The Speakers

Aaron is an entrepreneur who grew up in California Agriculture and has become a global industry leader working across the Agriculture and Technology nexis. As CEO and co-founder, his companies AgTech Insight and Growers Insight specialize in strategy & implementation, scaleup growth with their Certified 2 Grow and referral platforms, farm innovation planning, and advising Corporates, Governments, NGO's, and investors on building successful ecosystems leveraging technology and best practices throughout the Agri-Food supply chain.

Adam Bergman is a sustainability executive leader with over 20 years’ investment banking experience providing strategic advice and financial guidance to senior executives and boards on growth strategies, strategic alternatives and tactical initiatives. As one of the first investment bankers to focus exclusively on the CleanTech sector, starting in 2005, Adam is recognized as a leading subject matter expert and is a frequent speaker at industry events and publisher of articles on sustainability. He has extensive transaction experience working on financings and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) globally, including deals in the AgTech & FoodTech, biomaterials, energy efficiency, energy storage, Industrial IoT, mobility & transportation, renewable energy, smart grid and water technology sectors.

During his last five year, Adam built an industry leading AgTech & FoodTech practice creating a broad ecosystem to help drive adoption of technology and innovation throughout the broad food & Ag value chain. Additionally, Adam established the AgTech cohort for Wells Fargo’s innovation incubator (IN2), which was launched at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO, in 2018.

Over the past 20+ years, he has worked for leading global investment banks, including Deutsche Bank, Jefferies, JPMorgan, Rothschild, UBS and Wells Fargo, and has completed over $12 billion in domestic and international financings and over $25 billion in domestic and cross border M&A, restructuring and strategic advisory transactions.

Allan Fetters, owner of AGceleration Advisory Service. For the last 30+ years, Allan worked with agriculture businesses in bringing their innovation to life successfully. During his tenure, Allan spent time in field research, sales, marketing, business management, and technology development and implementation.

His two passions are innovated agriculture and running, which are a lot alike in the fact that you have to set a pace when entering either a road race or the race to market, or you most likely won’t win. It takes planning, training, and hard work to accomplish your goals and dreams, but it’s 100% possible if you have the right people on your team.

After spending over 30 years providing growers with products and services such as crop protectants, fertilizers, seeds, and technologies, he joined their ranks and began farming. Allan currently farm almonds and pistachios in the Central Valley of California and now found a new appreciation and understanding of how value impacts the decision-making on the farm.

In his work, Allan strive to increase the pace of commercialization and adoption of new innovations that bring value to the agriculture industry.

Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the farming industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Business Planning, Management, Licensing, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). Strong business development professional with a Bachelor's Degree focused in Law and Business, Zell Entrepreneurship Program from Interdisciplinary Center.

Claire combines science research and business knowledge along with experience with startup companies to support commercialization of innovative technologies in agriculture. She began work at the Danforth Center in February of 2019 where she promotes the commercial impact of the Center’s intellectual property through such activities as patent filing, license agreements, and oversite for an innovation incubation program (IN2, funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation) that accelerates early stage agriculture technologies into the market through the execution of validating research for companies in collaboration with the Danforth Center. Her education includes a PhD in biochemistry and an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship.

David joined Syngenta Ventures in 2012. Prior to this he was a General Partner for seven years at Intersouth Partners, an independent venture capital firm in Durham, NC, which has invested in more than 100 private companies with $800 million under management. While at Intersouth, David focused on making venture capital investments in early-stage pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, agbiotech and healthcare information technology companies. Prior to entering the venture capital business, David worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 14 years where he held numerous senior positions in pharmaceutical marketing, sales, and new product commercialization at Johnson & Johnson and Pharmacia Corporation. David has extensive international business experience, having been responsible for business portfolios at the US, Europe and Latin America regional level in excess of $1 billion in annual revenue. He has extensive experience with licensing, mergers and acquisitions.

Elif has over 17 years of experience developing and directing strategic engagements that lead to commercialization and global expansion. She has designed and run an international acceleration program that served technology startups with a 60% successful market expansion rate into the US. Elif has worked in three continents before settling down in Silicon Valley where she remains deeply immersed in the startup ecosystem as an innovation scout and startup advocate. Her skill-set as a business matchmaker has served 100s of startups and visionary corporates.

