Agbioscience

Brad Chambers’ career is rich in entrepreneurial ventures – from launching and selling a landscaping business, investing in his first rental property as a sophomore at Indiana University (he owned 31 properties by the time he graduated) and ultimately founding Buckingham Properties. This week, the Indiana Secretary of Commerce talks with us about joining Governor Holcomb’s cabinet, industries that will power our state’s economy for years to come and his passion growing entrepreneurship in Indiana. He also talks about this exciting time for Indiana’s agbioscience sector and its integral role in building the economy of the future.

What came first, the chicken or the pizza? This week, they come together. We are joined by founder of Zero Carb LYFE, Omar Atia, to talk all about his chicken-based protein pizza’s fast-growing success. He also talks food science, diets and creating innovative food products that people want – and need. Ever hear about a chicken-based chocolate chip cookie? Listen here.

In a time where hunger is still a critical issue in the United States, Elevance Health is stepping up to connect consumers to better nutrition and, subsequently, better health outcomes. This week we are joined by Elevance Health’s Chief Health Officer, Shantanu Agrawal, to talk about the company’s approach to whole health, the role of innovation in connecting health food to the consumer and participating in AgriNovus’ HungerTech Challenge. To learn more about HungerTech, click here.

Power is a critical component of growing and scaling economies. This week we are joined by Brian Anderson, director of economic development at Wabash Valley Power Alliance, to talk disruption to the industry, the organization’s balanced path to decarbonization and working alongside agbioscience industry leaders to create big impact in Indiana.

Cummins made news recently with the announcement that they would partner with Buhler Industries, Inc. to integrate the company’s 15-liter hydrogen engines into Buhler’s Versatile equipment. This week, we are joined by Ann Schmelzer, general manager of Cummins global agriculture business. They dive into diversifying power in agriculture, innovation creating powerful – and sustainable - engines and the comparison of hydrogen to diesel engines when it comes to performance. Learn more about Cummins’ partnership with Buhler Industries, Inc. here.

He’s an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist and today, he’s on the podcast. Christopher “Toph” Day, the new CEO of Elevate Ventures, joins us to talk about the venture fund’s work in Indiana, helping companies beyond capital and making intentional connections to bring big ideas together. He also digs into the agbiosciences, opportunities for growth and what can be expected ahead for the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Last week, AgriNovus had the privilege of an invitation to The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health where President Biden unveiled a five-pillar strategy to eradicate hunger by 2030. Mitch Frazier had the chance to catch up with the Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, Stacy Dean, to discuss this new framework to end hunger and the role of innovation in the agbiosciences to make it possible. Using tech to connect those facing food-insecurity to high-quality nutrition is a problem AgriNovus has set out to solve. Learn more about our HungerTech Challenge and the work we’re doing here: www.agrinovusindiana.com/hungertech.

AgTech is Indiana’s fastest growing agbioscience innovation platform and to continue that growth, a top-notch base of talent is required. This week, we are joined by Dennis Trinkle, Executive Vice President of TechPoint, and Sheila Simpson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Intelinair, to talk about a new opportunity to connect agbioscience employers to tech talent: Xtern. Learn how your company can collaborate with TechPoint + AgriNovus to participate in Xtern. Visit here: https://techpoint.org/xtern-students/

There’s a new kid in town and he’s using artificial intelligence to grow shrimp in shipping containers near downtown Indianapolis. We are joined today by Daniel Russek, founder and CEO of Atarraya, a new Indiana company focused on transforming a nearly $50 billion shrimp industry. He talks about the hurdles he overcame before developing the company’s shipping container system, Shrimpbox, how their controlled environment creates a more sustainable product and when consumers can expect to see Atarraya shrimp on their dinner plates.

Purdue University students competed earlier this year with one objective: who can create the best innovation using soybeans? The answer: Team Smulch. This week, we are joined by Zuhal Cakir, Libby Plassard and Ethan Miller, the founders of Smulch, to talk about their innovation, sizing up the competition and what’s next for these young entrepreneurs.

