Agbioscience

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

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

Microbiome science is a fast-growing field and Indiana is home to a new company focused on innovation in animal health based on the microbial communities in animals and the surrounding environment. This week, we are joined by Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit, a company launched by Elanco and Ginkgo Bioworks in 2021.   He talks about the criticality of microbiome science in creating healthier animals...

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

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

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

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

It’s a bonus episode! This week, we are joined by our very own Senior Director of Innovation, Geoff Zentz, to launch a new challenge to the tech community: HungerTech.  The HungerTech Challenge by AgriNovus Indiana will be a month-long technology challenge looking to use mobile-first technology to improve access to nutrition for people using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).   ...

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

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

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

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

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

The silver shovels were out this week as Elanco broke ground on their new global headquarters west of downtown Indianapolis. CEO of Elanco, Jeff Simmons, made one thing very clear: this is a new era at Elanco Animal Health. The company’s new facility includes many amenities; biggest among them is the epicenter for animal health innovation and the opportunity for innovators across the globe to coll...

Byproduct feed for chickens. Solar panels to power facilities. MPS Egg Farms recently announced a partnership with Kroger’s Simple Truth Brand to bring the world’s first carbon-neutral eggs to the United States. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier talks with Sam Krouse, VP of Business Development for MPS Egg Farms.  They talk about what it takes to make eggs carbon-neutral, the partnership with...

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

Earlier this year, Ivy Tech announced the launch of their Garatoni School for Entrepreneurship and Innovation with the idea that entrepreneurs needed to know better than how to just run a company – they needed to know how to start one, too. This week, Gerry Dick hosts our monthly panel episode with Ronda Taylor, the statewide dean for Garatoni School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ivy Tech,...

From a fractured supply chain to an increasing desire from consumers to be more connected to the food they eat, some of the best innovations in agbioscience are birthed in times where opportunities for growth are presented. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier is joined by Dave Taiclet and Larry Page from Lewis and Clark Agrifood.   They talk about the quiet disruptions that shift markets and gai...

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

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

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

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

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

Do you know if your pet has looked out the window more or less lately? Innovation isn’t far off from providing you that information, and it could lead to a better understanding of your furry friend’s overall health. On this week’s episode, Mitch Frazier of AgriNovus is joined by Kristin Bloink, VP of Global Regulatory and Pharmacovigilance at Elanco.  They talk about her 30+ years working in human...

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