Elif earned a Masters in Agriculture Engineering and Plant Sciences in Israel and Turkey and continued her education at Stanford University.

Inbar Blum is a graduate of the Technion in Haifa, Israel, where she has completed both an MBA in the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering. She also holds a Master of Advanced Management from the Yale School of Management (SOM), where she focused on how to create innovation in government.

Inbar manages in the Israel Innovation Authority the funding of startups that want to collaborate with governmental entities (including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).

Inbar believes that the government plays a key role as a 'first mover' by providing financial support to innovative businesses.

Janice Cooper is the Managing Director of the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Oregon, a position she has held since November, 2015. Prior to joining the Wheat Marketing Center, she served for six years as the Executive Director of the California Wheat Commission and earlier managed the California Association of Wheat Growers. In addition to her experience in the wheat industry, Cooper has a broad background in business development and trade policy in the banking, high tech and renewable energy sectors.

Cooper is a member of the Grain Industry Advisory Committee, the private sector group appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to advise the Federal Grain Inspection Service on its programs and priorities. She has served on the GIAC since 2012 and is the current chair.

Liron Brish is the co-founder of Farm Dog, an agriculture technology start-up that has developed a pest and disease management platform to ensure that we all have access to healthy and environmentally sustainable food. The idea came after Liron flirted with the agricultural field for several years. At McKinsey & Co., he was a post-harvest expert working to reduce fruit and vegetable waste. He is also a partner in Odd Duck and Barley Swine, two farm-to-fork restaurants in Austin. Lastly, his previous start-up was a computer vision-enabled drone platform, which failed miserably but exposed him to new technologies in agriculture.

Mareese Keane has more than 20 years of experience helping enterprises to evaluate and create new opportunities for growth and development. She cofounded Opengate Partners in 2020 to service the intersection of agtech startups and corporations, helping to design and deliver unique corporate innovation services for agriculture and food corporations and drive growth for startups through effective corporate engagement. Previously she developed and ran the award-winning THRIVE acceleration program for AgTech startups.

Mareese’s early career was focused on environmental issues, specifically waste management, and she has degrees from Ireland and the UK in Geology and Environmental Sciences, and certifications in Design Thinking and Business Strategy from IdeoU.

Irish by birth, Canadian by choice, Mareese currently lives in San Jose, California with her husband and two teenagers. She loves the great outdoors and never met a hill or mountain she didn’t want to climb!

Maya Schushan Orgad brings over six years of multidisciplinary experience that combines a broad science and technology background with project management, strategy, and business development.

Prior to joining Trendlines, Maya led entry into new areas of activities at Evogene, a leading, publicly traded biotech company involved in agtech, in which she served as director of business development. As part of her role, she identified new business opportunities, formulated business plans and entry strategies, led fundraising via grants, performed technology scouting efforts, and established multiple strategic collaboration deals with 1st tier agriculture companies.

Previously, she completed a PhD in computational biology in the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department at the Life Sciences Faculty of Tel Aviv University, graduating magne cum laude. Her PhD consisted of multiple international collaborative research projects in Israel and abroad, resulting in 10 publications in top-tier journals.

She also served as a scientific consultant in the Life Science Faculty Bioinformatics Unit, leading consulting research projects and workshops for both academia and industry. She received her MBA in Technology, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a BSc in life sciences, both from Tel Aviv University

Ms. Maya Vardi Shoshani manages the West Coast operations of the BIRD Foundation.

Located in the Silicon Valley, Ms. Vardi Shoshani is responsible for initiating business activities between Israeli and American companies, business development and relationship management with West Coast high-tech companies, as well as strategic growth initiatives.

Michael has extensive global and national experience in the field of climate-smart agriculture and developed the companion climate-smart irrigation model. He was the “expert speaker” on climate change and agriculture for the United States Department of State and has a multi-disciplinary background in agriculture as a farmer, scholar, consultant and business owner. Michael holds a PhD in Public Policy.

