Forbes AgTech Summit: Salinas

Theme: The Future of Food

Thanks to advancements in automation, blockchain, food safety, genetics and more, the food industry is undergoing rapid
transformation. New innovations have revolutionized how food is grown, processed, and eaten; which presents today’s agricultural
workforce with a new set of opportunities and challenges. While what it will take to produce 70% more food by 2050 is still to be
seen, one thing is for sure—these global advancements will be the driving force behind the future of food. Now in its fifth year, the
2019 Forbes AgTech Summit will convene the world’s preeminent leaders in the space to showcase cutting-edge developments and
build solutions to one of the world’s most pressing concerns.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

1:30pm Registration & Innovation Showcase Open

Innovation Showcase: Presented by Western Growers

During your time at the Forbes AgTech Summit please take some time to visit our Innovation Showcase, presented
by Western Growers. The showcase will feature 35 of the most exciting agtech startups offering a wide variety of
solutions to the challenges of achieving higher crop yields and less food waste. The showcase will be open
throughout the two days' event and is a great place to network or take a break.

2:00pm Welcome to the 5th Annual Forbes AgTech Summit

Sherry Phillips​, Senior Vice President, Forbes Live

2:10pm Forbes/THRIVE Demo Day - Program Overview

John Hartnett​, Founder & CEO, SVG Partners & THRIVE AgTech
Jonathan Hua​, Accelerator Manager, SVG Ventures-THRIVE AgTech

2:20pm A Focus on Innovation

Darryl Matthews​, Senior Vice President, Natural Resources, Trimble

2:30pm THRIVE Portfolio Company Pitches

Stuart Oda​, CEO, Alesca Life
Bill Jennings​, CTO, FarmX
Ken Jackson​, CEO, Intelliconn
Karen Schuett​, CEO, Livestock Water Recycling
Tashia Tucker​, CEO, Olombria
Mark Byrne​, CEO, ProteoSense
Xiong Chang​, CEO, Tensorfield Agriculture
Ellie Symes​, CEO, The Bee Corp
Marian Singer​, CEO, Wellntel
Moderator: ​Jonathan Hua​, Accelerator Manager, SVG Ventures-THRIVE AgTech

4:00pm Forbes/THRIVE Demo Day Wrap-up

John Hartnett​, Founder & CEO, SVG Partners & THRIVE AgTech

4:05pm Forbes AgTech: The Lay of the Land

Steve Forbes​, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Forbes

4:20pm The State of Ag

Dave Puglia​, Executive Vice President, Western Growers

4:35pm How to Cultivate the Next Generation of Leadership in Farming

 Looking to the past, present, and future of agriculture, we’ll hear how some of the industry’s youngest players are
planning to build meaningful careers for themselves as part of the next generation of farmers.
Glenda Humiston​, Vice President, UC Agriculture & Natural Resources
Joe Pezzini​, President & CEO, Ocean Mist Farms
Chris Rotticci​, Cofounder, Automated Harvesting LLC
Jason Smith​, President & CEO, Smith Family Wines
Moderator: ​Willard Lewallen​, Superintendent & President, Hartnell CCD

5:05pm Closing Keynote Conversation

In this moderated discussion, Beth will share her career journey, her current perspectives on the industry and the
initiatives Land O’Lakes is taking to remain an industry leader.
Beth Ford​, President & CEO, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Interviewer: ​Moira Forbes​, Executive Vice President, Forbes and President & Publisher, ForbesWomen

5:25pm Closing Remarks

Liz Strozier​, Executive Producer, Forbes AgTech Summit

5:30pm Cocktail Reception

7:00pm Salon Dinners by invitation only

Forbes AgTech Summit: Salinas

Theme: The Future of Food

Thanks to advancements in automation, blockchain, food safety, genetics and more, the food industry is undergoing rapid
transformation. New innovations have revolutionized how food is grown, processed, and eaten; which presents today’s agricultural
workforce with a new set of opportunities and challenges. While what it will take to produce 70% more food by 2050 is still to be
seen, one thing is for sure—these global advancements will be the driving force behind the future of food. Now in its fifth year, the
2019 Forbes AgTech Summit will convene the world’s preeminent leaders in the space to showcase cutting-edge developments and
build solutions to one of the world’s most pressing concerns.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

7:30am Registration & Breakfast

8:30am Opening Remarks

Mike Federle​, CEO, Forbes

8:45am Welcome to Salinas

Mayor Joe Gunter​, City of Salinas

8:50am Morning Keynote Conversation

Former Ambassador Ertharin Cousin is on a mission to end world hunger. In this fireside chat, Ms. Cousin will
discuss her storied career, her commitment to food security, and what must be accomplished to effectively fight
global hunger.
Ertharin Cousin​, Distinguished Fellow at the Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University
Former U.S. Ambassador & Director of the UN World Food Programme
Interviewer: ​Maggie McGrath​, Editor, ForbesWomen

9:10am Innovation Spotlight

Matt O’Hayer​, Founder & Executive Chairman, Vital Farms

9:20am Opportunity Zones: How Leaders Will Bridge the Urban-Rural Divide
The Opportunity Zones incentive established by Congress in 2017 offers a unique formula for public and private
sectors to work together to stimulate economic growth. While most attention about the new OZ laws have been
focused on urban areas, the new policy is also a powerful tool to help revitalize America's key agricultural
communities. We’ll hear from both public and private leaders who are using OZs to bridge the urban/rural divide
and ensure long-term impact for rural communities.
Pitichoke Chulapamornsri​, Vice President, International Business Development & Strategic Projects, Crop One
Holdings, Inc.
Dennis Donohue​, Director, Center for Innovation and Technology, Western Growers
Mayor Joe Gunter​, City of Salinas
Moderator: ​Steven Bertoni​, Vice President & Senior Editor, Forbes

