April Insights Series | Innovations in AgTech: How Technology is Shaping Colorado Agriculture

Description

CoBank | 6340 S. Fiddlers Green Cir, Greenwood Village, CO 80111

*Registration for this event has closed. Please email Jessica Harrison to be added to our waitlist. 

*Please limit 3 complimentary tickets for Company Team & Premier Corporate members and 1 ticket for Individual Professional members.

Additional tickets can be purchased by contacting Jessica Harrison at jessica@coloradotechnology.org. 

Colorado’s agricultural industry is a cornerstone of the state’s economy, and agricultural technology (Agtech) is revolutionizing how it grows, sustains, and innovates for the future.

Join us for an exclusive gathering of business leaders, innovators and industry experts as we explore how cutting-edge AgTech solutions are reshaping Colorado’s agricultural landscape. Learn how innovations in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence are boosting productivity, enhancing sustainability, and strengthening supply chains across the region.

Through keynote presentations, a thought-provoking panel discussion, and networking opportunities, this event offers a unique opportunity to discover how technology and entrepreneurship are driving a more resilient, sustainable, and efficient future for Colorado agriculture.

What to Expect:

 Real-world applications shaping the future of farming in Colorado

 Expert-led discussions on AI-driven AgTech solutions

 Insights from industry leaders and innovators

 Networking with top executives and decision-makers

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead in the evolving agricultural landscape.

Keynote Speakers:

Alp Basol, Head of Innovation and AI Center of Excellence, CoBank

As an executive entrepreneur with a passion for innovation, Alp is responsible for leading the Innovation Lab and the AI Center of Excellence. Dedicated to establishing and advancing the innovation function at CoBank, Alp brings a deep understanding of how business and technology are reshaping the financial services industry.

Focused on horizon 2 and 3 technology disruptions, Alp advances cutting-edge solutions and fosters creativity, driving innovation, incubation, and acceleration in credit and financial services for CoBank associates and customers.

Alp oversees AI strategy, rapid prototyping, and AI adoption across CoBank's business lines, executing the AI backlog by bringing new MVPs to life, while providing leadership to the AI governance body.

Directing his team in the areas of concept development, prototyping, alliance formation, identifying capability gaps, and investigating opportunities for innovative approaches, Alp maintains strategic partnerships with FinTech companies, startups, and other external collaborators.

Prior to joining CoBank, Alp held executive leadership roles as Group Chief Technology Officer for Telstra Enterprise and Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation at AT&T Business.

Alp graduated from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, with a Master of Science in Network Systems, a Graduate Diploma of Information Technology in Systems Development, and a Graduate Diploma of Science in Network Systems.

Ben Godbey, Head of Evaluation Services, American AgCredit

Ben Godbey, the Executive Head of Evaluation Services at American AgCredit, is known as a change champion in the appraisal profession and as the Farm Credit representative to The Appraisal Foundation. With extensive experience in chattel and real estate valuation, automated valuation and regression modeling, and evaluation technology to build on, Ben has leveraged technology to balance business efficiency with an enhanced customer and employee experience.

This year, Ben was honored with the Innovator of the Year Award at American AgCredit, recognizing his contributions to the organization and appraisal profession. He led a partnership with CamoAg to propel a land intelligence platform for robust evaluation insights. He has also been a driving force in establishing an Innovation Fund in collaboration with other Farm Credit parties and software vendor, AgWare. This collaboration fosters innovation to meet market demands, execute strategic goals and increase efficiency with new tools and capabilities.

Ben's work has modernized the approach to evaluation services by driving impactful change, efficiency and value delivery through technology.

Moderator:

Sarah Herzog, Senior Director of IT Strategy & Collaboration, Ardent Mills

Sarah Herzog is the Senior Director of IT Strategy & Collaboration at Ardent Mills, a Grain-Based Solutions company headquartered in Denver, CO. She brings 25 years of experience in technology leadership across manufacturing and agriculture spaces with a passion for embracing technology for strategic business change. In her role at Ardent Mills, she leads the women’s Employee Resource Group at Ardent Mills, co-founded Women in Tech, and serves on several boards focused on Women’s Leadership, Talent Development, and the intersection of women’s empowerment and agriculture.

Panelists:

Eric Adamson, Former Co-Founder and CEO, Tortuga AgTech & Oishii

The grandson of farmers, a lifelong greenthumb, and a passionate environmentalist, Eric has always aspired to build a company that improves our human relationship with the earth. Alongside Tim, he co-founded Tortuga AgTech with that mission, and after 9 years, recently announced Tortuga's acquisition by Oishii Farm Corporation. Prior to Tortuga and Oishii, Eric advised Fortune 500 corporations at McKinsey & Company. He has worked for small-scale apple farms and the world's largest agribusiness companies. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MS Management Science & Engineering and BA Psychology from Stanford University.

Jordan Kraft Lambert, Director of Ag Innovation, Colorado State University

Jordan has devoted her career to building a global food and ag technology economy that brings together growers, consumers, and innovators to create nourished people and an abundant planet. She is the Director of Ag Innovation at Colorado State University housed in the Denver Spur campus, where she supports startups and corporations in centering the voice of Colorado's farmers as they design next-gen technologies and business models to support our agricultural infrastructure. She has served as VP of Business Development at VAS, a company that makes health management software for 6 million of the 9 million dairy cows in the US. She has also served as Senior Director of Innovation at Indigo Ag, where she developed Indigo’s strategy for the future of IoT, data visualization, and machine learning in row crop agriculture. She worked as a strategist for the innovation consultancy, Innosight, to help Fortune 500 companies engage in disruptive innovation. In her work as a genetic engineer, she has engineered rice to be drought and salt tolerant, as well as to produce human breast milk proteins for use in pharmaceuticals. She grew up on a dairy farm in rural northeast Colorado, where her family still farms today. Jordan has a BS in plant biotechnology from UC Davis and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband, greyhound, and a house full of plants. She enjoys gardening, garden parties, and fabulous cheeses.

Jamie Potter, VP of Sales and Business Development, CamoAg

Jamie Potter has spent 20 years working in software and technology, leading business development, sales, and strategy across multiple industries. Most recently, he has brought his expertise in data-driven solutions to agriculture, helping businesses leverage technology to better understand markets, optimize decision-making, and drive growth.

As VP of Sales and Business Development at CamoAg, Jamie focuses on delivering actionable insights through geospatial and market intelligence, supporting agribusinesses, lenders, and land professionals in making smarter, data-informed decisions. His background is in SaaS solutions, with a strong emphasis on applying technology to solve real-world challenges.

Jamie is passionate about bridging innovation with practical applications in agriculture, ensuring that technology delivers measurable value to the industry.

Thank you to our April Insights Series Sponsors: