Meet Team Regrow, the winners of the 2021 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, designed to inspire innovators to create software that makes it faster for farmers to aggregate complex data sets required to participate in Carbon markets.
Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus talks with Manal Elarab, global head of business and product development at Regrow. They walk through their solution, collaborating with Indiana producers and what’s next for their company after winning $25K from Purdue Foundry.
A special thank you to the presenting sponsor of the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge: Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance.
Intelinair has raised $20 million in Series B funding to continue to scale the company and its flagship crop intelligence platform, AGMRI®.
This round was led by the Regulator Group, LLC, Scientia Ventures, Takiff LLC, SDMC Ag Inc., and various ag industry and artificial intelligence (AI) industry senior executives.
“American farmers work very hard every day to produce nutritious and affordable food. At the same time, farmers are challenged by many factors. Intelinair’s AGMRI crop health and intelligence platform leverages modern artificial intelligence technology to monitor and proactively alert to issues before they become yield-stealing and loss-generating problems for our farmers,” said Al Eisaian, CEO and Co-founder of Intelinair.
Founded in 2015, Intelinair recently established its headquarters office in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has an office in Champaign, Illinois. Over the past six months, the company has added six additional experienced leaders to its team with plans to add three more before the end of the year.
Eisaian, added: “It is an honor to have great investors and great veteran ag industry leaders join our Series B investment round to help us accelerate our growth and allow us to deliver our services to a large number of additional farmers, ag retailers and other ag industry players.”
“Intelinair is bringing new and highly differentiated technology into an expanding marketplace. I really like how the company is putting together an expanded team to position itself for growth,” said Tim Hassinger, Member of the Board of Directors for Intelinair.
“I am pleased to participate as a Board member for such an innovative organization. Intelinair is one of the most exciting companies where we have invested in all rounds of funding. Al Eisaian, along with a talented group of executives, is improving the future of agriculture,” said Douglas Hirsh, Member of the Board of Directors for Intelinair.
“We have been incredibly impressed by Intelinair in its use of AI to lead the ag intelligence revolution. Not only does Intelinair provide vital agronomical insights to growers, a $15 billion opportunity, but it also identifies actionable opportunities and provides tools to facilitate the decarbonization of the planet and drive sustainability and efficiency of food supplies, a global imperative. We are excited to lead the Series B round and support Intelinair through the next stage of the company’s evolution,” said Bill Wisialowski, Managing Member of Regulator Group, LLC, an independent sponsor of investments in growth companies.
“We believe that innovation in farming and crop production and health technology is a key to the improvement of human health. Intelinair’s deep expertise in AI applied to broad-acre agriculture convinced us that they can capitalize on this massive and global opportunity,” Harry Glorikian, General Partner of Scientia Ventures.
Governor Eric Holcomb has appointed Mitch Frazier as chair of the Indiana State Fair Commission. He succeeds Brad Chambers who served as the Commission’s chair until recently taking on the role of Secretary of Commerce for the state of Indiana and CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC).
The Indiana State Fair Commission, which is made up of 13 members, sets governing policy and provides strategic direction for the year-round operation of the 250-acre Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, including the annual Indiana State Fair.
“The Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center is a special place where traditions are made and memories are created,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana and chair of the Indiana State Fair Commission. “I look forward to working with the Indiana State Fair team to build upon the fairgrounds’ rich history and continue to advance its position as a destination for world-class experiences and innovation.”
A.I. veteran to lead company’s deep learning strategy to unlock the full potential of seeds
Enhancing efforts to effect sustainable improvements through the deep understanding of plants’ complex biological code, Inari – the SEEDesign™
company – has welcomed Dr. Rania Khalaf to its leadership team as its first chief information and data officer.
Khalaf brings more than a decade of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing experience to further expand a team that is central to Inari’s mission. She will lead the company’s work in machine learning to further advance its predictive design, tapping into deep learning to map highly complex genetic networks and identify how to best address critical challenges such as resource use inefficiencies. These systemic discoveries identify unique gene pathways that will
lead to improved plant performance to support a more sustainable food system.
“To transform the global food system for a more sustainable future, we are building a deeper understanding of some of nature’s most complex systems to determine the multiplex edits required for the desired outcome,” said Ponsi Trivisvavet, chief executive officer at Inari. “Our team has built a lot of momentum in this area over the past five years, so Rania’s experience in building digital platforms will accelerate our product development.”
Khalaf joins Inari from IBM Research, where she created and led the global research strategy on AI-infused automation. She ran an organization that developed foundational, award-winning innovation in cloud-native AI platforms, human-centered AI and serverless computing, leading to the launch and enhancement of an array of products.
