Agriculture, Food & Forestry

Experts in farming, food production, and forestry, contributing to sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental conservation

John Kelly

John Kelly

After graduating college in 1987, John accepted a still photographer position at Surfer publications which lead into a staff Senior Photographer position with focus on Powder and Snowboarder magazines. This lead him into a Cofounder and CEO position at a dotcom startup in the early 2000's. This startup was a content aggregator and multimedia content development company. This startup was sold to a publicly traded communications corporation. This exit lead John to Colorado, his next venture was a multi state mortgage brokerage, he lead Heritage Home Mortgage through rapid growth and success to an eventual decline after the recession of 2008. From there, John entered the legal Colorado Cannabis industry as a business consultant. He assisted several dispensaries operators, cannabis brands, and cultivators. He saw an opportunity to launch a cannabis ancillary startup, and was accepted to the CanopyBoulder accelerator program with 420Klean in the summer of 2017. So much industry knowledge gained and contacts made. My team again spotted an opportunity in the emerging Industrial Hemp Industry and formed the Hemp Foundry in early 2018. The Hemp Foundry is a multi state licensed vertical integrated Industrial Hemp processing and extraction company. We provide CBD from seed to stomach with facilities in Colorado, Illinois, Virginia and California (coming soon). We have raised numerous rounds and amounts of capital for these different operations. John has extensive experience with the Cannabis plant and understands the unique challenges startups and especially cannabis startups face.

After graduating college in 1987, John accepted a still photographer position at Surfer publications which lead into a staff Senior Photographer position with focus on Powder and Snowboarder magazines. This lead him into a Cofounder and CEO position ... Show more

Jim Owens

Jim Owens

Story teller, Project Manager, Developer, Teacher, Trainer, Tutor and Mentor. ACS Fellow, PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, ACS Certified Professional

Story teller, Project Manager, Developer, Teacher, Trainer, Tutor and Mentor. ACS Fellow, PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner, ACS Certified Professional Show more

Josh Lee

Josh Lee

Full stack web developer and a graduate of DevLeague here in Honolulu. As a day job, I am a fisheries management specialist for the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). I work to forward NMFS goals to leverage technology in data collection. I very much enjoy being a part of the budding tech scene in Honolulu and enjoy working with other developers, designers, and entrepreneurs. I also enjoy exploring the city from the seat of my bicycle, which I do regularly.

Full stack web developer and a graduate of DevLeague here in Honolulu. As a day job, I am a fisheries management specialist for the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). I work to forward NMFS goals to leverage technology in data collection.... Show more

Jung Kim

Jung Kim

Jung Min (Kevin) Kim is the Associate Director for the Asian American Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he directs student and faculty academic engagement and research projects in Asian American studies. Prior to joining the AAC he served as a collections researcher and lead curator for the Asian Pacific American Foodways Project at the Anacostia Community Museum (ACM), a joint project between the ACM and the Asian Pacific American Center that documented the diversity, power, and resilience of Asian American food cultures in the Washington, DC region.

A food ethnographer, curator, and storyteller, his research focuses on the cultural politics of food within and across Asian American diasporic communities. His work has been features on CNN and Gastropod and he previously taught at the University of Maryland, College Park where receive a Ph.D. in American Studies. He received his undergraduate degree in History (with Honors) from Swarthmore College. You can find him at home in Durham, NC cooking from his collection of historic restaurant cookbooks or on food-themed road trips with his friends and family in his spare time.

Jung Min (Kevin) Kim is the Associate Director for the Asian American Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he directs student and faculty academic engagement and research projects in Asian American studies. Prior to joining t... Show more

Shakthi Lakmal

Shakthi Lakmal

Shakthi Lakmal is an AI Researcher and Microsoft Gold Student Ambassador focused on applying artificial intelligence to improve food quality, health, and biological systems. With a background in Food Science and Technology, I build practical AI solutions across computer vision, molecular design, and edge AI.

He is passionate about creating scalable, impactful AI innovations that support safer food systems, better health outcomes, and sustainable global development.

