Speaker Categories: August 2016

Author of “Big Data: Understanding How Data Powers Big Business” and the forthcoming “Big Data MBA: Driving Business Strategies with Data Science,” Bill is responsible for setting the strategy and defining the Big Data service offerings and capabilities for EMC Global Services’ Big Data Practice. As the CTO for the Big Data Practice, he is responsible for working with organizations to help them identify where and how to start their big data journeys. He’s written several white papers, is an avid blogger and is a frequent speaker on the use of Big Data and data science to power the organization’s key business initiatives. Bill is a University of San Francisco School of Management (SOM) Executive Fellow where he teaches the “Big Data MBA” course, and is ranked as the #15 Big Data Influencer by Onalytica. He brings more than three decades of experience in data warehousing, BI and analytics to this conference.

Katie Anderson, Sustainable Sourcing Manager at Environmental Defense Fund, works closely with corporations to help them set and meet sustainability goals that benefit the environment, businesses, and farmers. She leads the management of EDF’s collaboration with the agricultural retail sector on sustainability initiatives, including the Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN program. She has a Masters of Environmental Management and a Sustainable Systems Analysis certification from Duke University.

Carrie is the Agriculture Leader for The Weather Company, an IBM Business. She joined IBM in 2016, when the world’s largest private weather enterprise, the world’s largest network of personal weather stations, and seventh most data-rich site in the world was acquired. Carrie has more than 10 years of experience in using massive geospatial temporal data to inform business insights across industries, including farming, energy, utility companies. She earned her BS in Meteorology from Central Michigan University.

Jim Sulecki is Corporate Content Director for Meister Media Worldwide, PrecisionAg Media’s parent company headquartered in Willoughby, Ohio, USA. He oversees all editorial operations for Meister’s 14 major brands across print, digital, and event platforms as well as custom content produced on behalf of the company’s commercial clients. He also co-leads the company’s market-facing business teams with Corporate Business Media Director Joe Monahan. As a working editor and writer during his 29-year career with Meister, Jim has directly covered nearly every U.S. and international market served by the company’s brands including precision agriculture, and has additional experience in publishing management and as lead of the company’s digital division. He holds a B.A. in English, Summa Cum Laude, from Cleveland State University.

Robert began his Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensor career with Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) in 1991 as part of the ADI team that developed the first production Shaker test systems for a MEMS accelerometer. Many twists and turns in MEMS allowed him to lead several groups including Applications, Advanced Test, Production Test development, Trim and Probe, and Characterization. Rob currently is exploring Smart Ag as a sensor-to-cloud strategy, which has led to the now very public IoTomato project.

Robert holds several patents in MEMS test technologies for accelerometer and gyro test platforms. In 2012, he was inducted into the MEMS Industry Group’s Hall of Fame.

Steve is the Chief Strategy Officer, MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), where he is leading efforts to scale the MEMS and Sensors ecosystem for the next decade of explosive growth. He is responsible for the strategic initiatives of MSIG that include TSensors (Trillion Sensors) Vision, standards, and working groups to address technical and business opportunities and challenges the industry faces. Steve is a former MSIG board member and 26-year veteran of Intel Corporation with more than 30 years in the semiconductor and MEMS/Sensors industries. While at Intel he managed and directed strategy for cross-platform efforts on sensors, multiple wired and wireless I/O technologies, power management, and other initiatives.

Dan has served as  the leader of FarmQA since late 2014, with a mission to bring software and sensors to the agriculture market that manage large food production operations. Dan founded Linn Grove Ventures, an early stage fund in the Upper Midwest investing in ag/food/animal technologies, in 2009. Raised on a North Dakota Farm, Dan was an executive in retail food for 20 years.

Jim is a global leader in precision water-
management solutions for agriculture. He has served in a number of key leadership positions in agriculture organizations, including director of marketing for Bayer CropScience, and senior leadership positions at John Deere Water.

Kolby Nichol grew up on a grain farm in rural Manitoba. His passion and motivation in his role at Farmers Edge is to pursue the many commercial connections between agronomy and the economy. Kolby’s goal is to find opportunities where the value that Farmers Edge™ provides growers is relevant and sustainable for the long-term.