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Agbioscience

This weekly podcast dives into the agbioscience sector, where agriculture, life sciences innovation and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs across food, animal health. pl...

This weekly podcast dives into the agbioscience sector, where agriculture, life sciences innovation and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs across food, animal health. plant science and agtech. Learn more about industry innovation and where it's heading from those leading the way.

Latest Episode

321. The Directions Group’s Mark Purdy on farmers of the future + their identified opportunities for innovation in agbioscience

Innovation in agbioscience has never been more critical. In today’s tough economy, farmers are looking for new ways to generate margin and with geopolitical instability around the world, food’s stabilizing force around the world is taking center stage. Former Army Colonel and Executive Vice President of The Directions Group (Aimpoint Research) joins today to talk forces of change in our food system, food security as national security and innovation for the farmer.  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.

September 16 • 22m 22.4s

Episodes

321. The Directions Group’s Mark Purdy on farmers of the future + their identified opportunities for innovation in agbioscience cover art

321. The Directions Group’s Mark Purdy on farmers of the future + their identified opportunities for innovation in agbioscience

Innovation in agbioscience has never been more critical. In today’s tough economy, farmers are looking for new ways to generate margin and with geopolitical instability around the world, food’s stabilizing force around the world is taking center stage. Former Army Colonel and Executive Vice President of The Directions Group (Aimpoint Research) joins today to talk forces of change in our food system, food security as national security and innovation for the farmer.  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.

September 16 • 22m 22.4s
320. Rumin8’s Dr. Lucas Huntimer on durability, sustainability + the decarbonization of 100 million cows by 2030  cover art

320. Rumin8’s Dr. Lucas Huntimer on durability, sustainability + the decarbonization of 100 million cows by 2030

Sustainability in agbioscience requires two key inputs: environment and economics. Today we are joined by Rumin8’s head of research and development, Dr. Lucas Huntimer, to talk economic durability, sustainability and how his team aims to decarbonize 100 million cows by 2030. 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.

September 9 • 18m 20.5s
319. IEDC’s Salena Scardina on For the Bold, the customer experience + knowing when to automate vs. innovate cover art

319. IEDC’s Salena Scardina on For the Bold, the customer experience + knowing when to automate vs. innovate

Discover the journey of Salena Scardina, from her start at McDonald's Corporation to becoming the Chief Marketing Officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and her mission to redefine Indiana's global brand. In this episode of Agbioscience, Salena shares her insights on the customer experience, the power of understanding your audience and the innovative promise of Indiana's economy looking toward the future. Dive into the discussion on how Indiana is boldly claiming its place on the world stage, thanks to strategic branding and a deep commitment to innovation in agriculture, technology and touting what we do best – work together to achieve big outcomes.

September 2 • 25m 16.8s
318. Mitch Frazier recaps the Rally Innovation Conference, talks Producer-Led Innovation Challenge and more cover art

318. Mitch Frazier recaps the Rally Innovation Conference, talks Producer-Led Innovation Challenge and more

AgriNovus CEO, Mitch Frazier, recaps August with highlights from the Rally Innovation Conference, the upcoming Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, Field Atlas hitting college campuses across Indiana and events coming up for you to join!

August 30 • 15m 52.6s
317. Toph Day on the Rally Innovation Conference + the disparate stakeholder driving creative collisions cover art

317. Toph Day on the Rally Innovation Conference + the disparate stakeholder driving creative collisions

Venture capital has become synonymous with innovation. And one firm is turning to an event featuring world renowned artists, actors, athletes and innovators (plus a multi-million-dollar pitch competition) to drive new creative collisions. Toph Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures and mastermind of the Rally Innovation Conference, joins today to talk the state of venture capital, false growth driving bad decisions and his optimism heading into the last quarter of 2024. 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.

August 26 • 22m 40.3s
316. Elanco’s Tim Bettington on the evolution of animal health, the barriers of bringing innovation to market cover art

316. Elanco’s Tim Bettington on the evolution of animal health, the barriers of bringing innovation to market

The animal health market – estimated by many sources to be $60 billion globally – spans everything from pet health to livestock and holds applications for innovations in feeds, vaccines, therapeutics and beyond. Joining us this week to talk about this evolving market is Tim Bettington, EVP of Corporate Strategy and Market Development at Elanco, to share his front row view on the evolution of animal health and the driving forces behind its growth.   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.

