Andrea Arias is a global leader in the realm of Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics within the field of agriculture. With a profound academic background, she holds a B.S. in Biotechnology from USFQ-Ecuador and earned her Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Iowa State University.

Over the course of her career, Andrea has dedicated five years to the development of automated high-throughput analytical pipelines and decision systems, with a particular focus on population development and variety/hybrid breeding spanning diverse crops and geographical regions. Her expertise led her to spearhead the strategy and portfolio of data science, automation engineering, and decision support tools for plant breeding and breeding operations at Corteva.

In the final two years of her tenure at Corteva, Andrea assumed the leadership for the global data science group within Research and Development. In 2022, she embarked on a new journey as the Vice President of Data Science and Crop Testing at Jord Bioscience, continuing to make invaluable contributions to the ever-evolving landscape of agricultural innovation.

In addition to her professional achievements, Andrea has been a passionate mentor to young scientists in graduate and early career stages. Her guidance and support have been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of talent in the field of agricultural analytics.

Joyce Hunter is a strategic-doer and a philanthropreneur. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the position of Deputy Chief Information Officer for Policy and Planning at the Department of Agriculture (2013-2017) and was the Acting Chief Information Officer from March 2016 to July 2016. In addition to policy and technology planning, Ms. Hunter is the creator of the Data Science Agriculture, Athletic and Energy summer camps for underserved, underrepresented and underestimated youth, which is entering its 10thth year of operation. This unique learning experience provide young people 14 to 18 years old the opportunity to use creative thinking to develop story telling on critical policy issues using data. Ms. Hunter is currently the Executive Director of the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT), a non-profit Think Tank, providing objective, nonpartisan research, advisory, and education to legislative, commercial, and public-sector cybersecurity, national security and critical infrastructure stakeholders. Ms. Hunter earned a BA from Villanova University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton

School of Business. Ms. Hunter is on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Villanova University, Bowie State University, and many industry advisory boards. She is also published in The Handbook of Federal Government Leadership and Administration: Transforming, Performing and Innovating in a Complex World (Routledge 2017) and the recent ICIT publication “Securing the Nation’s Critical Infrastructures: A Guide for the 2021 – 2025 Administration” (CRC Press 2022).

Nancy Bohl Bormann is a PhD Candidate at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the Soil, Water, and Climate Department. She received her B. S. from Iowa State University and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her main research project is working on the development and implementation of a nationwide manure test database called ManureDB.  Previously she worked in the nutrient management field for fourteen years as a CCA, and she grain farms with her family in northern Iowa. Nancy is the Kossuth Soil and Water Conservation District Chair, an Iowa State University Northern Research Farm Board Member, and a member of the AgGateway Laboratory Data Standardization Working Group. She has a passion for the intersection of agriculture and the environment, especially in nutrient management, agricultural data management, and soil and water quality areas.

Kendall Rae Johnson, age 8, the prodigious young farmer from Atlanta, Georgia, earned the esteemed title of “the youngest certified farmer,” at the tender age of 6, from Arthur Tripp, Georgia’s State Executive Director of Agriculture. From playful encounters with soil at the age of 3 to blossoming into an agricultural sensation, Kendall Rae’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

Rooted in the heart of Atlanta, Kendall Rae, as affectionately known, inherited her green thumb from the wisdom of her great-grandmother, Laura “Kate” Williams. Inspired by Kate’s teachings, Kendall Rae’s agricultural venture began on a humble yet powerful patio porch, where collard green stems were not discarded but nurtured back into the earth. The magic of growth sparked in this tranquil space, where seeds of cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and recycled collard green stems sowed the seeds of her passion.

From those humble beginnings, Kendall Rae witnessed the transformation of tiny seeds and stems into a vibrant garden, adorned with a colorful array of vegetables destined for her family’s table. Today, Kendall Rae has metamorphosed her love for cultivation into a thriving enterprise – aGROWKulture Urban Farm. She is also the Co-Founder of Kendall Rae’s Green Heart Charity, a testament to her commitment to making a positive impact.

Beyond her garden, Kendall Rae is the author of “I’m Growing Places,” a recently published book aimed at instilling an understanding of food cultivation among youth from pre-k to 5th grade. Her advocacy extends to hosting and producing events in and around Atlanta, championing youth involvement in agriculture, sustainability, and eco-conscious living.

Kendall Rae’s influence goes far beyond Georgia’s borders; she is a beacon of inspiration for young minds across the nation. As an advocate and spokesperson for the little people of Georgia and beyond, she lives by the mantra, “Meet New Friends, Make New Things, and Inspire Other Kids” Her journey from a playful start with collard green stems to a champion for sustainable living is nothing short of magical.

Carolyne Vowell is a member of the Soiltech Wireless team, serving as Product Manager and Sustainability Lead. In these roles, she looks at everything from the basic functionality of the Soiltech Beacon and its plug-and-play capabilities, to the big-picture potential of the data outputs and the various actions growers can take based on that data. She’s also helping define Soiltech’s place within the evolving landscape of agriculture as the push for sustainable and regenerative farming practices increases and farmers have to manage their finite resources to a higher degree.

Prior to joining Soiltech, Carolyne held multiple roles within Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness, worked as a GIS Technician and UAV remote pilot for Renewable Resources Group, and was a Wildfire Tech Specialist for Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.