Taranis recently announced a $40M Series D fundraise to fuel growth, focus on global expansion and invest in new technologies. This week, we are joined by Mike DiPaola and Opher Flohr, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Financial and Operations Officer, for a bonus episode to talk about the news, agtech’s evolution and what’s next for Taranis.

Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance serve producers across the state, including value creation and innovation for their operations. This week we are joined by Ben Forsythe, Sustainability and Value Creation Director for the organization, to talk about AgriNovus’ newly announced Producer-Led Innovation Challenge. The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge tasks innovators with optimizing existing on-farm data to create a farmer-focused platform that will increase data accuracy and reliability to impact speed and cost of capital from lenders.. The winning team receives $25K to help commercialize their solution. Are you ready to take on this year’s Challenge? Register your team for our accelerator program and the opportunity to pitch your solution in November! Learn more at agrinovusindiana.com/producer.

Mick Messman spent some time in Indiana early in his career and as CEO of DPH Biologicals, he is back. This week, he sits down with Mitch Frazier to talk about investor interest in biologicals, their positive environmental impact, DPH Biological’s Indiana operation and what’s next for the company.

Teri Willey’s impressive career has touched many college campuses in our state, and well beyond. This week, the Managing Director of IU Ventures joins us to talk about the next chapter of tech transfer, IU’s investment portfolio and the emergence of new startups operating on the idea of food as medicine.

United Animal Health has long been a leader in animal nutrition and now, they are looking to the future and adding new partnerships. This week, we are joined by Scott Holmstrom, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at United Animal Health, and Joel Harris, Co-Founder of Genvax. They talk about Joel’s recent fundraise, including a strategic investment from United Animal Health, how the two companies align well for a partnership and the future of animal health.

Melissa Proffitt’s career in law spans many industries, but agbioscience stands out to her. This week, the Partner-in-Charge of Client Relations at Ice Miller joins the podcast to talk about her path to becoming a lawyer, feeding the world and what sets Indiana apart.

AgriNovus issued a challenge to the tech community this year: unlock free delivery access to those participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a $100 billion federal program annually. Eleven teams answered the call and brought forth their solutions recently and a panel of judges selected a winner to receive a $25,000 prize to help launch their product to market. This week, we are joined by Geng Wang, the CEO of Civic Champs and winner of the HungerTech Challenge. Geng talks about the “why” behind his organization, what called his team to sign up to participate and how they plan to proceed. Learn more about HungerTech at AgriNovusIndiana.com/HungerTech.

Purdue University has been hosting the 4th cohort of The Mandela Washington Fellowship with agbioscience innovators from Africa spending time on campus this summer to hone and develop their professional and leadership skills. This week, we are joined by Boaz Berhanu and Molly Abende to talk about their experience with the program this summer. They talk about the critical issues facing their respective communities, what they’ve learned from the program and how they plan to enact change at home once they return.

How does a medical doctor with decades of helping women conceive children apply their experience and a mindset for innovation toward pregnancy in cows? This week, we are joined by Jim Donahue, founder of Indianapolis-based ReproHealth Technologies. He talks about how the idea came to be, the difference in treating humans versus cows and the future of the company and what they hope to achieve.

When her career started as a basketball coach, one could argue it was foreshadowing a future in Indiana. President of Huntington University, Sherilyn Emberton, joins the podcast this week. She talks about the evolution of the university’s offerings, how they’ve evolved since COVID-19 and the importance of connecting their students to diverse and vast opportunities in agbioscience.

With 11% of the United States population using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, how can innovation create a better way to connect proper nutrition to more people? This week we are joined by Craig Gundersen, Snee Family Endowed Chair at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and professor in the Department of Economics at Baylor University. He talks about the role of innovation in food insecurity, the challenges facing the current SNAP system and his recommendations for durable, sustainable solutions long-term.