August 19 • 31m 38.8s
315. Corteva Agriscience’s Christy Wright on the convergence of ag, food and health + bringing innovation to market cover art

315. Corteva Agriscience’s Christy Wright on the convergence of ag, food and health + bringing innovation to market

Food: it’s the only economy that touches every person the planet and ideally, we have a relationship with it three times a day. Despite that, many don’t know where their food comes from or its connection to the farm. Christy Wright, Director of Global Food at Corteva Agriscience, joins us today to connect the farmgate to the dinnerplate, the global challenge of food security and what dynamics play into the food economy.   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.

August 12 • 19m 12.8s
314. Kevin Still on a hot start for Keystone Cooperative, being a conduit between tech + the farmer amidst a new speed of change cover art

314. Kevin Still on a hot start for Keystone Cooperative, being a conduit between tech + the farmer amidst a new speed of change

Cooperatives and retailers have been critical infrastructure for agriculture for generations. Keystone Cooperative CEO, Kevin Still, joins today to discuss their key role on farming operations and how ag retail has evolved since its inception.    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.

August 5 • 19m 32s
313. Mitch Frazier on AgriNovus’ newly released study, Heartland BioWorks’ $51M grant, Vital Farms coming to Indiana and more cover art

313. Mitch Frazier on AgriNovus’ newly released study, Heartland BioWorks’ $51M grant, Vital Farms coming to Indiana and more

July was a month of momentum for the agbiosciences, including the release of new research that revealed Indiana agbioscience contributes nearly $70B to the state’s economy. We are here to recap the month:   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

July 31 • 20m 35.1s
312. Dr. Kofi Essel on food is health, nutrition security, innovative collisions with agbioscience + making sure to measure outcomes cover art

312. Dr. Kofi Essel on food is health, nutrition security, innovative collisions with agbioscience + making sure to measure outcomes

Food – it's the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet and it’s foundational to human health. So much so that leaders across the economy are uniting the power of food to drive health. It’s a new category of innovation called Food is Health and the nation’s 2nd largest health insurer, Elevance Health, is investing in this area. Dr. Kofi Essel, Food as Medicine Director at Elevance Health, joins today to talk food preventing, managing and treating disease.  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.

July 29 • 25m 5.9s
311. RTI International’s Amanda Rose on Indiana’s $69.6B agbioscience economy, three defined priorities for the future cover art

311. RTI International’s Amanda Rose on Indiana’s $69.6B agbioscience economy, three defined priorities for the future

A team of researchers recently dug in to Indiana’s  $69.6 agbioscience economy and its opportunities for growth well into the future – 2050, to be exact. Amanda Rose, agri-food systems lead for RTI International, joins us to elaborate on the newly released study, Accelerate 2050: A Vision for Indiana Agbioscience, and three defined opportunities for differentiated growth amid future uncertainty, including:  Farmer-Focused Innovation  Food is Health  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.

July 22 • 23m 20.7s
309. Traction Ag’s Dustin Sapp on farm accounting technology, responsible growth + enabling economic prosperity for farmers cover art

309. Traction Ag’s Dustin Sapp on farm accounting technology, responsible growth + enabling economic prosperity for farmers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has projected to move from hype to help in 2024, generated by a shift in the global economy. There are tech companies taking that ambition and turning it into a reality and one of them joins us today. Dustin Sapp, CEO of Traction Ag, addresses farm accounting through technology, the sophistication of farming operations and how little of that innovation has hit farmers’ back offices.   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.

July 19 • 22m 13.8s
310. Dr. Jaleh Daie on investing for humanity, emerging trends in agbioscience + farmer needs as the priority for the future cover art

310. Dr. Jaleh Daie on investing for humanity, emerging trends in agbioscience + farmer needs as the priority for the future

Capital and science – two key ingredients that are shaping the future of the agbioscience economy. Dr. Jaleh Daie, Managing Partner of Aurora Equity, joins us today to talk about the state of risk capital in agbioscience, the round trip we’ve taken in the last six years and how it compares to other areas of investment.   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.

July 15 • 26m 24.2s
308. Biodyne USA’s Bodie Kitchel on the economics of biologicals, the pursuit of answers + innovating with urgency cover art

308. Biodyne USA’s Bodie Kitchel on the economics of biologicals, the pursuit of answers + innovating with urgency

Biologicals – the broad category of ag input products derived from living organisms – have experienced significant growth in terms of adoption and investment. An analysis of Pitchbook data reveals there have been more than 6,000 deals in the global ag biotech market over the past decade. One of those companies driving growth is Biodyne USA. This week, we are joined by their National Director of Agronomy, Bodie Kitchel, to talk Biologicals vs. Biostimulants and what’s driving growth in the space.  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.