9:45am Fireside Chat

Greg Steltenpohl​, Cofounder & CEO, Califia Farms
Interviewer: ​Chloe Sorvino​, Staff Writer, Food & Ag, Forbes
10:05am The Implications of Automation
Most aspects of farming and food production are exceptionally labor intensive. As processes become increasingly
automated and the field of robotics continues to rapidly accelerate, we examine the implications this has for the
future of food and ag.
Miku Jha​, Founder & CEO, AgShift
George Kellerman​, CEO & Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Ventures
Arama Kukutai​, Cofounder & Partner, Finistere Ventures
Thomas Palomares​, Cofounder & CTO, FarmWise
Moderator: ​Alex Knapp​, Associate Editor, Science, Forbes

10:35am Morning Break

11:05am A Global Perspective

Agriculture issues are universal. Founders from across the globe will discuss how they are working to solve some of
the world’s most intractable problems.
Aidan Connolly​, CEO, Cainthus
Daniel Koppel​, Cofounder & CEO, Prospera Technologies
Mariana Vasconcelos​, Founder & CEO, Agrosmart
Moderator: ​John Hartnett​, Founder & CEO, SVG Partners & THRIVE AgTech

11:30am THRIVE Forbes Icon Award Presentation

John Hartnett​, Founder & CEO, SVG Partners & THRIVE AgTech
Sherry Phillips​, Senior Vice President, Forbes Live

11:35am Innovation Spotlight

Annie Ryu​, Founder & CEO, The Jackfruit Company

11:45am Smarter Technology, Safer Food

Environmental changes, shifting consumer preferences, and an increasingly global food chain mean new challenges
for the industry when it comes to food safety. How can we use technology to ensure that food is properly
regulated and safe to eat around the world?

Introduction: ​Hank Giclas​, Senior Vice President—Science, Technology & Strategic Planning, Western Growers

Minos Athanassiadis​, Business Area Director, HarvestMark - Trimble

Drew McDonald, ​Vice President, Quality & Food Safety, Taylor Fresh Foods
Vic Smith​, President and CEO, JVSmith Companies
Diane Wetherington​, CEO, iFoodDecisionSciences
Moderator: ​Frank Yiannas​, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response, U.S. Food & Drug Administration

12:20pm Lunch

1:45pm Fireside Chat

Allison Kopf​, Founder & CEO, Artemis
Interviewer: ​Chloe Sorvino​, Staff Writer, Food & Ag, Forbes

2:05pm Innovation Spotlight

Soren Bjorn​, President, Driscoll’s of the Americas

2:20pm Forbes Local Impact Award

 Presenter: ​Mayor Joe Gunter​, City of Salinas

2:30pm Eyes In The Sky: Using Drones, Satellites and AI To Monitor Farms
The advent of drones and cheaper satellites means that farmers can now literally get a bird’s-eye view of the
progress of their fields. Coupled with advances in big data and AI, this means that farmers have more information
about their crops than ever before. But how can they use best use this abundance of data?
Julie Baker​, Cofounder & COO, Ursa Space
Wade Barnes​, CEO, Farmers Edge
John Kastl​, Senior Director, Innovation & Intellectual Property, Valley Irrigation, Valmont Industries
James Paterson​, Cofounder & CEO, Aerobotics
Moderator: ​Alex Knapp​, Associate Editor, Science, Forbes

3:00pm Innovation Spotlight

Abbas Ghassemi, ​Teaching Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Merced and
Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering

3:15pm Afternoon Break

3:45pm Meaningful & Measurable: U.S. Dairy’s Environmental Impact

Krysta Harden, ​Executive Vice President of Global Environmental Strategy at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy &
Former Deputy Secretary, USDA
Tara Vander Dussen​, Environmental Scientist & Dairy Farmer, New Mexico Milkmaid
Moderator: ​Maggie McGrath​, Editor, ForbesWomen

4:05pm Innovation Spotlight

Jewel Zimmer​, Founder, Juna

4:15pm The New Wave of Pollination

It is no secret that pollination is a vital part of our ecosystem, and honey bees are arguably the most
important—and most threatened—of the pollinators. With the bee population in rapid backslide, how can we
protect our global food system and innovate new ways to protect the species?
Fiona Edwards-Murphy​, Cofounder & CEO, ApisProtect
Timothy “Paule” Jackson​, Cofounder & Director, Detroit Hives
Carly Stein​, Founder & CEO, Beekeeper’s Naturals
Ellie Symes​, CEO, The Bee Corp
Moderator: ​Chloe Sorvino​, Staff Writer, Food & Ag, Forbes

4:45pm Innovation Spotlight

Daniel Kurzrock​, Cofounder & Chief Grain Officer, ReGrained

4:55pm Closing Keynote

Secretary George “Sonny” Perdue III​, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Interviewer: ​Mike Federle​, CEO, Forbes

5:20pm Closing Remarks

Sherry Phillips​, Senior Vice President, Forbes Live

5:30pm Cocktail Reception

7:00pm Cocktail Reception Concludes