Shakthi Lakmal is an AI Researcher and Microsoft Gold Student Ambassador focused on applying artificial intelligence to improve food quality, health, and biological systems. With a background in Food Science and Technology, I build practical AI solut... Show more

Stanley Eze (Ph.d)

Stanley Eze (Ph.d)

Dr. Eze U. Stanley is the Chief Consultant Geophysicist at Geotech4all Consultancy Group and the current co-ordinator (Ag. HOD) of the Dept. of Applied Geology, School of Earth Sciences, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria, where he lectures.
Dr. Eze is an active and committed member of NAPE and other geoscience associations within and outside the country.

Dr. Eze U. Stanley is the Chief Consultant Geophysicist at Geotech4all Consultancy Group and the current co-ordinator (Ag. HOD) of the Dept. of Applied Geology, School of Earth Sciences, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa,... Show more

Nattapong Nunpan

Nattapong Nunpan

Stupid software engineer

Stupid software engineer Show more

Bornface Kangombe

Bornface Kangombe

Kangombe Bornface is a Zambian innovator passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems. He has developed AI-driven solutions like the Agro Infection Detection system, which helps farmers detect crop diseases early, reducing losses and improving community health. Kangombe combines expertise in machine learning, mobile and web development, and innovation management with a strong focus on social impact. He has participated in multiple hackathons and innovation challenges, consistently building solutions that blend technical rigor with practical utility. Kangombe is committed to empowering local communities through technology and promoting sustainable development across Zambia.

Kangombe Bornface is a Zambian innovator passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems. He has developed AI-driven solutions like the Agro Infection Detection system, which helps farmers detect crop diseases early, reducing losses an... Show more

Sebastian Obeta

Sebastian Obeta

Sebastian, a data scientist at the University of Cambridge, specialises in natural language processing (NLP), a subset of artificial intelligence (AI). Regarded as an AI leader, he has gained recognition for his exceptional contributions and was honoured as one of the top 3% of AI experts in Europe by the United States Institute of AI. In recognition of his expertise, Sebastian was awarded a full scholarship by the institute.
Driven by a passion for empowering others in the field of data science, Sebastian founded Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAIS) at the University of Bradford. AAIS is a dedicated platform focused on developing data science capabilities and acquiring essential skills. Its rapid growth and innovation were acknowledged when it became the fastest-growing platform at the Leeds Digital Festival in 2022. The Office of Students UK (OFS) recognised AAIS as the headquarters of AI in the UK.
Sebastian's influence extends beyond academia and into the business world. The African Business Chambers (AFBC) listed him among the top 100 African business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and professionals in the UK. Additionally, he serves as an AI expert speaker for the United Research Forum and was honoured to be included in the D-List at the Leeds Digital Festival UK, a distinguished group of exceptional entrepreneurs, innovators, thought leaders, and business leaders from diverse backgrounds. These achievements further solidify Sebastian's reputation as an innovative and successful leader.
As a UK delegate to the World Bank youth summit, Sebastian shares his expertise as a distinguished speaker on AI matters. His impactful research in AI has garnered recognition, earning him the prestigious award for Best Researcher and the Purpose-Driven Innovative State of the Art Award.
Sebastian possesses a wealth of experience in the financial, telecommunications, and health industries. He holds certifications as a Certified NLP Engineer and Certified Data Scientist. His expertise encompasses a range of skills, including data warehousing, SQL, Power BI, Excel, and Python. With a Distinction in MSc Data Science and Machine Learning, he demonstrates a strong understanding of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data mining.
Sebastian's commitment to AI ethics has led him to become a researcher at AI Tech UK and the UK government. His research interests encompass explainable AI, responsible AI, AI ethics, federated analytics and learning, blockchain, machine learning, and NLP. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, Sebastian strives to unravel the complexities of AI while ensuring its responsible and ethical implementation.

Sebastian, a data scientist at the University of Cambridge, specialises in natural language processing (NLP), a subset of artificial intelligence (AI). Regarded as an AI leader, he has gained recognition for his exceptional contributions and was hono... Show more

Joshua Olalekan Akerekan

Joshua Olalekan Akerekan

i am Akerekan Joshua Olalekan, popularly known as Lekan Afolami, i was born on the 13th November, 1976 in Ajegunle, Oro-Ago District, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State.I attended Oke-Ode Grammar School, Oke-Ode, Kwara State, 1989-1994, University of Ilorin, 1999-2003 for my first degree and 2017-2019 for my Master Degree and currently undergoing Ph.D. degree in the field of Geology at the same institution. I am CEO/ Senior Geologist of Abmak Nigeria Enterprises Limited, a mining company. I am a member of Nigerian Association of Hydrogeologist (NAH), Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Nigerian Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment (NAEGE) and Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), I am A Christian, married
and blessed with beautiful children.

i am Akerekan Joshua Olalekan, popularly known as Lekan Afolami, i was born on the 13th November, 1976 in Ajegunle, Oro-Ago District, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State.I attended Oke-Ode Grammar School, Oke-Ode, Kwara State, 1989-1994, University of Ilorin, ... Show more

Akinmaye P. Dan

Akinmaye P. Dan

Graduate of Geology, federal university Oye ekiti and ND holder, The polytechnic Ibadan, Mechanical engineering

Graduate of Geology, federal university Oye ekiti and ND holder, The polytechnic Ibadan, Mechanical engineering Show more

Gary Jones

Gary Jones

Gary Jones graduated from Johnson and Wales University in the early years of the Culinary Arts program in Providence, RI. After several years of working in resort and hotel environments, Gary began a career as a chef at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL overseeing single and multiple units in restaurants, resorts and park catering operations. Through a 37 year career at Walt Disney World, Gary pushed the limits of traditional chef duties including the Disneyland Paris opening training team, as a recruiter hiring interns, cooks and chefs throughout the United States and internationally, teaching and managing culinary arts classes for avocational guest students at the Disney Institute, developing and managing food allergy programs, supporting food and beverage program and menu development for new theme parks and resorts, and developing and supporting environmental programs at each of The Walt Disney Company theme parks around the world. Gary has discussed food allergies and nutritional kids meals representing Walt Disney World while speaking at the Chicago National Restaurant Show, Florida Restaurant Show, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics national convention, FASI and multiple format media interviews.

Gary Jones graduated from Johnson and Wales University in the early years of the Culinary Arts program in Providence, RI. After several years of working in resort and hotel environments, Gary began a career as a chef at the Walt Disney World Resort i... Show more

Pascal Van Hentenryck

Pascal Van Hentenryck

Pascal Van Hentenryck is the director of Tech AI (the AI Hub at
Georgia Tech), the director of the NSF AI Institute for Advances in
Optimization (AI4OPT), and the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and
Professor at Georgia Tech with appointments in the colleges of
engineering and computing. He was a professor of Computer Science at Brown University for over 20 years and led the optimization research group at the National ICT Research in Australia. His current research focuses on AI for Engineering with applications in energy systems, supply chains and logistics, manufacturing, health care, and mobility. Van Hentenryck is a pioneer of constraint programming, and he designed
several innovative optimization systems that have been in commercialuse for over 20 years. He is a fellow of AAAI and INFORMS.

Pascal Van Hentenryck is the director of Tech AI (the AI Hub at Georgia Tech), the director of the NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (AI4OPT), and the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and Professor at Georgia Tech with appointments in the... Show more

Moon Nightmare

Moon Nightmare

24yo Shiny Fenbreon that goes by Moon Nightmare. Pronouns She/He/Him/Her, hailing from Seguin, ON.

24yo Shiny Fenbreon that goes by Moon Nightmare. Pronouns She/He/Him/Her, hailing from Seguin, ON. Show more

Wu Rongrong

Wu Rongrong

Software engineer in China Mobile Cloud AI Computing team, primarily responsible for integrating AI algorithms onto the intelligent computing system and dedicated to optimizing the performance and functionality of these algorithms.