July 1 • 19m 46.7s
307. Mitch Frazier recaps June, talks Animal Health Boston, Elanco’s FDA approval of Bovaer, opportunities to join us + a big announcement! cover art

307. Mitch Frazier recaps June, talks Animal Health Boston, Elanco’s FDA approval of Bovaer, opportunities to join us + a big announcement!

June was a busy one! From a trip to the Animal Health Nutrition Technology and Innovation Conference in Boston to hosting college students at agbioscience companies across Indiana, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister look back at the past month, what’s happening and what’s ahead.  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.

June 27 • 21m 30.2s
306. Ruminant BioTech’s Mark Weldon on methane knockdown, the link between environmental + economic sustainability cover art

306. Ruminant BioTech’s Mark Weldon on methane knockdown, the link between environmental + economic sustainability

There are over one billion cattle globally, emitting methane through a natural process called enteric fermentation. Reducing emissions have become a top target of innovators across animal health and one company out of New Zealand is tackling the challenge from inside the cow. This week, we are joined by Mark Weldon, chairman of Ruminant BioTech, to talk about their bolus – a slow-release device that sits in the cow’s stomach for up to six months and delivers high levels of methane knockdown (think over 70% across a 90-day window).  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.

June 24 • 19m 5.7s
305. Eve Hanks of MI:RNA Diagnostics on early disease identification, transforming the future of animal health  cover art

305. Eve Hanks of MI:RNA Diagnostics on early disease identification, transforming the future of animal health

Early identification of diseases in animals is critical to the future of the food system, national security and our ability to care for our pets. One company is harnessing the power of biology to accelerate identification and joined us from the Agbioscience Podcast Corner at the Animal Health, Nutrition, Innovation and Technology Conference in Boston. Eve Hanks, founder and CEO of MI:RNA Diagnostics, joins us to talk their biomarker platform reliant on microRNA that has the potential to transform the future of animal health.  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.

June 17 • 19m 19.4s
304. Atarraya’s Daniel Russek on real sustainability, innovation in aquaculture and bringing food production back to its natural cycle cover art

304. Atarraya’s Daniel Russek on real sustainability, innovation in aquaculture and bringing food production back to its natural cycle

Innovation in the agbiosciences is foundational to life – and it’s only accelerating. From biotech to production, food is transforming; and today’s guest is leading the charge on a new way of producing protein. Daniel Russek, CEO of Atarraya, joins us to talk the idea of sustainability, what it actually is and thinking long-term to achieve meaningful outcomes in this space.  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.

June 10 • 25m 13.3s
303. Solinftec’s Leo Carvalho on agtech’s evolution + the importance of co-creating innovation with farmers cover art

303. Solinftec’s Leo Carvalho on agtech’s evolution + the importance of co-creating innovation with farmers

Labor remains one of the greatest challenges facing the economy. Solinftec is addressing the problem with autonomy and artificial intelligence focused on improving crop performance. Today we are joined by their Chief Global Strategy Officer, Leo Carvalho, to talk accelerating in a crowded market and creating a value proposition for farmers.   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.

June 3 • 19m 10.1s
302. Mitch Frazier on Elanco + Purdue defining a new era of OneHealth, new funds launched and Traction Ag on the move cover art

302. Mitch Frazier on Elanco + Purdue defining a new era of OneHealth, new funds launched and Traction Ag on the move

It’s May in Indiana and major headlines abound as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing coupled with the Global Economic Summit (GES) put the state on the world’s stage – for racing spectators and innovators alike. Today, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap the month including major news in the agbiosciences from Elanco, Purdue, Elevate Ventures and Traction Ag.   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.

May 28 • 23m 37.9s
301. BinSentry’s Ben Allen on challenges facing animal producers, feed costs + AI creating better on-farm economics cover art

301. BinSentry’s Ben Allen on challenges facing animal producers, feed costs + AI creating better on-farm economics

The year 2024 is where AI moves from hype to help in agbioscience. Today’s guest is bringing that prediction to animal health. Ben Allen, CEO of BinSentry, joins us to talk the biggest challenge facing animal producers; one that can be controlled? Feed. Specifically, how do you get the right feed to the right place at the right time?  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.