Khalaf held multiple leadership and research positions within IBM, laying the industry foundation for service-oriented computing and co-authoring core web service standards. She holds several patents and has over 90 peer reviewed publications.
“I was drawn and inspired by the mission of Inari to drive impactful change,” Khalaf said. “Accelerating this journey by scaling machine learning pipelines and interleaving computation with biological systems to create a more sustainable future is a unique and challenging opportunity that I’m excited to take on.”
Khalaf serves on the board of the Hariri Institute for Computing at Boston University. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a doctorate in computer science from the University of Stuttgart.
What if one day you purchased a bottle of wine from the store and a label on that bottle could trace back to where its grapes were grown? Blockchain technology of that kind isn’t far away and it’s being developed right here in Indiana.
On this week’s episode of the podcast, Gerry Dick with Inside INdiana Business is joined by Mont Handley and AJ Moran, the co-founders of Plantennas, a patented Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) sensor enabled, molded fiber, propagation pot and ancillary hardware/software system.
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership has named a new leader. Economic development professional Stephane Frijia will assume the role of president and CEO in October. Frijia has served in a business development leadership role within the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) for over 10 years as senior vice president of strategy. He will relocate to Northeast Indiana from his current home in Phoenix in the coming weeks.
Frijia, originally from Italy, has resided in the Phoenix area since 2003. In his most recent role with GPEC, he led the formulation of strategic initiatives and programs focused on semiconductors and end-market applications to catalyze investment into new advanced industrial parks across the region, as well as the development of innovative data science capabilities to support domestic and international business attraction and marketing efforts. He has a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Management Technology from Arizona State University. Frijia has played a key role in the development of GPEC’s international strategies. He is fluent in English, Italian and French.
Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University and Regional Partnership board chair, shared her excitement for Frijia as the organization’s next leader, explaining that he stood out as an exceptional candidate because he has been a key contributor to a world-class economic development team in one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
“As technology drives global access and opportunity without boundaries, leaders in economic development must have a proven record in data intelligence and international marketability. Stephane brings experience and a record of success in both. His background in building strategies that supported the diverse growth of the Greater Phoenix area will complement the incredible work already being done in Northeast Indiana. I extend my sincerest thanks to Mark Millett and the rest of our search committee for their excellent work throughout the recruiting process,” said Emberton.
“The CEO search process yielded several high-quality candidates, but Stephane’s unique set of economic development experiences and skill-sets set him apart. He has a clear history of successful execution, driven by partner collaboration and innovative marketing approaches,” noted Mark Millett, Regional Partnership vice chair, CEO of Steel Dynamics Inc. and chair of the CEO search committee.
Ellen Cutter, vice president of economic development for Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and member of the president and CEO search committee, said, “Stephane has the background, experience and energy to elevate Northeast Indiana’s outward facing national sales and business development program. Fort Wayne is the fastest growing metro area in the Great Lakes region, and the opportunity for Northeast Indiana to capitalize on the momentum, together, has never been stronger. Greater Fort Wayne Inc. looks forward to our continued collaborations with the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership under Stephane’s leadership.”
Regional Partnership board member and interim CEO Jeff Turner noted Frijia has the right mix of skills and personality to build upon the organization’s strong foundation created over the past 15 years.
“Stephane is an economic development team leader, team builder and team player. His deep experience in regional cooperation in the Phoenix area will help the Regional Partnership remain a national leader in attracting investment and the talent that all of our employers need. His strategic guidance will enhance the contributions of all of our stakeholders, including government, economic developers and our large investor base,” noted Turner.
Frijia is in the process of relocating to the Northeast Indiana region and will begin his leadership role with the Regional Partnership on Oct. 11.
“I am honored and grateful to the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership board of directors and selection committee for trusting me with responsibility to lead the economic development strategy for Northeast Indiana. Northeast Indiana is poised for growth, with a competitive business environment and a strong specialization in advanced manufacturing. I look forward to leading the team and supporting our local partners as we work together to deploy tools and position this region as a location of choice for business expansion,” said Frijia.
AgriNovus announced today several changes and additions to its board of directors.
