Profiles

In his more than 20 years at Bunge, Fernando has worked in various commercial roles in locations around the world.  He has served as the lead of the grain business in North America, managed Bunge’s Southern and Western Europe regions and oversees the wheat milling business in Mexico. He took on the responsibility of leading…

Dessa Kopp serves as the Vice President of Talent Management at Post Holdings, Inc., where she leads the organization’s strategic initiatives in the talent area. Her team is responsible for Post’s talent acquisition, onboarding, organizational development, succession planning, leadership development, training, and HR compliance. She serves as a key liaison and advisor to Post’s business…

Lisa Nunez Safarian leads commercial, manufacturing, and product development at Pivot Bio. Dedicating her career to advancing agriculture and helping farmers achieve better outcomes, Lisa oversees the day-to-day operations to ensure we are meeting the nitrogen needs of our customers. Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Lisa held several leadership positions at Bayer and Monsanto. Most…

Sanjay Wagle is co-founder and Managing Director of The Lightsmith Group, a private equity firm investing in growth-stage technology companies, with a current focus on climate change adaptation and resilience. He has over 20 years of experience in investing, technology company management, and government focused on clean energy, water, food and agriculture, transportation, and climate…

As a pioneer and leading player in impact investing, DBL has helped to reveal the power of venture capital to promote social change and environmental improvement. Nancy writes and speaks frequently on the field of impact investing. She sponsors or sits on the board of directors of several companies, including: Farmer’s Business Network (FBN), The…

Amy Funk is the Director of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Innovation Center as of January this year. She has been working in the Greater East St. Louis area for over a decade. She previously provided leadership, project management, and policy guidance as part of the Illinois Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Education (SNAP-Ed)…

Nick is an economist with worldwide experience in water policy and management. He serves as the Director of Policy for the University of Nebraska’s Water for Food Global Institute and as a Professor of Agricultural Economics. His local, national, and multinational research evaluates policies and governance structures for agricultural water use and informs water managers…

Shannon Hauf is currently Senior Vice President and Head of Seed Production Innovation at Bayer Crop Science. Shannon and her team located in 22 countries around the World have responsibility to develop and deliver innovation solutions in the production of seeds. Shannon joined Monsanto in 2003 and held various roles of increasing responsibility within the…

Pablo Sobron leads a team of scientists and engineers in delivering solutions to explore and study the deep sea and deep space. Their technology innovations are used, among others, to search for life on other planets and resources on the Moon, survey biodiversity and clean-tech minerals in the seafloor, measure and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions…