Agbioscience

Unlocking the power of data science is a relatively new endeavor for many across the economy. However, one industry was literally built on the concept generations ago; gleaning insights from troves of data, using it to calculate and project risk is the very underpinning of insurance and today’s guest is a veteran of that industry and brings his data-centered approach to agbioscience. Wes Sprinkle,...

The innovation economy and the broader global economy runs on capital and the underlying banking system has experienced significant challenge of late. Since March 2023, three regional banks have failed; most notable: Silicon Valley Bank (a bank with deep connections to venture capital and tech companies). Today we are joined by Aaron Gillum, Senior Vice President at 50 South Capital, to help us ma...

Farming is a vocation, a calling that for generations has fed, clothed and fueled the world. As innovation continues to advance and supply chains become even more globalized, the role of the American farmer has never been more important to the future of our economy and our national security. Today we are joined by Indiana Farm Bureau’s executive director of administration, Megan Ritter, to examine...

Would it really be May in Indiana if we DIDN’T talk about milk? Each year, Indianapolis is flooded with race fans from around the globe to watch The Indianapolis 500 and its winning driver be presented with a cold glass of milk by an Indiana dairy farmer at Victory Circle.  The state is home to over 700 dairy farms and, together, provide a home for more than 174,000 dairy cows (generating more tha...

According to Capital Market’s database, Pitchbook, more than 100 agtech companies were acquired in 2022 and this year is on pace to top that total. The market isn’t far from historic levels, but the question remains: is 2023 the year that agtech consolidation accelerates? On the heels of their own acquisition, Intelinair CEO Tim Hassinger joins us to talk the agbioscience’s biggest hurdles, how th...

Cooperatives have long been an integral part of the production ag system and agricultural economy. Today that role remains and is rapidly evolving as precision agriculture, technology and new entrants like biologicals and biostimulants become increasingly important in the pursuit of farm profitability and yield. Today we are joined by Co-Alliance Chief Strategy Officer, Phil Brewer, to talk about...

Small businesses of 500 employees or fewer make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses; and of the new jobs created between 1995 and 2020, small businesses accounted for nearly 2/3 (or 12.7 million). Our guest today is a journalist, an author and a bold visionary who sees the next chapter of America’s economy coming from what some may consider to be surprising places. Founder of Times of Entrepreneurship...

Agronomy – the science of soil management and crop production – is critical to advancing the profitability, sustainability and durability of modern agriculture. However, science alone is not enough. An emerging agtech company is combining that science with technology and people to create the next generation of precision crop production. Today we are joined by Advanced Agrilytics CEO, Kay Kuenker,...

About 90% of US seafood comes from abroad, resulting in a $17 billion trade deficit.  With a new $10 million grant from USDA, a Purdue professor is working to eradicate that deficit with a new sustainable and integrated aquaponic production system. Today we are joined by Dr. Jen-Yi Huang, Project Director and Associate Professor of Food Science, at Purdue University. He talks about innovation in t...

The agbioscience economy is the only economy that touches every person on the Planet given that it centers on food. It’s necessary for life; and for generations, Indiana farmers have served a critical role in the global food supply chain. Now the state has a farmer leading the charge to shape the next chapter of the state’s ag economy and he joins us today. Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State...

Indiana soybean production eclipsed more than 330 million bushels in 2022 making it the state’s second-largest commodity crop. Twelve Purdue University student teams set out to transform those soybeans into new products during the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s New Uses Competition and a winner was selected to receive the top prize of $20,000 just a few short weeks ago. Today we are joined by Team Sty...

Rapid identification of pathogens in food and water holds the power to save lives. Katherine Clayton, Founder and CEO of OmniVis, has developed a technology that puts the power of a pathogen lab in hands around the world. She joins us to talk about her personal story paving the way for this innovation, her passion for proactively stopping disease from happening and moving from California to study...

