, what’s on the horizon for alternative proteins and when products will roll out of their new location. Liberation Labs, which aims to enable the commercialization of alternative protein products through fermentation manufacturing, will construct a facility on 36 acres of Richmond’s 700-acre Midwest Industrial Park. The new facility, which will have a fermentation capacity of 600,000 liters with a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP), is part of the company’s model to offer customers fit-for-purpose capacity at large scale. Liberation Labs’ facility in Richmond will help meet demand for alternative proteins, increasing its availability and cost-effectiveness for existing major food brands as well as the growing network of food-tech innovators. Read more about Liberation Labs’ new Indiana location here.