The board unaminously approved the addition of Paul Nselel, CEO of AgReliant Genetics, to the board in addition to the seat change of Kristin Bloink, vice president of Global Product Development at Elanco. Additionally, the organization’s Innovation Council was dissolved and members were integrated to board seats, including:
Bryan Brackemyre – vice president of Member Services, Indiana Municipal Power Agency
Nichole Like – president and CEO, The Pantheon
Rebecca Schroeder – president, Whiteshire Hamroc
Josh Trenary – executive director, Indiana Pork
“AgriNovus has a bold ambition to fuel growth across Indiana’s agbioscience economy – from agtech and animal health to plant science and value-added food,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “The leaders joining our board add even more strength and new perspectives to guide our work at such a critical time in the global food and agbioscience economy.”
Nselel currently serves as the CEO of AgReliant Genetics, presiding over the company’s three commercial brands across the United States and Canada: AgriGold, LG Seeds and PRIDE Seeds. He has spent over a decade in the seed industry, holding leadership positions across the globe for a Nasdaq traded Agrifood company and Ernst and Young’s agribusiness leadership team. Nselel holds a bachelor’s degree from Universite de Poitiers-France, a master’s degree in applied math from the Universite de Caen-France and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Bloink is the vice president of Global Product Development for Elanco, overseeing the advancement of all pipeline projects from proof-of-concept through approval, launch and lifecycle support. She also chairs the Elanco Foundation, a non-profit focused on food security and human animal bond initiatives globally, and the Elanco Women’s Network. Bloink has over 30 years of accomplishments in human clinical trials, animal drug discovery, translational model development and execution and human and veterinary clinical medical delivery in the private, academic as well as the military sectors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Medicine from the University of Iowa, a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University. Bloink is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine.
Brackemyre is the vice president of Member Services for Indiana Municipal Power Agency, a wholesale power provider for 61 communities in Indiana and Ohio, overseeing economic development, marketing and communications and community relations. Previously, he served at Ernst and Young as well as executive director of the Boone County Economic Development Corporation where he was responsible for leading all business recruitment and retention activities. Brackemyre has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Indianapolis and a Master of Business Administration from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
Like is the president and CEO of The Pantheon, a new coworking space and business incubator in Vincennes. She previously served two terms on the Knox County Council. Like has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University.
Schroeder is president of Whiteshire Hamroc, a swine breeding and genetics operation in Albion, and a founding board member of AgriNovus. She joined Whiteshire Hamroc in 1996 and has had the opportunity to learn all aspects of the business starting as a production employee and moving into management. Schroeder serves on Governor Holcomb’s Workforce Cabinet, Purdue University’s Animal Sciences Advisory Board and Ivy Tech Community College’s Ag Advisory Board. She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Purdue University where she has been named 2018 Distinguished Ag Alumnae and 2016 Animal Science Department’s Mid-Career Distinguished Alumnae.
Trenary is the executive director of Indiana Pork, an affiliate of the National Pork Board representing and supporting the 3,000 pork producers across the state. He previously worked in policy for the organization. Trenary is appointed to the National Pork Producers Council’s Environmental Policy Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.
These additions and changes to the AgriNovus Indiana board of directors brings total board membership to 32 leaders from industry, academia, community and government.
State applauds contributions of entrepreneurs, recognizes Hoosier small businesses for success, resilience
Governor Eric J. Holcomb today issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 13 – 17 as Small Business Week in Indiana, celebrating the more than 529,000 small businesses in Indiana and the more than 1.2 million hardworking Hoosiers they employ.
“This week, we recognize the small businesses driving our state’s economy forward,” said Gov. Holcomb. “The state is placing an increased focus on supporting Indiana’s entrepreneurial companies, and with their persistence and entrepreneurial spirit, small business owners are creating careers and opportunities vital to every community across all 92 counties.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) will recognize nine Hoosier small businesses that have worked with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a program of the IEDC, to start, grow or pivot their small businesses. These awards, presented in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week, honor the entrepreneurs’ and small businesses’ achievements and their contributions to help grow Indiana’s economy and strengthen communities across the state.
The 2021 honorees are:
Community Impact Small Business of the Year: Crossroads Solar Enterprises (South Bend)Founded by Patrick Regan and Marty Whalen in 2019, Crossroads Solar Enterprises is a solar module manufacturer for residential, municipal and industrial scale applications, certified by the International Electrotechnical Commission and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Founded on a core social mission, the company employs individuals who have served time in prison, providing them with equal opportunity, living wage with benefits and labor skills to reenter the workforce.
Entrepreneur of the Year: Donte Wilburn (Lafayette)Donte Wilburn, owner and operator of Premier Detailing and Wash LLC, founded his business in 2011 with the goal of providing high-quality services built on servanthood and trust. The company expanded operations to a second location in Kokomo in 2020, and in 2021, Donte and managing partners purchased Legacy Courts, a sports facility that has been in operation for six years, to build a safe space for Lafayette youth.