Last year, the federal government invested nearly $120 billion to combat food insecurity with its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but the challenge still remains. As AgriNovus works to inspire innovation in food security through a new category of agtech we call HungerTech, it’s important to understand the scope of food insecurity in America and how we can improve. Today we are jo...

In the US, more than 42 million people don’t know where their next meal is coming from and nearly 1/3 of those are children. Today we are joined by HATCH for Hunger Executive Director, Danny Leckie, to talk about the organization’s mission to unite Midwest poultry producers and a distribution network to combat hunger.  They talk about how the organization was founded, building a sustainable model...

The agbiosciences offer one of the most approachable areas of modern innovation. From new foods to sustainability advances and new tech, agbioscience touches every human being on the planet. Today we are joined by Elevate Ventures CEO, Toph Day, to talk about a new global event where agbiosciences will link arms with other modern focuses of our economy: RALLY Innovation Conference, which is coming...

Pork’s place on the plates of people around the globe continues to grow with a global pork market expected to reach more than $418 billion by 2028. Indiana hog producer and National Pork Board President, Heather Hill, joins this week to talk a growing demand for the protein paving the way for new innovation. She dives into her work at the National Pork Board, emerging trends in pork consumption an...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 13.5 million households – more than 10% of the population – experience food insecurity. Innovation, especially in the category of agtech, holds tremendous promise to lower that number. Today we are joined by AgriNovus Indiana Senior Director of Innovation, Geoff Zentz, to announce the launch of the 2023 HungerTech Challenge. They talk about what th...

Growing an economy is part art and part science. It requires a bold vision, deep understanding of a region’s assets and an ability to unite leaders across business, academia and government, all to take action and drive growth. Today we are joined by Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, to learn how a former lawyer, deputy mayor and leader at Cummins came into her new r...

Companies and governments across the world have made commitments to decarbonization; but one of the key technologies, electrification, is still years away from being applicable to the high-horsepower, high-torque requirements of production agriculture. BJ Johnson, founder and CEO of ClearFlame Engine Technologies, has developed a technology to transform high-horsepower diesel engines to run on 100...

Worldwide, an estimated 20-40% of crop yield is lost to pests and diseases every year. Coupled with a growing desire to reduce environmental impact in crop protection and you’ve got a growing opportunity for innovation. From a central Indiana farm to Purdue University and then onto Scotland, Insignum Agtech founder and CEO, Kyle Mohler, joins us to talk stress detection in crops using his tech-ena...

Tackling food security in America often centers on programming and funding; however, innovators are turning to tech and new models to better connect food supply with food demand. Today we are joined by Khadijah Abdullah, Vice President of Economic Development and Social Impact at Shipt, to talk about the company’s fundamental shift in how access to grocery and goods happens and how they are using...

Agtech continues to be one of the fastest-growing categories of the agbioscience economy as producers and those that serve them seek to deliver greater value, efficiency and ultimately, improve net farm income.  This week, we are joined by Dr. Brian Lutz, VP of Agricultural Solutions, at Corteva Agriscience. They dive into optimizing solutions for the farmer, the transformation of agtech and where...

Happy Valentine’s Day! It is estimated that 58 million pounds of chocolate have been purchased over the last seven days in honor of the holiday, fueling a global market of more than $46 billion. Today we are joined by an Indiana leader in sweet treats: founder and president of DeBrand Fine Chocolates, Cathy Brand-Beere.   From a high school student making wedding cakes to the specialty chocolates...

Fermentation has become a catalyst for new food innovation and Mark Warner, co-founder and CEO of Liberation Labs, is bringing a new approach to scaling a solution to support food companies and the customers they serve. With the recent announcement that Liberation Labs would build a new facility in Indiana, we sit down with Mark to talk through his background, what’s on the horizon for alternative...

Microbiome has been heralded as a next frontier of unlocking the power of biology to drive healthier outcomes. This week, we bring together two pioneers focused on driving those outcomes in animal health: Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit, and David Bravo, Chief Science Officer at Nutreco. The two companies recently announced plans for a long-term strategic partnership focused on discovery, developme...