Ag Innovation Showcase and Larta Institute are proud to announce Teddy Bekele, SVP and Chief Technology Officer of Land O’Lakes, Inc., as its opening keynote speaker for its 11th annual conference with the theme, “The Power of Convergence: Food, Health and Energy.” The event will feature novel innovations across the spectrum of food production, health sciences, and sustainability, all with the common goal to provide global wellness through the healing power of nutrition.
Bekele leads the Ag Tech and IT organizations at Land O’Lakes, one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. He is responsible for developing and implementing technology solutions for retail and farmer customers to help them produce more sustainable outputs, leveraging the collective insights and knowledge of Land O’Lakes’ research and innovation capabilities across the nation. Prior to his current role, Bekele served as VP of Ag Technology at WinField United, the crop inputs, agricultural services and agronomic insights business of Land O’Lakes.
Hosted at the Guthrie in downtown Minneapolis, The Ag Innovation Showcase will take place from September 9-11, 2019 and will feature world-class speakers, industry panels, intimate networking receptions, and presentations highlighting select technology and research institutions. The Showcase will be delving into the thriving health-based food and beverage industry of the Twin Cities by inviting local vendors to share their goods and participate in the event.
Founded by Larta Institute and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in 2009, The Ag Innovation Showcase has been a hub for innovation in the food and ag industry for the past decade and famous for its intimate setting, effective network, and community-oriented mission. Previously hosted in St. Louis, the event will be setting new roots in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region to facilitate the growth of consumer and producer awareness about the budding future of agriculture in the confluent fields of food, health, and energy.
Over the past decade, Ag Showcase has hosted over 200 emerging companies, representing 27 unique countries, and has assisted in facilitating over $1.7B in funding for our Showcase Alumni.
Tickets and more information are available at www.agshowcase.com.