May 27 • 23m 1.2s
300. BioMADE’s Melanie Tomczak talks the bioeconomy future, from sustainable aviation fuel to clothing cover art

300. BioMADE’s Melanie Tomczak talks the bioeconomy future, from sustainable aviation fuel to clothing

The bioeconomy – where feedstocks from agriculture are transformed into new products – is poised to surge to more than $30 trillion dollars over the next two decades. The White House calls its potential “enormous,” and there’s an organization leading the effort to create infrastructure around this opportunity. Today, BioMADE Chief Technology Officer, Melanie Tomczak, joins us to tell us 1) what exactly the bioeconomy is, 2) the role of BioMADE in its growth and 3) the unique connection between people, plants and animals.   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.

May 20 • 18m 29.1s
299. Todd Robran on fintech, farmers and data as a differentiator cover art

299. Todd Robran on fintech, farmers and data as a differentiator

From food production to R&D in plant science and animal health, agbioscience is a capital-intensive business. This week, we are joined by Growers Edge Chief Commercial Officer, Todd Robran, to talk reducing risk for farmers, partnerships with ag retailers and how models could be shifting to reward growers with lower rates for more productivity.  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.

May 13 • 18m 54.6s
298. Maizly’s Tim Leclercq on corn-based milk, flexitarian consumers + collaborating with farmers cover art

298. Maizly’s Tim Leclercq on corn-based milk, flexitarian consumers + collaborating with farmers

The rise in alternative foods has become a growth driver for the food industry at large and has created new opportunities for innovators and consumers to experience new foods, alike. This week, we are joined by Maizly CEO, Tim Leclercq, to talk about the most abundant crop in the world being transformed into a new drink: corn-based milk.  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.

May 6 • 20m 3.2s
297. Mitch Frazier recaps April, talks bioinnovation and entrepreneurs on the move cover art

297. Mitch Frazier recaps April, talks bioinnovation and entrepreneurs on the move

It’s the end of the month, so you know what that means. AgriNovus CEO, Mitch Frazier, sits down with Cayla Chiddister to recap Indiana’s agbioscience trip to Brazil and Mexico with Governor Holcomb, creating new opportunities and driving economies forward.   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/

April 30 • 27m 56.8s
296. Courtney Kingery recaps agtech discussions in Brazil + Mexico, looks ahead to shared opportunities cover art

296. Courtney Kingery recaps agtech discussions in Brazil + Mexico, looks ahead to shared opportunities

Delegates from Indiana’s agbioscience sector traveled to Brazil and Mexico this month alongside Governor Eric Holcomb as the minutes tick away on his leadership of the state. Courtney Kingery, CEO of Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, joins Mitch for this episode from Mexico City to discuss the trip, its findings and Indiana’s unique advantage on a global stage.  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.

April 29 • 11m 37.2s
295. Scott Irwin on commodity markets + bearish times driving innovation cover art

295. Scott Irwin on commodity markets + bearish times driving innovation

Planting season is nearing in North America and as farmers head to the fields, they’re doing so in a tough global market for agricultural commodities. Those markets have an impact on nearly every facet of our daily lives. Today we are joined by Dr. Scott Irwin, author and Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing at the University of Illinois, to share his market perspective (it’s on the side of bearish) and what he sees ahead.   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.

April 22 • 18m 27.5s
294. Elliott Parker on the conflict between efficiency + innovation, The Illusion of Innovation + challenging what we think we know cover art

294. Elliott Parker on the conflict between efficiency + innovation, The Illusion of Innovation + challenging what we think we know

We are living in a time of innovation crisis where most innovation isn’t driven by large corporations despite them being managed better than ever before, says High Alpha Innovation CEO Elliott Parker. One day ahead of his new book release, The Illusion of Innovation, he joins us to get into how corporations equipped for efficiency losing their resilience and why it’s dangerous to advancing innovation.  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.

April 15 • 22m 59.6s
293. Lorelei Bergin talks data, food and consumers + NielsenIQ’s identified trends for 2024 cover art

293. Lorelei Bergin talks data, food and consumers + NielsenIQ’s identified trends for 2024

Agbioscience is the only economy in the world that touches every person on planet, every day, given that it centers on food. Today we are joined by Lorelei Begin, Vice President of North American Retail for NielsenIQ  to talk trends shaping food and what’s ahead for grocery store shelves in 2024.  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.

