SILICON VALLEY FORUM PRESENTS
SEEDS OF OUR FUTURE
AGTECH SUMMIT & IMMERSION PROGRAM
Coming August 2020 | Silicon Valley and Northern California
#SooF20
Tickets on sale soon – sign up for our AgTech newsletter to be the first to know!
About the Program
Since the inaugural event in 2016, Silicon Valley Forum’s annual Seeds of Our Future program has invited tech innovators, startups, investors, farmers, universities, governments, and industry experts to connect on topics such as automated farms, food safety and traceability, controlled environments, UAVs, and much more. California is home to the world’s most productive seats of both technology and agriculture, and this program examines the ways in which we can bridge the two and build a better future.
An increasing global population and dwindling resources are some of the biggest challenges we face, and innovation in agricultural technology is key for sustaining and improving the way we feed the world. Join us again in August 2020 for as we explore the real future of farming and agriculture!
Highlights include:
- Learn about cutting edge innovation in agricultural technology
- Hear from agtech-facing startups: their challenges and successes
- Engage with Venture Capitalists to understand how they see the future of investing
- Talk to farmers who have partnered with technology companies (on location in Salinas and Napa)
- Meet potential partners, investors, and customers
Past Highlights: The Seeds of Our Future AgTech Program
WATCH VIDEO
2019 Speakers
2020 speakers announced soon!
Day 1 (August 20th)
SUMMIT:
San Jose, California
The program kicks off with an AgTech Summit which will focus on building a dialogue amongst participants, hearing from industry experts, exploring next generation solutions from Silicon Valley startups, and prepping for the adventure ahead.
8:15am:
Depart from Hyatt Place, San Jose to Emma Prusch Farm (Multicultural Building, 647 King Rd., San Jose, CA 95116)
9am-9:30am:
Registration
9:30am-9:40am:
Welcoming Remarks
NICK SRAMEK, Director of International Relations, Silicon Valley Forum
9:40am-10:20am:
Meet & greet plus interactive table discussions surrounding current AgTech challenges and solutions from the United States and around the world:
What are the major impediments? How can technology help solve the big issues we are facing?
10:20am-10:30am:
Break
10:30am-11am:
Power Talk and Q&A: AARON MAGENHEIM, Founder of AgTech Insight
While new technologies are being developed in Silicon Valley to address agriculture challenges, what are the emerging trends globally?
11am-11:30am:
Power Talk and Q&A: OMER DAVIDI, Founder & CEO of BeeHero
BeeHero helps farmers give every flower a fighting chance using the power of real time beehive data and pollination intelligence.
11:30am-12pm:
Power Talk and Q&A: DAVID VOSBURG, CFO & SVP, Crop One
Crop One’s mission is to solve the world’s food problems one crop at a time.
12pm-1:30pm:
Lunch
1:30pm-2:15pm:
Panel Discussion and Q&A: Investments and latest innovation in AgTech
ALEX LUCE, Partner, Creative Ventures
KARL KERKSIEK, VC, Finistere Ventures
MORGAN PAXHIA, Managing Director & Chief Investor, Poseidon Asset Management
Moderated by Nick Sramek, Director Int’l Relations at Silicon Valley Forum
How do Investors see the future of AgTech? What big bets are being made in 2019?
2:15pm-2:45pm:
Power Talk and Q&A: ROHINI BANSKOTA, Director of Policy, Finless Foods
Finless Foods is a food startup working toward a world where everyone has access to healthy, delectable seafood, without the environmental devastation or the health hazards of traditional fishing and aquatic farming.
2:45pm-3:45pm:
Panel Discussion: Is CannabisThe New Gold Rush?
RYAN BRANTLEY, Director of Cultivation with Caliva
PAUL HENDERSON, CEO with Grupo Flor
Moderated by Patrick Froehlich, Int’l Program Manager, Silicon Valley Forum
What are the major hurdles in this exciting new sector? What new technologies are being developed for Cannabis tech?
3:45pm-4pm:
Break
4pm-4:30pm:
KEYNOTE: CHARLES BARON, CoFounder & VP, Farmer’s Business Network Inc.
How is technology helping growers build a resilient future? What can farmers and growers expect when it comes to innovation?
4:30pm-5pm:
Networking
Day 2 (August 21st)
IMMERSION PROGRAM:
Salinas, California
On this day we will take a trip to Salinas – the “salad bowl” of California. We will learn from our partner, Western Growers, hear from AgTech companies in Salinas, and visit growing operations that use technology to solve their challenges.