Family-Owned Small Business of the Year: Fischer Farms (St. Anthony)Founded by Diana and Dave Fischer in 2004, Fischer Farms is a natural meat producer providing premium, local, sustainable products to Hoosier families and restaurants. The sixth-generation, family-owned farm has expanded to meet the demand for local, fresh products.
Innovative Small Business of the Year: InsightTRAC (Syracuse)Founded by Anna Haldewang in 2017, InsightTRAC provides on-site robotic pest removal and data tracking services to help almond growers better manage and optimize their yields. The product provides real-time orchard insights and provides growers with an autonomous winter sanitation solution for what is currently a manual process.
Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year: bNutty Peanut Butter (Portage)A minority- and woman-owned business founded by Joy Thompkins and later joined by Carol Podolak, bNutty Peanut Butter is a gourmet peanut butter producer offering a variety of flavors and gift baskets. What started as a fundraiser for youth soccer in 2014 has grown into a robust manufacturing operation with multiple production lines and a national customer base.
Rural Small Business of the Year: High Performance Alloys Inc. (Tipton)Founded by Russ Kirchner in 1984, High Performance Alloys Inc. manufactures and distributes superalloys and super stainless steels to serve the needs of the aerospace, chemical processing, oil-gas, medical and food processing industries. With locations in Tipton and Windfall, the company employs more than 60 Hoosiers and serves a global customer base.
Start-Up of the Year: Saaslio (Indianapolis)Founded by John Harden, Saaslio is a data insight software designed to help IT-managed service providers understand their client Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) systems and their security implications. Since launching in March 2020, Saaslio has participated in gener8tor’s gBETA startup accelerator and secured six early adopter partnerships around the country.
Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: MidAmerica Safety Solutions (Evansville)Founded by Jeff Klump in 2017, MidAmerica Safety Solutions is a traffic control safety company providing on-site traffic management for work sites in the Evansville, Bloomington, Indianapolis and Cincinnati areas. As a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Jeff and his team are committed to hiring veterans, retirees and veteran spouses through local organizations.
Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: Starlight Spirits & Wines LLC (Borden)Founded by Dana and Jan Huber in 2001, Starlight Spirits & Wines LLC is the company responsible for the regional distribution of Huber wines. Part of Huber’s Orchard, Winery, and Distillery, the company is an agritourism destination in southern Indiana.
The Indiana SBDC provides no-cost expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources to each entrepreneur looking to start or grow a business. These resources include capital access, business planning, export assistance and market research.
The state received an ‘A+’ grade for ease of starting a business (Thumbtack 2019) and ranks No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 6 in the nation for entrepreneur friendliness (SBE Council 2019).
Happy 1st birthday to Field Atlas! On this week’s episode of the podcast, Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus is joined by Hannah McGee, a former Field Atlas ambassador and a recent college grad turned agbioscience professional.
From Butler from Beck’s, Hannah talks about finding Field Atlas in 2020, her ambassadorship and opening the door to new opportunities for her peers on campus. Are you ready to connect with careers that make a difference and feed the world? Visit myfieldatlas.com.
AgriNovus Indiana announced today its fall 2021 class of Field Atlas ambassadors to spark conversation about the agbiosciences on college and university campuses across the state.
Field Atlas ambassadors are college students selected to serve as on-campus connectors between students, professors and academic advisors and the Field Atlas career exploration platform (myfieldatlas.com). The ambassadors will provide information about career paths, companies and fields of study in the agbioscience industry.
For the 2021 fall semester, Field Atlas has selected these students to represent the program:
Noah Berning – Sophomore, Purdue University
Kailyn Cooksey – Sophomore, Indiana State University
Maranda Elswick – Junior, Purdue University
Sylvia Harris – Senior, Huntington University
Carly Morris – Senior, Franklin College
Erin Straka – Senior, Butler University
Gracie Whitaker – Sophomore, Purdue University – Fort Wayne
“The peer connectivity our ambassadors provide on college campuses across Indiana are what makes Field Atlas truly unique,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus. “Their efforts to engage their peers, advisors, professors and community leaders creates a powerful in-person, local catalyst to drive engagement with our online Field Atlas platform and ultimately inspire young leaders from nearly all fields of study – from software engineering to finance – to explore a career in the agbiosience industry.”
Launched in 2020 and available online at myfieldatlas.com, the Field Atlas platform enables students to explore agbioscience careers through online talent assessments, videos and profiles and identifies jobs and companies that align with their personal and professional interests.