April 8 • 20m 49.8s
292. AGCO’s Andrew Sunderman on better together with Trimble + creating value for farmers cover art

292. AGCO’s Andrew Sunderman on better together with Trimble + creating value for farmers

As we head into the spring planting season, there is much focus on technologies and innovations that will enable producers to drive returns in a tightening farm economy. Andrew Sunderman, Join Venture Transition Lead for AGCO, joins today to talk about their new JV with Trimble and having an innovation ecosystem ready to serve the farmer – no matter how or what they’re investing in for their operations during any given year.   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.

April 1 • 18m 14.6s
291. Mitch Frazier looks back at March, talks Corteva Catalyst, BioMADE and more cover art

291. Mitch Frazier looks back at March, talks Corteva Catalyst, BioMADE and more

Fresh off a plane from the World AgriTech Summit and following a keynote address on food security as national security, we are recapping a gigantic March in agbioscience. From Corteva’s big news in San Francisco last week to Indiana hitting the short list for BioMADE, we cover the latest industry topics and look ahead to what’s coming.  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/

March 28 • 20m 51.2s
290. BONUS: Tom Greene from World AgriTech on Corteva Catalyst, rolling out innovation at a stronger pace cover art

290. BONUS: Tom Greene from World AgriTech on Corteva Catalyst, rolling out innovation at a stronger pace

On the ground at World AgriTech in San Francisco last week, Corteva announced the launch of a new investment platform forcused on bringing to market agricultural innovations that advance the company’s R&D priorities and drive value creation. We caught up with Tom Greene, Corteva’s Senior Director of External Investment, to talk through how the platform is designed, why it’s launching now and what it will mean for farmers in the future.  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.

March 26 • 22m 9.4s
289. BioCrossroads’ Vince Wong on collaborating to drive new innovation, leadership + creating an elevated workforce cover art

289. BioCrossroads’ Vince Wong on collaborating to drive new innovation, leadership + creating an elevated workforce

The connection between agbioscience and human health has become undeniable and in the case of Indiana – it's a differentiator. Today we are joined by Vince Wong, the brand new CEO of BioCrossroads to talk life sciences and extending the state’s leadership to drive growth.  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.

March 25 • 19m 31.9s
288. Frank Klemens from Big Idea Ventures on operating at the intersection of university innovation + product creation cover art

288. Frank Klemens from Big Idea Ventures on operating at the intersection of university innovation + product creation

As a kid from Ohio that went to Purdue University and then worked for DuPont, Frank Klemens’ career has taken a trendline path to his role at Big Idea Ventures today. He joins this week to walk through their General Rural Partners Fund, taking innovation from university shelves and creating new companies in one of our country’s most untapped resources: rural communities.  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.

March 18 • 23m 31.6s
287. AWS’ Elizabeth Fastiggi on agtech, Project Kuiper + democratizing access to innovation cover art

287. AWS’ Elizabeth Fastiggi on agtech, Project Kuiper + democratizing access to innovation

From major companies to startups, one thing holds true from Amazon Web Services: they start with the customer in mind and work backwards. This week, we are joined by an agtech veteran and now the company’s Head of Worldwide Business, Agriculture, Elizabeth Fastiggi. She dives into their service across the whole value chain, how companies use AWS and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its stages of early adoption.  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.

March 11 • 21m 29.9s
286. BONUS:  Geoff Zentz on the HungerTech Innovation Challenge, leveraging innovation to eliminate food insecurity cover art

286. BONUS: Geoff Zentz on the HungerTech Innovation Challenge, leveraging innovation to eliminate food insecurity

Doing good by doing well – it's a concept the AgriNovus Indiana team embraced when the HungerTech Innovation Challenge was launched. Three years later, it’s still going strong; and new solutions are hitting the market that better connect food supply with food demand.  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.

March 6 • 15m 4.2s
285. BiomEdit’s Aaron Schacht + Eric Bonabeau on the microbiome, intersection of animal + human health cover art

285. BiomEdit’s Aaron Schacht + Eric Bonabeau on the microbiome, intersection of animal + human health

What exactly is the microbiome? And why is it important when it comes to animal health – both in livestock and pets? All those questions and more get answered this week as we are joined by Aaron Schacht, CEO, and Eric Bonabeau, CTO, of BiomEdit. They talk the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in microbiome science, the intersection of human and animal health and new partnerships paving the way for the acceleration of innovation.  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.

