Elevate: An AI in Agriculture Summit explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping agriculture—from predictive analytics and automation to building more accessible, secure, and interoperable data systems. Through expert-led keynotes, panel discussions, and meaningful networking, this summit will address key barriers to adoption, ensure alignment with grower and industry needs, and spotlight AI’s potential to solve agriculture’s most urgent challenges.

Attendees will engage with thought leaders from government, academia, and private industry to shape the role of research, policy, and commercialization in the next wave of AgTech innovation.

Summit Goals

1. Align AI Innovation with Agricultural Stakeholders: Ensure that AI development is grounded in the realities of farming, including grower needs and regional variability.
2. Lower Barriers to Adoption: Address issues of cost, connectivity, technical support, and ROI to make AI accessible across farm sizes.
3. Enable a Secure & Interoperable Data Ecosystem: Promote data privacy, transparency, and usability in AI-driven tools.
4. Explore the Future of AI in Ag: Discuss emerging technologies and their role in tackling longstanding and emerging agricultural challenges.

8:00 am | Registration + Coffee

9:00 am | Welcome with Dr. William Aderholdt, Grand Farm

9:10 am | Keynote: Why AI Matters

• Deborah Golden, Chief Innovation Officer, Deloitte USA

9:25 am | CIO Panel: What Matters to a CIO?

• Moderator: Jeroen Hoogendoorn, CHS
• Sara Boe, Cargill
• Jeremy Lembeck, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
• Shane Wehkamp, Koch Ag & Energy Solutions, Koch Minerals & Trading

9:55 am | Why Research Matters

• Angie Cooper, Heartland Forward 
• Dave Shideler, Heartland Forward 
• Steven Mirsky, USDA Agricultural Research Service

10:25 pm | Break

10:50 am | Google for Startups – AI & Emerging Innovation

• Karen Fiester, Google for Startups

11:00 am | Startup Pitches

• Prashant Mishra, Agripilot
• Kris Poulson, FarmQA
• Braydon Love, 701x
• Vikram Adve, CropWizard
• Tom Gauthier, AgTechLogic
• Cole Robertson, dScribe AI

11:25 am | Panel: Aligning AI Innovation with Agricultural Stakeholders

• Moderator: Jake Joraanstad, CEO, Bushel
• Jeff Van Pevenage, Columbia Grain International
• Jason Pant, The Andersons, Inc
• Sachi Desai, Bayer

11:55 am | Startup Pitches

• Shane Emmons, Swept.AI
• Aishwarya Ramasethu, Prediction Guard
• Scott Meyer, Chipp.AI
• Alex Chequim, DigiFarmz
• Alex Edquist, Good Agriculture
• Brian Kearney, Farmland Stock Exchange
• Bradley Griggs, Nave Analytics

12:15 pm | Lunch

1:30 pm | Keynote: Landscape of Venture Funding in AI

• John Werner, Managing Director and Partner, Link Ventures

1:45 pm | Panel: Farmer-Focused AI – Solving Real Problems on the Farm

• Moderator: Dan Chrest, Vice President Innovation, AgCountry FCS, Farm Credit Services of America, and Frontier FC 
• Kyle Courtney, Courtney Farms, RentEase
• Eric Halvorson, Black Gold Farms
• Chris Johnson

2:15 pm | Break

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2:15 pm | Private Track: AgTech Lightning Rounds with gener8tor

• Designed for agriculture focused startups to connect with investors and corporate partners seeking to invest in AgTech startups
• Startup Signup
• Investor Signup

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2:45 pm | Lightning Announcements

• Jason Trainer, Minnesota State University Moorhead
• Laiken DeMorrett, North Dakota FFA Foundation
• Dr. Simone Ludwig, North Dakota State University
• Andrew Jason, Grand Farm

3:00 pm | NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota

3:15 pm | Panel: AI in Motion – Robotics Transforming the Farm

• Moderator: Dr. William Aderholdt, Grand Farm
• Santosh Kumar Pitla, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• Dr. Xin (Rex) Sun, North Dakota State University
• Luan Pereira de Oliveira, University of Georgia
• Ce Yang, University of Minnesota

3:45 pm | Closing Keynote: AI for Good

• Nipun Mehta, Founder, ServiceSpace

4:00 pm | Happy Hour and Poster Session