Microbiome science is a fast-growing field and Indiana is home to a new company focused on innovation in animal health based on the microbial communities in animals and the surrounding environment. This week, we are joined by Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit, a company launched by Elanco and Ginkgo Bioworks in 2021. He talks about the criticality of microbiome science in creating healthier animals, the value of revisiting innovative ideas that were once passed over and BiomEdit’s need to continue growing their team.

Living Greens Farm announced in March that they would invest $70M to establish operations in Indiana, a move that will add up to 120 agbisocience jobs to the state. This week, Gerry Dick with Inside INdiana Business is joined by the company’s CEO, George Pastrana, and Melanie Faust, its VP of Supply Chain. They talk about Indiana as a great location to serve Midwest and surrounding area customers, Muncie’s upside for talent and how aeroponics differ from other operations.

Whether it’s 3D printers in food or personalized nutrition, the way consumers eat is continually evolving. On this week’s episode, we are joined by Purdue University’s Food Science Department lead, Senay Simsek. She dives into her work, the importance of carbohydrates, the opening of Purdue’s Food Entrepreneurship Manufacturing Institute and what she sees as the exciting future of food science innovation.

It's a bonus episode! AgriNovus hosted a panel discussion at Indiana's first Global Economic Summit last week and we've got the full session right here. Joining Mitch Frazier was Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco, Martha Hoover, Founder of Patachou, Inc., Jean Luc Tete, Founder of Paris-based Horus Impact, and Robert King, EVP of Crop Protection of Corteva Agriscience.

For the first time ever, Indiana Economic Development Corp (IEDC) will host a Global Economic Summit in tandem with The Greatest Spectacle in Racing – The Indianapolis 500. This week, we are joined by IEDC’s SVP of Global Investments, Andrea Richter-Garry, to talk about GES, what attendees can expect, what this means for Indiana and potential surprises that may come from the event. Learn more about GES at iges2022.com

It’s a bonus episode! This week, we are joined by our very own Senior Director of Innovation, Geoff Zentz, to launch a new challenge to the tech community: HungerTech. The HungerTech Challenge by AgriNovus Indiana will be a month-long technology challenge looking to use mobile-first technology to improve access to nutrition for people using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Running throughout the month of June 2022, the HungerTech Challenge will help entrepreneurs, students, technologists, and existing companies ideate and iterate toward a minimum viable product that can be launched in a pilot with the State of Indiana. Participants will receive access to AgriNovus research data, connections to subject matter experts and mentors, as well as one-on-one coaching to develop their idea. The winning team will be given the opportunity to launch their pilot during Q3 2022, be featured in a report to the United States Congress and receive $25,000 to launch their product to market. Learn more at agrinovusindiana.com/hungertech.

Corteva Agriscience announced Indianapolis would become its global headquarters in March, making them the 4th largest company in the state by market cap and the second publicly-held agbioscience company to choose Indiana in the last 18 months. Susanne Wasson, President of Crop Protection at Corteva, joins the podcast this week to talk innovation in plant science, how it’s shaping a more sustainable future and moving headquarters closer to technology and customers.

Farmers make decisions every day and while variables change year in and year out, one thing remains constant: it all starts with seed. This week, we are joined by CEO of AgReliant Genetics, Paul Nselel. They dive into his career path, from Nike to today, driving on-farm innovation and what’s next for the company.

Inspired by the senses at a young age, Matt Rubin has taken that curiosity to a new level in his adult years. The founder and CEO of True Essence Foods joins us this week to talk all things SoChatti Chocolate, his lingering curiosity driving innovation in food and the company’s approach to sustainability.

Clean resumes. Companies with strong values. Transparency and communication. These are a few things running through the minds of gen-z talent as they search for internships or early-career opportunities. This week, Gerry Dick from Inside INdiana Business is joined by Field Atlas Ambassadors - Baylee Dwenger from Hanover College and Sriya Nagubani of Purdue University for a panel episode about agbioscience, challenges in their search and what they look for in companies while on the job hunt.