Mike Wilbur serves as the president and CEO of Cavallo Ventures, Inc., the venture capital arm of Wilbur-Ellis. Prior to his current role, Wilbur oversaw Cavallo Ventures as corporate vice president of business development. During that time, he and his team at Cavallo Ventures finalized the asset acquisition of Ag Consulting Group, the acquisition of a majority of AgCode and strategic investments in dozens of emerging companies and technologies that support Wilbur-Ellis’ business divisions, including but not limited to Sound Agriculture, Boost Biomes, Beta Hatch, Taranis, Crop Enhancement, SomaDetect, FarmWise, fieldin, Sabanto and Agrospheres. Each one of these companies is founded by pioneering entrepreneurs building successful businesses without taking shortcuts.

In his over twenty years of services with the Company, Wilbur has held numerous positions, working in each business division and in corporate roles. Starting in 1997, as a forage sales rep in the Nutrition division, he worked his way through sales. Later, he served as Thailand country general manager for Connell, the Company’s specialty chemical business in Asia Pacific, as well as national seed director positions with Wilbur-Ellis’ Agribusiness division. Wilbur assumed the role of vice president of data services and field technology, where he was responsible for the successful development of the Company’s AgVerdict agronomy tool. In October 2019, Mike also joined the Wilbur-Ellis board of directors.

Wilbur is a graduate of Boston College with a degree in economics. He and his wife, Patrice, and their three sons reside in Hillsborough, California. When he’s not working, Mike enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on his sons in their various athletic adventures.

Nadav is the Managing Director of Nut Farmers, LLC, which owns, invests and manages assets of pistachio farms in California. He is responsible for new farm acquisitions and daily asset management of the southern valley operation of the company. His role involves acquisitions, budgeting, reporting to shareholders and strategic planning with the different entities involved.

Omer Davidi is CEO and Co-Founder at BeeHero. Omer is a serial entrepreneur, world-class father, and mentor to the Israeli Cyber Center. With two corporate exits and an MS in Computer Science from IDC. His focus is on using technology to save the bees and feed the world.

Dr. Pamela G. Marrone is currently Executive Chairperson and Partner of Primary BioAg Innovations and Global BioAg Linkages, a pair of companies founded to help sincere innovators scale their bioag and agtech businesses and gain market adoption. She also advises six startups (biocontrol, precision ag, ag AI, consumer lawn & garden, plant nutraceutical and healthcare; five founded and led by women). In 2020, Marrone was awarded “The Most Admired CEO, Distinguished Career Award” by the Sacramento Business Journal.

Marrone retired August 2, 2020 as CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI), a company she started in 2006. On August 2, 2013, MBI listed its stock as MBII on NASDAQ. The company’s rapidly growing, award-winning bio-based products for pest management and plant health are used in fruit, nut, vegetable and row crop markets, globally. MBI also is marketing a product for invasive zebra and quagga mussels. MBI has several more products in the pipeline, including a bioherbicide and biofumigant. MBI received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award and a California Department of Pesticide Regulation IPM Innovator award.

Ran serves as the Director of Innovation Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, leading the mission's efforts to develop economic ties and increase bilateral trade between Israel and the Pacific Northwest.

He also serves as a fellow to the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the World Economic Forum, on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority. He represents Israel's interests at the C4IR network, working with multiple stakeholders to develop global and agile technological frameworks and domestic regulations related to autonomous vehicles, drones, and AI.

Ran is a passionate connector and networker with demonstrated ability to cultivate international communities and identify common interests among community stakeholders. He is experienced in building public-private partnerships, driving entrepreneurial projects, and leading multitask initiatives through policy research and community building.

He received his B.A. in Psychology/Behavioral Sciences from Ben Gurion University (2016). He is currently a candidate for Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business (2023).

Roland Fumasi is an executive vice president, and the North American head of Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness group. Roland is responsible for managing a team of 20 highly respected analysts, who each specialize in a specific sector within food and agriculture. Previously, Roland served as a senior RaboResearch analyst, covering the North American fruit, vegetable and tree nut industries. He combines a background in agribusiness research with international market development and finance experience in the agriculture industry. Prior to joining Rabobank, Fumasi served as a senior executive in the equipment industry beginning in 2008. From 2005 to 2008, Fumasi served as a Research Associate for the Agricultural & Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University, where his research focused on specialty crops and alternative energy (bio-fuel) production. Roland completed his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University in 2013. Prior to Texas A&M, Roland was an active researcher at the California Institute for the Study of Specialty Crops at the California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), where he produced an award-winning thesis related to specialty crops. Roland received both his B.S. and M.S. in Agribusiness from Cal Poly.

