Palm Springs, CA (December 16, 2024) - The hotel block for the IPSA Annual Conference closes Dec. 16. Register at www.ipseed.org.
This year, IPSA says the focus at the IPSA Annual Conference is on you. "In this tough business environment we want to give you real tools to use immediately in your business."
Five things happening this year to highlight
1) THREE meetings, ONE location. We are happy to work with both GreenLeaf and Inari to hold their business meetings with us at Indian Wells.
2) INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE USE. Chris Voss, Former FBI Negotiator, founder of the Black Swan Group and author of "You Can't Split the Difference" will talk to us about negotiation and how you can apply negotiating skills in everyday business. JJ Cummings, former Captain of the USS Gearld R Ford has given me some Leadership Skills that I put to work and saw immediate changes. He will do the same for you.
3) INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES IN 2025. Our Innovation Showcase starts with David Friedberg talking about Ohalo Genetics, and includes Shely Arnov of InnerPlant & their new tool called CropView, Han Chen of ZeaCal, Cam Norgate of EarthOptics on their new Crop Planning and Optimization Tool and finally Jim Hedges to talk about soybean enhancements of FrenzyAg. Each part of the Innovation Showcase offers a chance to differentiate and grow your business, even in 2025.
4) LEARNING SESSIONS. IPSA has always been strong with Learning Sessions and this year is no different, please see the information below for details.
5) OPEN MEETING OPPORTUNITIES. We know you need to meet with some companies while we are together. We are opening up 4 hours of meeting times so you can schedule meetings and get some business done. We also have scheduled "Networking Dinners on Your Own" to give you a chance to enjoy friends and time together or have that business dinner. This is a continued build on our "meeting day" in Indianapolis, to respect your needs.
IPSA says, "We will also have a specific meeting for Seed Companies Members to continue our discussions from Indianapolis with new updates. All of that, plus more networking, StalkTalk Discussions, exhibits and the best open bar in the industry. I hear we might have Two Piano guys lurking again for a chance to perform."
David Friedberg to Speak at the 36th IPSA Annual Conference
Palm Springs, CA (November 19, 2024) - David Friedberg, formerly of Google, the visionary entrepreneur, investor and founder of The Climate Corporation, Ohalo Genetics and The Production Board, will be a featured speaker at this year’s IPSA Conference, Jan. 5-8 in Palm Springs, CA.
Friedberg is a trailblazer at the intersection of technology, agriculture, and sustainability. Best known for founding The Climate Corporation, which revolutionized agriculture by leveraging big data to help farmers make informed decisions, Friedberg has a proven track record of turning groundbreaking ideas into industry-defining solutions. The Climate Corporation's $1.1 billion acquisition by Monsanto cemented his reputation as a transformative figure in ag-tech.
Friedberg's newest venture, Ohalo Genetics is focusing in plants. Ohalo’s breakthrough technology, Boosted Breeding, will usher in a new era of improved agricultural productivity to radically transform global agriculture.
Today, as CEO of The Production Board (TPB), Friedberg is driving innovation in agriculture, food systems, and life sciences. TPB partners with scientists and entrepreneurs to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, creating bold, sustainable solutions for the future. Friedberg's insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of agriculture and technology are invaluable, offering a glimpse into how innovation will shape the industry in the years to come.
This is your chance to learn directly from one of the most influential minds in agriculture today. Friedberg's ability to connect big-picture trends with actionable insights will leave you inspired and armed with strategies to take your business to the next level.
Make the Most of Networking Opportunities
Networking is vital to the IPSA Conference, and this year’s event is designed to help you build meaningful connections. During the scheduled networking breaks, you’ll have the chance to meet industry peers, engage in insightful conversations, and exchange ideas with some of the brightest minds in agriculture. These moments are perfect for deepening existing relationships and creating new ones, whether you’re connecting over a cup of coffee or exploring cutting-edge innovations at our exhibitor booths.