Happy Earth Week! Farmers work tirelessly to be good stewards of the land and innovation enables them to make better decisions than ever before. This week, we are joined by Sustainability Lead at Advanced Agrilytics, Jane Stautz. They talk about data science creating actionable insights for farmers, advancing data precision in the future and the ways that agtech is allowing farming to increasingly become more sustainable.

The silver shovels were out this week as Elanco broke ground on their new global headquarters west of downtown Indianapolis. CEO of Elanco, Jeff Simmons, made one thing very clear: this is a new era at Elanco Animal Health. The company’s new facility includes many amenities; biggest among them is the epicenter for animal health innovation and the opportunity for innovators across the globe to collaborate on new ideas, create, incubate and scale new animal health companies right here in Indianapolis. This bonus episode of Agbioscience comes from the groundbreaking event as AgriNovus spoke with Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco, and Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb on what this new headquarters brings to the state – and the world.

Byproduct feed for chickens. Solar panels to power facilities. MPS Egg Farms recently announced a partnership with Kroger’s Simple Truth Brand to bring the world’s first carbon-neutral eggs to the United States. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier talks with Sam Krouse, VP of Business Development for MPS Egg Farms. They talk about what it takes to make eggs carbon-neutral, the partnership with Dutch-based company Kipster and when you will find these available in a Kroger store near you.

A new tech platform is giving artisan food entrepreneurs the opportunity to manage their business in one place – from website creation all the way to order fulfillment. This week, Mitch Frazier talks with Mark Josephson, founder and CEO of Castiron. They dive into Mark’s idea for the platform during a High Alpha Sprint Week, creating opportunity for entrepreneurs and how established systems of success will grow the artisan food industry.

Earlier this year, Ivy Tech announced the launch of their Garatoni School for Entrepreneurship and Innovation with the idea that entrepreneurs needed to know better than how to just run a company – they needed to know how to start one, too. This week, Gerry Dick hosts our monthly panel episode with Ronda Taylor, the statewide dean for Garatoni School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ivy Tech, and Iris Hammel, executive director of RISE (Regional Innovation and Startup Education). They talk about the need for more entrepreneurs in Indiana, starting kids early with the idea of entrepreneurship as a career and how this program can connect startups to their local communities, enabling them to thrive.

From a fractured supply chain to an increasing desire from consumers to be more connected to the food they eat, some of the best innovations in agbioscience are birthed in times where opportunities for growth are presented. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier is joined by Dave Taiclet and Larry Page from Lewis and Clark Agrifood. They talk about the quiet disruptions that shift markets and gain the attention of investors, agbioscience being in the early innings of ESG and emerging trends they are carefully watching as our global food system continues to evolve.

Hello Nature and MPS Egg Farms recently announced plans to partner on a $50M Indiana-based specialty fertilizer manufacturing facility. Hello Nature CEO, Luca Bonini, joins Mitch Frazier this week to talk about the company’s new venture. They also talk about the role of bionutrients in a time where fertilizer is economically challenging to farmers, his definition of sustainability and what the future holds for Hello Nature.

What exactly is functional food and how is it different than eating healthy? This week, we are joined by Matt Whiteside, Co-Founder and CEO of Circle Bev, a functional beverage company located in downtown Indianapolis. They dive into how the business was founded, what functional food really is and the company’s vision on sustainability and supply chain. Matt also talks about the perks of growing a business in downtown Indianapolis.

This week, Mitch Frazier is joined by Jennifer Crandall, Founder and CEO of Safe Food En Route. They talk all things food safety, how regulatory shifts helped to her founding of her own company and the impact of COVID-19 on food safety and the supply chain.

Innovation in genetic detection is giving farmers a better opportunity to claim premiums on their non-GMO crops. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier is joined by Ryan Skaar, COO of NanoBio Designs. They talk about the company’s recent move to Indiana, the similarities of genetic detection to testing for COVID-19 and the widespread impact NanoBio’s innovation could have for farmers and consumers in the future.