March 4 • 19m 45.9s
284. Mitch Frazier talks February news + what’s up and coming cover art

284. Mitch Frazier talks February news + what’s up and coming

We are bringing you something new with this episode: a look back at February’s news in agbioscience including Elanco’s sale of their aqua business, a new partnership between Corteva and John Deere, Indiana as a top ag state and the current operating environment for the farmer.    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

February 29 • 25m 30.6s
283. Kevin Summers on Trimble’s Connected Climate Exchange + the wild west of carbon markets cover art

283. Kevin Summers on Trimble’s Connected Climate Exchange + the wild west of carbon markets

We are days away from guidance from the federal government on how it will calculate the carbon intensity of corn production for ethanol and how that will impact farmers, ethanol producers and the economy at large. Kevin Summers, North American Carbon Sustainability Lead for Trimble, joins us to talk about the Wild West that is the current carbon market structure and Trimble’s Connected Climate Exchange as a voice of reason platform in it all.   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.

February 26 • 21m 5.2s
282. Data systems making a difference cover art

282. Data systems making a difference

Today’s guest is an entrepreneur who got her skills in organizing business systems where any young talent might consider learning efficiency: the Chick-fil-a drive-thru. Sarah Hinkley, CEO of Barn Owl Precision Ag, actually helped to build the fast-food chain’s drive-thru system as we know it today (alongside her brother). Watching a major company leverage technology to solve problems really inspired Sarah and from that, a company was born.  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).

February 19 • 16m 55s
281. Building a technical workforce for the agbiosciences cover art

281. Building a technical workforce for the agbiosciences

Ryan Priest is no stranger to hard work and servant leadership, assets that have been integral to his role as COO at Premier Ag Cooperative today. And as someone that has done many jobs – from welding to executive leadership – he identified a problem that needed a new, fresh idea to solve: developing an emerging workforce that’s equipped with the tools to understand farmers, the broader agbioscience economy and the technical knowledge required to be successful in the industry.  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.

February 12 • 17m 13.2s
280. Data-based decision drivers cover art

280. Data-based decision drivers

Matt Bechdol fell into a class on remote sensing during his time as a student at Indiana University and what was initially a requirement for environmental science turned into a love affair. Specifically, he fell in love with the intersection of business, agriculture, technology and the environment – close to the definition of agbioscience, right? That love took him to graduate school, an ag research gig at NASA and ultimately becoming the CEO of GRYFN in 2019.  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

February 5 • 18m 12.1s
279. Busting myths + misinformation cover art

279. Busting myths + misinformation

Telling the real story behind agbioscience innovation and what’s happening on farms requires a willingness to bravely sit at tables where you might be misunderstood. Michelle Miller, The Farm Babe, found seats at those tables over a decade ago and has become one of the most influential voices and advocates for modern, high-tech agriculture. From The Today Show to Forbes and People Magazine, Michelle has been breaking myths about where our food comes from and helping consumers better connect to their food through her moniker – The Farm Babe.  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.

January 29 • 20m 0.1s
278. Better innovation, better yield cover art

278. Better innovation, better yield

Ask new CEO of AgReliant Genetics about his career journey and you’ll get an interesting take from him: it’s not at all what he expected. But whether he’s been launching, fixing or changing products, systems and processes, agbioscience innovation has been the fabric of his story. This week, Brian Barker joins us to talk about making the leap into leadership of AgReliant’s longstanding reputable brands.  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.

January 22 • 18m 37.1s
277. BONUS: AI moving from hype to help cover art

277. BONUS: AI moving from hype to help

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has become synonymous with innovation and that was certainly the case in Las Vegas last week as agbioscience brands like John Deere, Kubota and more flooded the tradeshow floor. Kristen Owen, executive director of equity research at Oppenheimer and Co., joins us to talk about innovation’s ability to create impact in a tightening economy and what she sees ahead as major shifts in industry trends.  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.

January 17 • 17m 52.3s
276. From plant waste to plastic cover art

276. From plant waste to plastic

AgroRenew’s story begins where most good ideas form: at the kitchen table. Founders Brian and Katie Southern join us to talk about a new transformation in agbioscience – unused watermelon byproduct (rinds) becoming eco-friendly bioplastics. Based in Knox County, Indiana, AgroRenew announced plans at the end of 2023 for an $83 million investment in the form of a processing facility, a business that will ultimately employ nearly 250 people.  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.