From 1998 through 2003, Fumasi served as a Financial Advisor for Morgan Stanley in Visalia, California, where his business focus was comprehensive financial planning for agricultural families. As a Marketing Director for various firms during the 1990’s, Roland was responsible for building distribution networks for the animal health industry in three countries.

Ron Meeusen, PhD is a Managing Director of Cultivian Sandbox and co-founder and Managing Partner of Cultivian Ventures. Ron has over 42 years of experience bringing new technologies and products to market. He led biotechnology R&D for major corporations in agricultural chemicals, field crop and vegetable genetics and breeding, animal health and industrial materials. Ron led the world’s first field trial of a genetically engineered crop trait in 1986, development and launch of one of the first insect and herbicide resistant corn hybrids in 1996, introduction of a trans-fat free canola oil, and development of dozens of new varieties of field and vegetable crops on three continents. Ron has been a frequent speaker at conferences, a consultant to Federal policy on biotechnology regulation, and active in industry trade groups. Prior to forming Cultivian Ron led the expansion of the biotechnology R&D program of Dow AgroSciences, served as chief scientific officer of the Indianapolis NGO BioCrossroads, led a review of the food and agriculture economy of Indiana, and co-founded a biopharmaceutical company, Immuneworks, Inc. Ron represents Cultivian Sandbox on the boards of directors of Agrivida Inc. (Board Chair), Vestaron Inc., and Sound Ag. The Cultivian Sandbox funds Ron co-founded with Andy Ziolkowski, Nick Rosa and Bob Shapiro are considered a leading fund in the food and agtech fields, and have raised over $280 million dollars to support over 30 innovative venture-stage companies in the food and agriculture sectors. Ron holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in plant cell biology, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in plant physiology.

Passionate about finance and technology with a proven track record in driving business growth. Innovative, strategic thinker and a people person. Motivated to make a difference.

Walt Duflock is a partner at a 5th generation family farming operation in Monterey County that grows specialty crops, wine grapes, and cattle. Walt has 30 years of experience at Silicon Valley tech startups with sales and marketing executive roles at eBay and 3 others that were acquired. Walt helped build THRIVE into the #1 AgriFoodTech Accelerator and is currently the VP of Innovation at Western Growers.

Yanniv holds a PhD in Biology from Stanford University, where he was awarded the Charles Yanofsky Prize for "most outstanding graduate student working in the field of molecular biology". Before his PhD, he worked on multiple research projects spanning different areas of plant biology at Harvard University, at the University of Cambridge, and at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His work earned him two prestigious fellowships at Stanford, and he was selected as an American Society of Plant Biologists scholar. Yanniv holds a B.S. and M.S. in Biology from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, to which he was admitted with the highly competitive “Normalien” fellowship. Prior to Fall Line Capital, Yanniv was a Senior Associate at AgFunder.

Prof. Yoram Kapulnik is the Executive Director of the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) as of August 1, 2017. He is the former Director General of the Volcani Center in Israel (2011-2016) and prior to this position, he served as the head of numerous Institutes within the Volcani Center.

Born and raised in Israel, Prof. Kapulnik received his Ph.D in Soil Microbiology from the Hebrew University, and as a Fulbright Fellow completed his postdoctoral work at the University of California, Davis.

Prof. Kapulnik worked for more than 25 years as a Professor of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology at the Volcani Center, Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. His early work focused on the study of plant-microorganism interactions in the plant’s roots, and their impact on crop productivity. Later, he concentrated on identification and utilization of natural products produced by numerous plant species and their health benefits to humans. Kapulnik holds 14 patents, trained more than 65 graduate and post-graduate students in his lab, and has published more than 170 articles in his field in international scientific journals.

Prof. Kapulnik has served on numerous national and international research evaluation panels, chaired the Board of the Israeli Gene Bank, the national "Food Security" commission and the national committee group to develop curriculum frameworks for agricultural education in Israel. He also represented Israel in numerous international conferences in Israel and abroad.