Elizabeth Fastiggi, Chief Product Officer, Idealyst Innovation
Elizabeth Fastiggi is Chief Product Officer at Idealyst Innovation, where she leads development of solutions that help farmers and ranchers manage risk and build a more transparent, resilient food system. Previously, she served as Global Head of Agriculture at Amazon Web Services, working across the agri-food sector to advance digital transformation through data science and AI. She also held leadership roles at Indigo Agriculture and Farmers Business Network and began her career forming sustainability partnerships at the Environmental Defense Fund. Elizabeth holds a BS from UC Berkeley, an MBA and MS from the University of Michigan, and studied international policy and economics at Oxford.

Alfonso Clavijo, Director, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF)
Dr. Alfonso Clavijo serves as Director of the USDA National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas, a premier research and diagnostic center dedicated to protecting U.S. agriculture from foreign, emerging, and zoonotic animal diseases. He leads efforts in high-containment laboratory research, vaccine and countermeasure development, and national preparedness. Previously, he was Laboratory Executive Director for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s National Centres for Animal Disease, overseeing BSL-2 through BSL-4 facilities. A veterinarian and virologist, Dr. Clavijo earned his DVM from the National University of Colombia and his PhD in Veterinary Microbiology/Virology from the University of Guelph.

Dan Northrup, Principal, Science & Technology, Galvanize
Dan Northrup is Principal, Science & Technology at Galvanize, where he advances innovation at the intersection of biology, data science, and agriculture. Previously Director of Special Projects at Benson Hill, he worked on novel protein sources for animal nutrition and plant-based foods. As a consultant supporting ARPA-E, he designed R&D portfolios spanning bioenergy crops, soil carbon sequestration, and agricultural emissions markets, and fostered collaborations between biologists and computer scientists to apply machine learning to plant biology. Dan holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Pennsylvania and a biomedical engineering degree from Duke University.

Marshall Stewart, Executive Vice President for External Engagement, Kansas State University
Marshall Stewart is Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Chief of Staff at Kansas State University, where he serves as the president’s liaison to government, industry, and community partners and leads strategic initiatives that expand the university’s impact as a next-generation land-grant institution. He oversees engagement, extension, communications, corporate relations, and major university partnerships. Previously, he held senior leadership roles with the University of Missouri System and North Carolina State University. A former agriculture teacher and extension leader, Stewart is also a professor of communications and agricultural education. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University.

Lukas Koch, CEO, Kelly Hill’s Unmanned Systems
Lukas Koch is the Founder and CEO of Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems, where he leads advanced autonomy commercialization, UAS test-range activities, and regulatory enablement efforts across agriculture, emergency response, logistics, and defense-adjacent applications. He works closely with the FAA through programs including BEYOND, ASSURE, and the UAS Test Range ecosystem, and has built partnerships with OEMs, universities, and federal and state agencies to accelerate real-world deployment of aerial and ground autonomous systems in agriculture and beyond.

Kevin Lockett, Managing Partner, Fulcrum Global Capital
Kevin Lockett is Managing Partner and Founding Partner of Fulcrum Global Capital, bringing more than 20 years of experience financing and scaling early-stage companies. He previously served as CFO and COO of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, overseeing finance, HR, IT, and legal operations. A Kauffman Fellow and graduate of UC Berkeley’s Venture Capital Executive Program, Kevin earned a BS in Accounting and Finance from Kansas State University. He serves on the boards of INTRUST Bank, Kansas City University, and The University of Kansas Health System. A former NFL player, Kevin lives in Kansas with his wife, and they have four sons.

Renée Vassilos, Principal, Banyan Innovation Group
Renée Vassilos is an agricultural economist and Principal at Banyan Innovation Group, where she advises investors and companies on innovation and regenerative agriculture. She previously led The Nature Conservancy’s first direct venture investing strategy, funding ag-technology companies that scale soil health practices. Her career includes roles with USDA and a decade at John Deere, giving her global experience across operations, sustainability, and investment. Vassilos also serves on the boards of SeedLinked and GrainPro, advises Agtonomy, and sits on the Builders Vision Impact Investing Fund committee. She holds degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois and UC Davis.

Josh DeMers, Co-Founder and COO, DARO
Josh DeMers is Co-Founder and COO of DARO, an AgTech company using whole-herd, non-invasive molecular surveillance to prevent swine disease outbreaks. He leads operations and commercialization as DARO scales with top U.S. pork producers. Previously Josh led The Combine AgTech Incubator, supporting early-stage AgTech startups and working closely with founders and investors across the AgTech ecosystem.

Chelsea Good, Founder and CEO, Good and Associates
Chelsea Good is an attorney and agricultural policy leader with extensive experience in livestock and regulatory affairs. She previously served more than a decade as Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs and Legal for the Livestock Marketing Association, leading major legislative wins including the Dealer Statutory Trust and Packers and Stockyards Act modernization. Earlier, she worked at the Kansas Department of Agriculture as Communications Director and Staff Attorney. Good also brings hands-on experience in cattle feeding, consulting, and investment, and serves on several national and state ag boards. She holds a J.D. from Washburn University and graduate and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University.

Zach Helder, Vice President, Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City
Zach Helder is Vice President of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and a Senior Manager at Petersen & Company. He brings a decade of experience in nonprofit management, agricultural economics and policy, and communications. Helder has led financial turnarounds for member-based organizations and provided policy analysis to government and private-sector clients. He previously served as an agriculture policy advisor and communications director in the U.S. Congress. While at Princeton University, he led a working group of former USDA and U.N. leaders examining the Russia-Ukraine war’s impact on global food security, with recommendations published in Foreign Affairs.