January 15 • 18m 59.8s
275. Innovation for the world’s animals cover art

275. Innovation for the world’s animals

What’s in a name? For the world’s second-largest animal health company, Elanco, its name bears roots from Eli Lilly and Company.  More than an acronym for a name, though, the company is on a growth trajectory, an innovation engine looking to create a positive impact for the world’s animals. And for Dr. Tyre Grant, Vice President of Global Product Development and Project Management, the name defines her 19-year career as a scientist (a resume she calls a privilege).   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.

January 8 • 15m 53.1s
274. Determining our destiny cover art

274. Determining our destiny

From his cowboy boots to his tall stature, Governor Eric Holcomb is a presence. You’ve likely heard him, though not like this. How did Indiana’s leader come to be? He joins us today to tell his story, to dive into his sense of urgency headed into the final 12 months of his administration and to talk about, of course, agbioscience. More specifically, its critical role in securing Indiana’s economy of the future.  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.

January 2 • 24m 54.4s
273. Agbioscience’s best of 2023 cover art

273. Agbioscience’s best of 2023

From food security as national security to innovation as sustainability, we covered a lot of ground on Agbioscience in 2023! Here are the top five most downloaded episodes of the year. We look forward to seeing you in 2024. Happy holidays!

December 26 • 14m 10.3s
272. A look back at 2023 cover art

272. A look back at 2023

What a year it’s been! The team at AgriNovus Indiana wants to thank you for listening to Agbioscience in season 6 and to let you know – there are still plenty of episodes to go. Season 7 will kick off on January 2.  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.

December 18 • 58m 39.5s
271. BONUS: Winning the 2023 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge cover art

271. BONUS: Winning the 2023 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge

In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, the 2023 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge tasked companies, entrepreneurs, students and innovators with creating new revenue streams from current on-farm processes to increase efficiency and return on investment for producers’ operations.  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.

December 13 • 11m 35s
270. The next giant leap cover art

270. The next giant leap

A law signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 created the cornerstone for America’s leadership in engineering and agriculture. Known as the Morrill Act, the law established land grant universities in states across the country, including Purdue University in Indiana. Since the university’s launch in 1869, it has become a research powerhouse becoming the only university in the country to have both a top 10 ranked college of agriculture and college engineering. Its graduates include 27 astronauts, 3 World Food Prize laureates, 2 Noble Prize winners and the pace continues to quicken. Today we are joined by Purdue’s Executive Vice President of Research, Dr. Karen Plaut, to share how the university is building on its momentum to advance research and create the economy of the future.  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.

December 11 • 25m 6.8s
269. From great moderation to great volatility cover art

269. From great moderation to great volatility

Global venture capital deal volume has fallen by 50% worldwide since peaking in the first quarter of 2022 – that’s according the global analyst firm CB Insights. Despite the decline, companies are raising capital. Today’s guest is here to share more about the current fundraising environment and what it means for innovation.  Audre Kapacinskas, principal with S2G Ventures – the second most active agtech investor in America – joins us to talk investment across the entire value chain.   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.

December 4 • 22m 16.9s
268. Navigating the energy transition cover art

268. Navigating the energy transition

Discussion around the energy transition often focuses on electrification, but one Indiana company and thousands of Indiana farmers are working together to create new options in that transition – specifically around biofuels. Today’s guest is a long-time energy leader and the chief executive of one of Indiana’s largest privately held companies. Matt Smorch, CEO of CountryMark, joins us to talk the continued emergence of biofuels, diversifying for the farmer and answers a question that most won’t know: where exactly does our fuel come from?  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.

November 27 • 25m 12.1s
267. We have to talk turkey cover art

267. We have to talk turkey

An estimated 88% of Americans will consume turkey this Thanksgiving – that equates to more than 46 million turkeys! It’s big business for farmers across the country, including here in Indiana where the state has become the fourth largest producer of turkey in the country. Becky Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association, joins this week to share more about Indiana’s turkey production and the innovation making it possible.  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.

November 20 • 20m 43.7s
266. A breakthrough in pet health innovation cover art

266. A breakthrough in pet health innovation

Parvovirus – a potentially deadly disease in puppies – has been called the world’s most common canine infectious disease. The viral infection is one that has long been battled through a preemptive vaccine regimen and treated by managing the clinical signs of the infection. However, a new innovation from Indiana-based animal health giant Elanco is transforming canine care through science. This week, we are joined by Elanco veterinarian and veterinarian technical marketer, Dr. Jennifer Miller, to talk about the newly approved monoclonal anitibody treatment for canine parvovirus.  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.