The exhibitor area will be a hub of activity throughout the conference, featuring industry-leading companies showcasing the latest products, technologies, and services. Take time during breaks to explore these booths, ask questions, and find solutions that can make an immediate impact on your operation or business. The relaxed setting allows for engaging discussions, giving you ample opportunity to discover how exhibitors can support your goals while learning about emerging trends.
Evening Connections and Closing Celebration
As the sun sets on each conference day, dinner on your own Tuesday offers the perfect opportunity to continue conversations and strengthen connections made during the sessions and breaks. Gather a group of colleagues or new acquaintances to explore the local culinary scene and enjoy a more intimate setting to share ideas, discuss sessions, and plan collaborations. These informal gatherings are where relationships solidify and innovative ideas often take root.
Finally, don’t miss the closing reception — a Casino Night to remember. Celebrate the conference successes with your fellow attendees while enjoying classic casino games, prizes, and lively entertainment in a festive atmosphere. Whether you’re trying your luck at blackjack, spinning the roulette wheel, or simply enjoying the camaraderie, Casino Night is the perfect way to end the conference on a high note. This is more than an event; it’s a celebration of the shared passion, innovation, and community that drive our industry forward. Make sure you’re there to toast to the future.
The 36th Annual Conference Learning Session Speakers
Mac Marshall
Mac Marshall brings nearly two decades of experience in economic and market analysis and dissemination, corporate strategy, public affairs, and public speaking.
Prior to serving as an independent strategic advisor, Marshall was the Vice President of Market Intelligence for the United Soybean Board, following roles in international government affairs at Bayer Crop Science, corporate strategy at Monsanto, and serving as an economist in both managerial and non-managerial capacities at the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Vassar College and a Master of Arts in Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University.
Katie Sauer
Katie Sauer is a sales and marketing consultant who is passionate about helping independent brands succeed.
She applies 18 years of sales, marketing, and communication experience to help seed companies navigate the complexities of the market, gain valuable insights into their own businesses, and create and implement strategic plans that will carry their brands into the future.
Prior to consulting, Sauer spent 16 years at Monsanto, where she held roles in marketing, account management, communication, and sales support in various areas of the company, including direct - to - farmer brands, corporate affairs, and licensing. Following that corporate experience, she spent 2 years in the start - up space, where she focused on commercial development and marketing at Inari.
Sauer holds a B.A. in communication from Truman State University and an MBA from Saint Louis University.
Scott Keetle
Building successful relationships in life and business are what matters most to Scott Keetle.
For over 23 years, the seed business has enabled him to develop strong relationships across the industry. The experiences of brands and business structures from small, regional companies to large, multi - national corporations, has given him insights into what matters most.
Growing up on a family farm near Waverly, NE gave Keetle his passion to serve an industry he cares greatly about. Upon receiving his B.A. from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Keetle joined the seed industry as a District Sales Manager for Golden Harvest Seeds. Over the past 20 years Keetle has enjoyed roles in sales management, professional training and development, general management, and strategic marketing with Monsanto, Syngenta, Beck's Hybrids, AgReliant, and Inari.
Kettle is taking his expertise in sales enablement and strategic marketing to advise businesses to help them put their full potential to work.
Jeff Butler
Modern day workplace has four generations working under one roof: Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, Millennials and now Generation Z. All work together to accomplish common organizational goals, however, with differences in each of these generation’s viewpoints, upbringings, culture, ideas, beliefs and experiences, it is likely to see some tiffs or clashes within the organization. Hence, makes managing four different generations in the workplace an extremely difficult task to accomplish, though not impossible. With right guidance, support and advice, the task of managing these four generations under one roof is achievable. The support may come in various forms, one of which is this program.
This program focuses on managing four different generations in the workplace where author and practitioner Jeff Butler, backed by a decade of psychological research, shares insights about motivations, differences, and communication styles of these four generations. You will learn how organizations across various industries are thriving with a multigenerational workforce and how yours can too. Through this program you’ll find specific actionable strategies to manage your cross-generational challenges and turn your multigenerational workforce into a competitive advantage.
Mike Tweedy
Mike Tweedy is a dynamic, action-oriented and outcomes-driven executive leader, passionate about building high performing teams, driving explosive growth and profitability at innovative agriculture companies.
Tweedy has a wide range of experience building and leading teams in multi-national companies, small innovative start-ups and the largest ag tech startup in history. He is skilled in building commercial teams in high growth companies, strategy, P&L management and operations.
Tweedy's core principles focus on leadership, ownership, accountability, problem-solving, collaboration, coaching, providing the customer with a great experience and working with a sense of urgency. He's comfortable working in an ambiguous environment, under pressure and bringing order to chaos. He's built a track record of hiring A+ talent and has built the highest level of trust with employees by providing continued growth through thoughtful coaching.
Tweedy currently leads commercial sales for Pattern Ag and is responsible for scaling the business.
Previously served dual roles at Indigo as the Head of Sales and Service and Head of North American Carbon in the Crop Production business. In these positions he led nearly 100 people and was accountable for executing sales for the North American Crop Production business. He was the first commercial employee at Indigo in 2017 and helped scale the company and successfully built six teams. Among those teams were the first two field sales and service teams, Systems Deployment, Agronomy business unit and North American Carbon.
Tweedy led two reorganizations of the North American commercial business as it continued to grow and expand. He also took on the added responsibility of overseeing Commercial Enablement & Training, reorganizing to focus on high-impact learning, to exceed targets.
Cam Norgate
Self-directed, entrepreneurial executive with experience building products, businesses, and teams in high growth markets. Started and grown multiple businesses from the ground up. Deep background in business strategy, with almost a decade of product experience spanning a spectrum of industries and company life stages.
Pattern Ag is leveraging advances in genomics, data science, and microbiology to help farmers improve the productivity and profitability of their land. By applying genomic analysis to farm soil, we unlock a wide range of predictive insights that help farmers optimize their spend on seed, crop protection, and fertility inputs. Combining these insights with the latest in digital sensing, data science, and machine learning, we are ushering in the era of predictive agriculture, powering on-farm decision making for millions of acres, and billions in crop spend.
Dr. Cenzig Koparan
Dr. Cengiz Koparan is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Precision Agriculture Technology at the University of Arkansas since 2023.
He serves in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology with input from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
He earned his Ph.D. in Plant and Environmental Science from Clemson University. His research program investigates use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Unmanned Ground Vehicles for improving agricultural practices by developing novel methods, concepts, and technologies. He specializes in computer-assisted agricultural machine systems in precision agriculture and the application of these technologies in improving agricultural systems.
Jim Schweigert
Jim Schweigert is a third-generation seedsman and president of Gro Alliance, the largest independently owned seed supply chain solutions provider in North America.
The company specializes in seed production, custom seed breeding and aggregating growers for closed-loop and value added seed products. It also has a joint-venture in Chile, called CIS Alliance, where is offers custom seed breeding services in row crops, oil seeds and vegetables. The company launched Breeder Direct in 2020 which out licenses corn and soybean germplasm to seed companies.
Schweigert serves as a board advisor for the soybean breeding company, ZeaKal and UV light treatment company, BioLumic. He served as the chair of the American Seed Trade Association in 2022-2023.
He has a BA in public relations from the University of Minnesota and an MS in seed technology and business from Iowa State.
Carl Peterson
Carl Peterson is a founder and CEO of Peterson Farms Seed in Harwood, ND.
The Peterson Farms Seed brand of corn and soybeans is sold in North Dakota, Minnesota and eastern South Dakota through a network of qualified seed dealers. Over the past 29 years, Peterson has led the company to become the largest independent seed company in the region. He prides himself on building a company where team members enjoy coming to work – and where each member can be challenged to continue to grow.
Peterson earned his B.A. in Ag Production from Iowa State University. He holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and a MBA from Indiana University. He is also a Certified Crop Advisor. He is most proud of his “World’s Best Dad” cup; however, the provenance of that award is somewhat suspect.
Peterson is married to company co-founder, Julie, with whom he shares three objectively wonderful adult children. When not in the office, Peterson enjoys reading and snow-skiing as well as playing keyboard and singing on his church’s worship team.