Software engineer in China Mobile Cloud AI Computing team, primarily responsible for integrating AI algorithms onto the intelligent computing system and dedicated to optimizing the performance and functionality of these algorithms. Show more

Hasin Hayatu

Hasin Hayatu


Hasin Hayatu is a software developer and AI developer with 7+ years of experience in the tech industry. He holds certifications in Python and PHP programming from the Study Section and is a Google Cloud Machine Learning API badge holder. He has also worked as a mathematics tutor at Nur Light Academy and a computer and technology tutor at Aman Academy, Zaria. He has over 7 years of experience in the ICT Center in hardware, network, and software management. His technical expertise includes machine learning, Django web frameworks, MYSQL, PHP, Laravel, and Codeigniter. He has developed numerous software solutions for businesses. Hasin was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Hasin Hayatu is a software developer and AI developer with 7+ years of experience in the tech industry. He holds certifications in Python and PHP programming from the Study Section and is a Google Cloud Machine Learning API badge holder. He has als... Show more

Michael Gidey

Michael Gidey

JOURNALIST

JOURNALIST Show more

Nick Anderson

Nick Anderson

Nick is a Cloud Engineer and SRE who enjoys creating innovative ways to bundle good SRE habits into running applications using Infrastructure as Code practices. After 10 years of desktop and web application development, Nick has spent the last 5+ years in an SRE and Cloud Engineering role working to deliver cohesive solutions for engineers using Cloud platforms, CI/CD, and observability tools.

Nick is a Cloud Engineer and SRE who enjoys creating innovative ways to bundle good SRE habits into running applications using Infrastructure as Code practices. After 10 years of desktop and web application development, Nick has spent the last 5+ yea... Show more

Tait Burns

Tait Burns

I have been IT for over 24 years doing database development and administration for 11 of those years primarily on SQL Server on-premise and in Azure. I like to automate and providing auditing, training and documentation

I have been IT for over 24 years doing database development and administration for 11 of those years primarily on SQL Server on-premise and in Azure. I like to automate and providing auditing, training and documentation Show more

Dennis Drost

Dennis Drost

Dennis started his career as a chemist, but quickly switched to software engineering because of his passion for automation. He always has new ideas and projects, and sometimes even finishes one.

Dennis started his career as a chemist, but quickly switched to software engineering because of his passion for automation. He always has new ideas and projects, and sometimes even finishes one. Show more

Steven Coochin

Steven Coochin

Senior Dev Advocate Lumigo, AWS Community Builder. Dev/Maker/Geek/Speaker/streamer/ruralite 🐴🐶🏞️ Prev @snyksec @IBMDeveloper @telstradev @XeroAPI @PayPalDev

Senior Dev Advocate Lumigo, AWS Community Builder. Dev/Maker/Geek/Speaker/streamer/ruralite 🐴🐶🏞️ Prev @snyksec @IBMDeveloper @telstradev @XeroAPI @PayPalDev Show more

Sheldon Peacock

Sheldon Peacock

Developer, Implementation Consultant and Product Manager with 20 years NAV/BC experience from multiple industries.
Now leading Aptean's next gen Food and Beverage program for Fresh.

Developer, Implementation Consultant and Product Manager with 20 years NAV/BC experience from multiple industries. Now leading Aptean's next gen Food and Beverage program for Fresh. Show more

LaTonya Loyd

LaTonya Loyd

Over 30 years in the food brokerage industry.

Over 30 years in the food brokerage industry. Show more

Robert Shurtleff

Robert Shurtleff

Robert Shurtleff is the Global Microsoft and AI Evangelist at Enavate, where he helps businesses achieve digital transformation within the Microsoft ecosystem. With 30+ years of experience, he advocates for balanced technology use. Robert specializes in leveraging Generative AI and Dynamics 365 to enhance customer experiences and drive company innovation. He supports Enavate in solutioning, sales, alliances, and business strategy.