November 13 • 22m 41.4s
265. Who are the farmers of the future? cover art

265. Who are the farmers of the future?

Approximately 6% of the U.S. population are veterans – those who have served in the U.S. military. Leaders who have donned the uniform have gone on to serve in roles that are now shaping the future of the food and agbioscience economy. Today’s guest is doing just that. W US Army COL (retired) Mark Purdy joins us to talk about his journey through the military and into agbioscience, what Aimpoint does and how he sees food and agriculture innovating for the future.  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?

November 6 • 29m 5.1s
264. The intersection of animal, plant and human science cover art

264. The intersection of animal, plant and human science

Biotech – everything from innovation in seeds and animal vaccines to new foods and human medicines – hold tremendous opportunity to transform the future. The science also represents significant opportunity to create new jobs and improve America’s national security. Those were just a few of the key theses outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and key reasons why the US Department of Commerce designated Indiana one of 31 federal tech hubs in October. Today we are joined by Dave Roberts and Andrew Kossack of The Applied Research Institute to share more about what this designation means.  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.

October 30 • 21m 32.9s
263. Through the lens of the farmer cover art

263. Through the lens of the farmer

Innovations in seed holds tremendous promise – from improving yield to resilience and profitability – and has transformed significantly over the last few decades. Today we are joined by Beck’s Hybrids President, Scott Beck, to talk about the iconic family-owned brand, being a third-generation leader in the business and watching a small operation grow to the massive brand it is today.  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.

October 23 • 21m 2.5s
262. Getting the economy you want cover art

262. Getting the economy you want

Forbes – the global business media powerhouse – named Indiana the best place to start a business in 2023. It’s one of many recent wins on the board for Indiana – a trophy case that includes everything from securing commitments for $33B in capital investment in the last six quarters to securing the rights to host the next Global Economic Congress. It’s momentum that today’s guest seeks to continue. Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg joins us to look into the future, poising Indiana for success and retaining young talent in state for generations to come.  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.

October 16 • 20m 57.7s
261. BONUS: The “why” behind innovation cover art

261. BONUS: The “why” behind innovation

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.

October 11 • 14m 7.7s
260. Meeting the needs of a global market cover art

260. Meeting the needs of a global market

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.

October 9 • 18m 44.1s
259. The food supply chain of tomorrow cover art

259. The food supply chain of tomorrow

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.

October 2 • 15m 33.9s
258. BONUS: AI/ML keeping dairy cows healthy cover art

258. BONUS: AI/ML keeping dairy cows healthy

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.

September 27 • 15m 14.5s
257. Indiana to host GEC 2025 cover art

257. Indiana to host GEC 2025

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.

September 25 • 15m 45.5s
256. BONUS: A revival in food entrepreneurship cover art

256. BONUS: A revival in food entrepreneurship

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.

September 20 • 18m 33.3s
255. Tech starts with the customer cover art

255. Tech starts with the customer

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.

September 18 • 23m 12.6s
254. BONUS: Innovating to feed a growing world cover art

254. BONUS: Innovating to feed a growing world

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.

September 13 • 47m 50.6s
253. Food security is national security cover art

253. Food security is national security

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.

September 11 • 17m 37.4s
252. BONUS: Plants for your pets cover art

252. BONUS: Plants for your pets

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.

September 7 • 16m 9.2s
251. Pod in, produce out cover art

251. Pod in, produce out

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 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.

September 4 • 18m 14.8s
250. BONUS: It’s RALLY week! cover art

250. BONUS: It’s RALLY week!

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.

August 28 • 18m 58.1s
249. Slowing down to speed up cover art

249. Slowing down to speed up

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.

August 28 • 23m 43.3s
248. AI’s future in agbioscience cover art

248. AI’s future in agbioscience

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.

August 21 • 19m 40.1s
247. The next chapter of startup capital cover art

247. The next chapter of startup capital

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.

August 14 • 23m 1s
246. Digital innovation to solve labor challenges cover art

246. Digital innovation to solve labor challenges

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.

August 7 • 14m 39.3s
245. BONUS: Data making a better world cover art

245. BONUS: Data making a better world

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.

August 2 • 16m 56.8s
244. Leading agbiosciences into the future cover art

244. Leading agbiosciences into the future

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.

July 31 • 15m 37.2s
243. Corn’s role in the energy transition cover art

243. Corn’s role in the energy transition

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).

July 24 • 24m 7.8s
242. Innovation to save human lives cover art

242. Innovation to save human lives

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.

July 17 • 23m 32.5s
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