How disruptive does innovation need to be to shift markets and gain the attention of investors? On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier talks with iSelect Fund CEO, Carter Williams. They talk emerging trends in food and agriculture, the agbioscience intersection with human health and entrepreneurs being willing to listen while holding conviction around the core innovation that they’re driving.

Do you know if your pet has looked out the window more or less lately? Innovation isn’t far off from providing you that information, and it could lead to a better understanding of your furry friend’s overall health. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier of AgriNovus is joined by Kristin Bloink, VP of Global Regulatory and Pharmacovigilance at Elanco. They talk about her 30+ years working in human and animal health, her passion for maximizing technologies and innovations to impact the greatest number of patients (whether human or animal) and emerging trends in animal health and nutrition that excite her the most.

For crops like almonds, bee pollination is a critical first step in their growing season. Now, agtech is making it possible for growers to know what beehive health looks like ahead of that first step, allowing for agility and better decision-making. On this week's episode, Mitch Frazier of AgriNovus is joined by CEO of The Bee Corp, Ellie Symes. They dive into her co-founding of The Bee Corp, the launch of their agtech solution Verifli, being a Forbes Under 30 Lister and what it means to be an agbioscience entrepreneur in Indiana.

In a world where watches remind us to stand or breathe or our bank notifies us of suspicious activity to our accounts, farmers are now being given the same kind of real-time intelligence that equips them to make better decisions - sometimes before the problem is even visible to the naked eye. On this week's episode, Mitch Frazier with AgriNovus is joined by IntelinAir's new CEO, Tim Hassinger. They talk through the company's intelligence platform, AGMRI, the company's relocation to Indiana in 2021 and the future of data science in farming.

It's a new year, new us! Welcome to season 5 of Ag+Bio+Science. On this week's episode, our panel moderator, Gerry Dick with Inside INdiana Business, is joined by Mitch Frazier, CEO of AgriNovus, and Nate Feltman, owner and CEO of IBJ Media. They talk about what's ahead for Indiana's agbioscience sector, how we best tell our state's story and some new changes to the podcast in 2022.

On display at CES (Consumer Electronics Shows) last week was more than just another wave of agtech innovation; it was the future of farming. This week's special episode comes from the show in Las Vegas where Mitch Frazier, AgriNovus CEO, is joined by Igino Cafiero, CEO of Bearflag Robotics (recently acquired by John Deere) and Dave Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer at Indiana Economic Development Corp. They talk about John Deere's brand new, fully autonomous tractor, electrification and why these innovations go beyond the label of "cutting edge technology" to actual solutions that farmers will need in the future.

The Great Resignation: you've heard of it and in all likelihood, you (or someone you know) has participated in it this year, too. On this week's episode, Mitch Frazier is joined by Todd Richardson, CEO of EDGE Mentoring and Bethany Gremel, Director of Culture + Brand Experience at Beck's Hybrids. They talk about the all too real record-breaking August where over 4 million people voluntarily left their jobs, what employees are searching for and how companies can begin to turn the tides and create a culture that focuses on its people.

An Indiana company is up-cycling former coal mining sites to create sustainable community development and job creation. On this week's episode, AgriNovus CEO, Mitch Frazier, is joined by President and Co-Founder of Land Betterment, Kirk Taylor. They talk about how this concept came together, the work that goes into restoring the land and how the communities react to these projects. Kirk also talks about the entrepreneurial mindset and future growth of the company.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! You heard that right -gBETA Pitch Night is coming up soon. On this week's episode, Gerry Dick with Inside INdiana Business is joined by Doug Applegate, Director of gBETA Agbisocience. They talk this year's fall cohort, innovation in agbioscience and what we can expect from the startups when Pitch Night rolls around. Have you registered to attend the 12/7 event? Link here: https://www.gbetastartups.com/indiana/pitch-night