8am:
Depart Hyatt Place, San Jose for Salinas
9am-11am:
Tour of Taylor Farms (1275 Hansen St., Salinas, CA 93901)
See how Taylor Farm leverages technology to improve their processes
11am-11:30am:
Travel to Western Growers Technology Center (150 Main St #130, Salinas, CA 93901)
11:30am-12pm:
Welcoming Remarks: JOE GUNTER, Mayor of Salinas
Salinas: Symbiosis between Farmers and AgTech
12pm-12:30pm:
KEYNOTE: DENNIS DONOHUE, Director Western Growers Center of Innovation & Technology
Introduction to the WG Tech Center. Changes in AgTech and strategic initiatives and priorities.
12:30pm-1:30pm:
Lunch
1:30pm-1:45pm:
Presentation: Farmwise
SEBASTIAN BOYER, CoFounder & CEO of Farmwise
Their autonomous vegetable weeder helps get rid of herbicides, save time, have better products and greater yields
1:45pm-2pm:
Presentation: Pago
MIKE DODSON, CoFounder & CEO of Pago
Pago is the first product to serve both farm labor contractors and growers by offering a platform where the two parties can work collaboratively to carry out crucial labor activities.
2pm-2:15pm:
Q&A Session
2:10pm-2:30pm:
Travel to Grupo Flor (514 Work St., Salinas, CA 93901)
2:30pm-4:30pm:
Tour of Grupo Flor, a company focused on Cannabis.
PAUL HENDERSON, CEO of Grupo Flor
See how the cannabis industry is rapidly changing and the technical challenges they face.
4:30pm:
Depart Salinas to Hyatt Place, San Jose
Day 3 (August 22nd)
IMMERSION PROGRAM:
Silicon Valley, California
Day 3 we return to Silicon Valley, with an in-depth look at AgTech startups building next-generation technologies to meet the needs of a growing population.
10am:
Depart Hyatt Place, San Jose to Gamble Gardens Historic Home & Gardens (1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301)
11:00am-11:30am:
The Pitch! Six AgTech companies disrupting farming:
JAMIE BACHER, CoFounder & CEO of Boost Biomes
ROBERT MORRIS, Founder & CEO of TerrAvion
BRUCE BORDEN, COO of FarmX
ADRIAN FERRARO, CoFounder & CEO of Biome Makers
NAEEM ZAFAR, CoFounder & CEO of TeleSense
11:30am-12:30pm:
Lunch
12:30pm-1pm:
Presentation: IBM & AgTech
DEBORAH MAGID, Director Software Strategy, IBM Ventures
IBM’s work with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, combining IBM’s core competencies with promising startups within the Agtech space
1pm-2pm:
Company Demos – Meet the Startups!
Boost Biomes – a platform to enhance agriculturally relevant microbiomes
TerrAvion – helps farms take a hi-tech approach to improve yield and revenue, with the largest cloud-based aerial imaging and data analytics service for agriculture.
FarmX – sensors that measure soil, plant and environmental variables to accurately measure water stress. Our advanced predictive algorithms deliver real-time irrigation actions.
Biome Makers – a biotech company born in Silicon Valley specialized in the identification and understanding of the microbiome.
TeleSense – an advanced suite of sensors that monitor grain 24/7.
2pm-3pm:
Travel to IDEO.org (444 Spear Street, Suite 213, San Francisco, CA 94105)
3pm-4:30pm:
Presentation and Round Table Discussions
LUAN NIO, Senior Partners Lead, IDEO.org
ADAM REINECK, Global Design Director, IDEO.org
Introduction to IDEO.org and Human-Centered Design, their vision for agriculture as a driver for impact. Designing for and with farmers: stories from smallholders and a few IDEO.org case studies. Followed by discussion around trends and needs.
5pm-6:30pm:
Return to San Jose
Day 4 (August 23rd)
IMMERSION PROGRAM:
Napa, California
10am:
Depart Hyatt Place, San Jose
12pm:
Arrive at Beringer
12pm-1pm:
Lunch
1:15pm-2:30pm:
Presentations & Panel Discussion at Beringer’s Fermentation Room
ADAM WOLF, Chief Scientist at Arable Labs Inc.
WILL DRAYTON, Director Technical Viticulture & Research Winemaking at Treasury Wine Estates
JILL BRIGHAM, Executive Director, Smart Farming and Sustainable Wine and Food Processing Center at UC Davis
Technology & Innovation’s impact to Beringer’s processes and business
2:45pm-4pm:
Tour of Beringer Winery
View their tech in action
4:15pm-5pm
Networking
5pm:
Depart to San Jose
PAST HIGHLIGHTS
Seeds of Our Future through the years
IT ALL HAPPENS AUGUST 2020
Dates and tickets available soon!
2019 Partners
SUMMIT WATER SPONSOR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Sponsor the Seeds of Our Future!
Limited Packages Available
If you’d like to showcase your company as an official sponsor of Seeds of Our Future, or host a session on the Immersion Program, just enter your details below – we’ll email you more info.
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