Han Chen
Han Chen is the co-founder and CEO of ZeaKal, Inc.
Chen brings with him over 17 years of management and venture experience. He has been a pioneer in changing how agricultural trait technologies are commercialized, focusing on innovative public-private partnerships between industry, venture, and research.
To date, Chen has started and successfully raised financing for three start-ups, totaling over thirty million dollars in capital. Chen is also the co-founder and Managing Director of Kapyon Ventures, a technology incubation firm behind the pre-venture development of ZeaKal.
Prior to founding ZeaKal and Kapyon, Chen was the Investment Manager for Finistere Partners, a San Diego, CA-based life science venture capital firm. He was responsible for seeding the deal flow of a nine-million-dollar strategic investment fund that resulted in the formation of several start-ups, generation of millions in research funding, and several technology licensing opportunities.
Chen graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College and has a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of California, San Diego. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
Registration is Open For IPSA Annual Conference January 5-8 in Palm Springs, CA
Palm Springs, CA (September 3, 2024) - Registration is open for the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) 2025 Annual Conference in Palm Springs, CA. Click here to register
This year, IPSA is thrilled to welcome distinguished keynote speakers including Shawn Hackett, renowned Ag commodities expert; Chris Voss, former FBI hostage negotiator; and J.J. Cummings, celebrated for his transformative leadership in the U.S. Navy.
Dive into a series of enriching learning sessions, expand your network through our dynamic networking events, and try your hand at the poker tables at the closing sponsor event. Secure your spot today and be part of the conversations shaping the future of our industry.
IPSA Annual Conference Main Stage Speakers Announced
Speakers include Chris Voss, J.J. Cummings, and Shawn Hackett
Palm Springs, CA (June 5, 2024) - As an FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss persuaded terrorists, bank robbers, and kidnappers to see things his way. Now he’s teaching you his field-tested strategies to help you in everyday negotiations, whether you’re aiming to improve your salary, the service you receive, or your relationships. Get stronger communication skills, game-changing insights into human nature, and more of what you want out of life.
His leadership approach helped his teams succeed and accomplish challenging missions in the unforgiving world of aircraft carrier and fighter aviation.
J.J. Cummings, a former Navy fighter pilot, was the Commanding Officer of the most technologically advanced vessel in the world, the nuclear-powered USS GERALD R. FORD.
He was also Executive Officer of the aircraft carrier USS NIMITZ, Commanding Officer of the amphibious assault ship USS ANCHORAGE, and Commanding Officer of an FA-18F Super Hornet squadron.
He was the first Technical Advisor for the 2022 film, TOPGUN Maverick.
A frequent contributor to Barron’s, Futures Magazine, Reuters, Bloomberg, US Farm Report, Ag-TV, Market to Market-IPTV as well as regular radio show contributor for the likes of Chip Flory-AgriTalk After The Bell, Michell Rook-WNAX and Linda Brekke-The Linda Network, Ag commodities expert Shawn Hackett has dedicated his life to educating Ag industry leaders and farmers about financial risk management, hedging and the utility of indicator-based Ag commodity price forecasting tools.
Hackett makes hard-to-understand concepts easily digestible to a wide audience and is the publisher of the Hackett Money Flow Agricultural Report and the Hackett Dairy Report.
IPSA Announces Logo and Theme For Annual Conference, Jan. 5-8 in Palm Springs, CA
Palm Springs, CA (May 1, 2024) - The Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) is excited to announce "Forward" as the theme for this year's conference, embodying the spirit of progress and innovation in the seed industry.
The conference is scheduled for Jan. 5-8, 2025 in Palm Springs, CA.
Drawing inspiration from the famous quote, "There is only one path in life, and it is forward," this theme highlights our collective commitment to embracing the future with resilience and determination.
"As we convene to explore the latest advancements and opportunities, we invite all members to join us in this forward trajectory, where collaboration and forward-thinking will pave the way for sustainable growth and success in our industry," IPSA says. "Together, let's set the stage for a future that is as promising as the seeds we sow."