Robert Shurtleff is the Global Microsoft and AI Evangelist at Enavate, where he helps businesses achieve digital transformation within the Microsoft ecosystem. With 30+ years of experience, he advocates for balanced technology use. Robert specializes... Show more

Ashkan Ahrabi

Ashkan Ahrabi

With almost 6 years of experience as a Frontend engineer, Ash has embraced the dynamic tech industry in Berlin. Recently, He joined Delivery Hero as a Frontend Software Engineer, working in a Design System team.

With almost 6 years of experience as a Frontend engineer, Ash has embraced the dynamic tech industry in Berlin. Recently, He joined Delivery Hero as a Frontend Software Engineer, working in a Design System team. Show more

John King

John King

John is a 2022 & 2023 Sitecore Strategy MVP. He has 10+ years of MarTech experience in the FMCG, leisure, travel & tourism industries. He has 8+ years of experience implementing Sitecore platforms and is an expert in Inbound Marketing, Content Strategy, SEO, UI, UX, Ecommerce, Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimisation, Personalisation, Campaign Management, Customer Experience (CX), Customer Data Management, Digital Experience Platforms (DXP), Digital Transformation and Sitecore Integrations.

He works alongside history working alongside Creative, Tech and BA teams to devise, recommend and implement digital strategies that help Sitecore customers to continue to achieve their business goals.

In his role he is focused on helping senior leaders find growth by creating an operational rhythm with Marketing and Technology. On a day-to-day bias he works closely with senior leadership teams to shape the next phase of their technology roadmap and digital strategy. John is a regular Guest Speaker at universities, education institutions and business events.

John is a 2022 & 2023 Sitecore Strategy MVP. He has 10+ years of MarTech experience in the FMCG, leisure, travel & tourism industries. He has 8+ years of experience implementing Sitecore platforms and is an expert in Inbound Marketing, Content Strate... Show more

Jorge Vega Matos

Jorge Vega Matos

Jorge Vega Matos is a researcher, speculative thinker, and community organizer focused on social impact and transnational mobilization. Most recently, he served as founding lead of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs at Carbonwave, a public benefit corporation creating valuable circular economies based on seaweed that address regenerative agriculture, sustainable manufacturing, and scalable carbon sequestration. He's also co-curator of Peripheral Intuitions, a decolonial arts practice merging nightlife, collective education, and mutual healing. His current focus is on accelerating community-led, justice-oriented, and inclusive models of climate that are suited for the realities that communities of the global south face in our climate emergency.

Jorge Vega Matos is a researcher, speculative thinker, and community organizer focused on social impact and transnational mobilization. Most recently, he served as founding lead of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs at Carbonwave, a publi... Show more

Victoria Feng

Victoria Feng

Victoria is the VP of BD at BitMart Exchange and Cipholio Venture, A global leading crypto firm.
An technopreneur at xDemic. A decentralized credential management service. Having considerable expertise in blockchain, finance, NFTs, and DeFi.

Email: victoria.feng@bitmart.com
TWTR: https://twitter.com/victoria3364
LNKD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fengvf/

Victoria is the VP of BD at BitMart Exchange and Cipholio Venture, A global leading crypto firm. An technopreneur at xDemic. A decentralized credential management service. Having considerable expertise in blockchain, finance, NFTs, and DeFi. Emai... Show more

Ulv Bjørnsson

Ulv Bjørnsson

Emma Mitchell

Emma Mitchell

Emma Mitchell is the Founder of InspireHER STEM, an international mentoring program in the USA and in partnership with the Amazing Grace Center Kenya CBO, a community-based organization and Charitable Trust in Kenya. She Educates, Mentors & Empowers girls to pursue Technology careers. Emma's passion for closing the gender digital skills divide has taken her to Nicaragua and Kenya to train facilitators in gender-sensitive STEM program implementation through girls code initiatives.

Emma Mitchell is the Founder of InspireHER STEM, an international mentoring program in the USA and in partnership with the Amazing Grace Center Kenya CBO, a community-based organization and Charitable Trust in Kenya. She Educates, Mentors & Empowers ... Show more

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